--- product_id: 4836443 title: "The Lessons of History" price: "£10.31" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/4836443-the-lessons-of-history store_origin: GB region: Great Britain --- # Perfect gift choice for intellectual peers Concise 100-page powerhouse of historical insight Secure packaging ensures pristine delivery The Lessons of History **Price:** £10.31 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 📖 Unlock the past, lead the future — don’t miss the history everyone’s talking about! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Lessons of History - **How much does it cost?** £10.31 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/4836443-the-lessons-of-history) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Gift-Ready Packaging:** Arrives securely packaged, making it an effortless, impressive gift for colleagues and thought leaders in your circle. - • **Unlock the Human Condition:** Explore provocative lessons on morality, economics, government, and progress that spark meaningful conversations in any professional setting. - • **Engaging & Accessible Prose:** Written by Pulitzer-winning historians, the book blends humor and clarity to make complex ideas instantly relatable. - • **Top-Ranked Historical Insight:** Ranked #13 in History of Civilization & Culture, this book is a must-have for anyone serious about understanding the forces shaping our world. - • **Timeless Wisdom, Compact Format:** Dive deep into millennia of human history in just 100 pages—perfect for busy professionals craving intellectual growth. ## Overview The Lessons of History by Will and Ariel Durant distills vast historical knowledge into a concise, engaging 100-page book. Celebrated for its insightful analysis of civilization’s key themes—from morality to economics—this top-ranked bestseller offers professionals a profound yet accessible exploration of humanity’s enduring patterns, making it an essential addition to any intellectual’s library. ## Description The Lessons of History [Durant, Will, Durant, Ariel] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The Lessons of History Review: Read it because - Among the better historians the world has known (Medal of Freedom and Pulitzer honoree)..Durant is a passion that need not be left to old age to enjoy. First course in Western Civilization at USC introduced Durant to those of us that attended there (and other ). Durant deals, in this very readable book, with real history and various aspects of life that are revealed thru history. Among those are Morals, History, Biology, Race, Character, Religion, Economics, Socialism, Government, War, Growth and Decay, Progress (is it real?) Concepts and Ideas based on the historical background surrounding almost all key elements that Durant and his wife Ariel researched and wrote mssive tomes surrounding (The Story of Civilization - 10 volumes & perhaps 11,000 pages!!...Beginning in volume I (almost a summary of what is to come for 9 more)) will engage and open our world from before a time when mankind was still just off the savannas and wondering what was over the next hill, mountain, river and ocean. Very readable prose, engaging, humorous and playful in it's dealings with human activity (Volume I sneaks up in so many ways...as in when we encounter the statement "When the Gods became useful they became numerous" Having gifted or loaned the first of Durant's Story of Civilization it soon became apparent that there is a deep yearning for this depth of inquiry and explanation...Since have given this little book (Lessons of History) to many....old and young. Revealing, humorous, challenging, and rewarding.... Lessons of History is such....coupled with Bertrand Russell's The Conquest of Happiness....are Human Nature revealed ... jcmb Review: A considerable education in just one short book - Having spent decades writing a massive multi-volume history of the world, Will and Ariel Durant are ideally placed to discern patterns and offer opinions on what to make of it all. With this compact and lively book of only 100 pages, they do exactly that. In short and concise chapters, they range across considerations of geography, biology, 'race', character, morals, religion, economics, socialism, government, war, rise and fall, and progress. They give many historical examples along the way, but the reader should understand that these examples are intended only as illustrations, not 'evidence', since the whole point is that we're asking them to apply their judgment. And even if you don't always wind up agreeing with them, the Durants are people who's opinions are worth considering carefully. Because the book covers such a wide and ambitious scope in such a short space, it's densely packed with insights and opinions, sometimes provocative ones, and in fact there's so much here to digest that I'll need to read this book again before attempting a detailed summary. That's why I say this is a considerable education in just one short book. However, for now, perhaps we can broadly say that history shows humans to be complex at both individual and group levels, and capable of both the highest heights and lowest lows, so it's difficult to find any "lessons of history" which are clear and explicit enough to enable even remotely detailed prediction of how our common future will unfold. That doesn't mean that there are simply no useful lessons, or even worse that we should ignore history, but deciding which lessons to apply in particular circumstances is clearly a subtle art requiring much judgment and easily prone to error. I'll leave it at that for now, along with offering a strong recommendation that all students of history read this book (and the unabridged audiobook is also excellent). Indeed, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in better understanding the human condition. After all, surely the past tells us at least a little about what we are and where we might be going? ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #3,076 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #10 in History of Civilization & Culture #15 in Historical Study (Books) #30 in History of Philosophy & Schools of Thought | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (5,967) | | Dimensions | 5.5 x 0.32 x 8.44 inches | | Edition | 1st | | ISBN-10 | 143914995X | | ISBN-13 | 978-1439149959 | | Item Weight | 4.2 ounces | | Language | English | | Print length | 128 pages | | Publication date | February 16, 2010 | | Publisher | Simon & Schuster | ## Images ![The Lessons of History - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71-1MfEw+4L.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Read it because *by C***N on February 26, 2024* Among the better historians the world has known (Medal of Freedom and Pulitzer honoree)..Durant is a passion that need not be left to old age to enjoy. First course in Western Civilization at USC introduced Durant to those of us that attended there (and other ). Durant deals, in this very readable book, with real history and various aspects of life that are revealed thru history. Among those are Morals, History, Biology, Race, Character, Religion, Economics, Socialism, Government, War, Growth and Decay, Progress (is it real?) Concepts and Ideas based on the historical background surrounding almost all key elements that Durant and his wife Ariel researched and wrote mssive tomes surrounding (The Story of Civilization - 10 volumes & perhaps 11,000 pages!!...Beginning in volume I (almost a summary of what is to come for 9 more)) will engage and open our world from before a time when mankind was still just off the savannas and wondering what was over the next hill, mountain, river and ocean. Very readable prose, engaging, humorous and playful in it's dealings with human activity (Volume I sneaks up in so many ways...as in when we encounter the statement "When the Gods became useful they became numerous" Having gifted or loaned the first of Durant's Story of Civilization it soon became apparent that there is a deep yearning for this depth of inquiry and explanation...Since have given this little book (Lessons of History) to many....old and young. Revealing, humorous, challenging, and rewarding.... Lessons of History is such....coupled with Bertrand Russell's The Conquest of Happiness....are Human Nature revealed ... jcmb ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A considerable education in just one short book *by C***R on January 9, 2010* Having spent decades writing a massive multi-volume history of the world, Will and Ariel Durant are ideally placed to discern patterns and offer opinions on what to make of it all. With this compact and lively book of only 100 pages, they do exactly that. In short and concise chapters, they range across considerations of geography, biology, 'race', character, morals, religion, economics, socialism, government, war, rise and fall, and progress. They give many historical examples along the way, but the reader should understand that these examples are intended only as illustrations, not 'evidence', since the whole point is that we're asking them to apply their judgment. And even if you don't always wind up agreeing with them, the Durants are people who's opinions are worth considering carefully. Because the book covers such a wide and ambitious scope in such a short space, it's densely packed with insights and opinions, sometimes provocative ones, and in fact there's so much here to digest that I'll need to read this book again before attempting a detailed summary. That's why I say this is a considerable education in just one short book. However, for now, perhaps we can broadly say that history shows humans to be complex at both individual and group levels, and capable of both the highest heights and lowest lows, so it's difficult to find any "lessons of history" which are clear and explicit enough to enable even remotely detailed prediction of how our common future will unfold. That doesn't mean that there are simply no useful lessons, or even worse that we should ignore history, but deciding which lessons to apply in particular circumstances is clearly a subtle art requiring much judgment and easily prone to error. I'll leave it at that for now, along with offering a strong recommendation that all students of history read this book (and the unabridged audiobook is also excellent). Indeed, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in better understanding the human condition. After all, surely the past tells us at least a little about what we are and where we might be going? ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ An engaging *by J***T on December 10, 2024* A very comprehensive and wise take on the themes of history from expert historians. It reads like a short lecture series from adjunct professors. It's not intended to be a comprehensive historical analysis of events but rather to stream historical anecdotes to reinforce a broad message from each chapter. It felt verbose at times, though you would have difficulty finding any work on history that isn't. Some chapters were flowery with prose and might have instead included a bit more historical hyperlinks or anecdotes. These were refreshing and useful when included. Overall, it's well worth the read and a refreshing "grand narrative" of history. It complements the many historical nonfiction works that focus on a narrow domain. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Lessons of History - The Denial of Death - Democracy for Realists: Why Elections Do Not Produce Responsive Government (Princeton Studies in Political Behavior) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/4836443-the-lessons-of-history](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/4836443-the-lessons-of-history) --- *Product available on Desertcart Great Britain* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-02*