The Discoverers

A History of Man's Search to Know His World and Himself

By: Daniel J. Boorstin

Narrated by: Christopher Cazenove

Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

The Discoverers is a vivid, sweeping and original history of man's greatest adventure: his search to discover the world around him - the relationship of the heavens to his own planet, the elusive and mysterious dimension of time, the vast and colorful range of plants and animals, the intricate workings of his own body, the surprising variety of human societies past and present. Boorstin's flair for the vivid anecdote, for fresh points of view, and for the dramatic relationship of ideas has made him the most readable of our eminent historians.

The story of our world is not the usual succession of battles and empires and political leaders, but a tale of discoveries and beginnings. The long human quest for what man does not yet know becomes a mystery story played by a vast cast on an ever-changing stage. The heroes of this saga are men with an insatiable hunger for knowledge and the courage to venture into the unknown.

Why didn't the Chinese discover America? Why were people so slow to learn the earth goes around the sun? How and why did we begin to think of "species" of plants and animals? How, when, and why did people begin digging in the earth to learn about the past? How did the study of economics begin? These are but a few of the fascinating questions answered by Dr. Boorstin, Librarian of Congress Emeritus.

©1983 Daniel J. Boorstin (P)1994 The Publishing Mills

Critic reviews

"A remarkable narrative of the grand intellectual venture of humankind, rich in fascinating, often dramatic details." (The Wall Street Journal)
"A sumptuous, totally engaging panorama. No one...will look at the chronicle of human ingenuity in the same way again." (David McCullough, author of John Adams)

Poor recording quality

And the content is overly superficial in my opinion. Would have preferred a deeper dive on more focused content.

One of my all time favorites.

I’ve read or listened to Daniel Borstin’s Discoverers at least three or more times over the last couple of decades. Every time I do, I learn something new. A must read for any educated person. A very entertaining, wide ranging perspective of the great discovering minds that have created and advanced our world. This book, as well as Borstin’s Creators are among my top five favorites. Tony Battaglia, Rancho Palos Verdes, Ca.

One of my Top 10 Fav. Books!

Having little interest in reading history books, it was by chance I came across this book. "The Discoverers" opened my eyes to the wonders of history and discovery. This book tells the tales of mystery, discovery and invention. The first chapter alone had me fully engrossed. The history of time and it's measurement. Planting seasons, politics, religion and whim led to thousands of different calenders. Once the measurements we know today were increasingly agreed upon the next challenge to overcome was how to measure time by day. Hourglasses were useless of a listing boat and so the contest was on to see who could invent a device for measuring time when at sea.

I lent this book out to everyone I know. My family, friends and coworkers all loved it. My 14 yr old cousin told me he thinks the book is "cool and awesom." I have kept a copy of "The Discoverers" in my car for a few years now and I never get tired of listening to it.

If you loved Bill Bryson's "A Brief History of Nearly Everything" then you will really enjoy "The Discoverers"

If you loved "The Discoverers" then you will really enjoy Bill Bryson's "A Brief History of Nearly Everything"

Medium Goodness

Narrator was raspy; hurt my ears.
Overall story was reliable, but mainstream and from a European perspective. Did not mention Library of Alexandria.
Other than that, well done.

Great, but terrible audio quality and old school

I’m a fan of history, and particularly science history. This classic work is cool that it briefly touches on points of history, including science, that put them into a bigger context not often visible from the weeds. There’s a quaint discomfort I get when listening to this, where I wonder what someone from a non-western-European culture might think about some of the interpretations. Food for thought for sure if you can put up with the Victrola-like audio quality.

Interesting but anot enough

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

This is a fascinating synopsis of some key figures in history. It's pretty abbreviated though

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

the unabridged version

How could the performance have been better?

This was a tape to digital transfer and it sounded like it...not good

Any additional comments?

I would have preferred the unabridged version but it wasn't offered

It was ok.

I mainly bought this audiobook for school for I would have a summarized version of my book for an easier study. It does focus on the most important parts of the book so that's helpful but the recording is a little funky which makes it hard to listen or understand at some parts. Overall there are only 2 of these audiobooks for the discoverers so it was kinda a necessary evil. I wouldn't recommend just for reading though.

Interesting book - poor audio quality

The main reason for only 3 stars is that the recording is poor. The narrator sounds like he's speaking through a tube. But the content is interesting, if you have any interest in the history of science and exploration.

So Glad I Discovered This Book!

Would you listen to The Discoverers again? Why?

I have found this book fascinating and will no doubt read it again. I really wish they would come out with an unabridged version.

What other book might you compare The Discoverers to and why?

I think that those who enjoy this book would also enjoy the History of Science (Peter Whitfield), or vice versa.

Better performance is needed...

This is very textbook-like material. It needs an exceptional performance to keep it from being dull and boring. Also, the recording is abysmal. The narrator sounds as though he's recording inside a tin can. Read it instead.