This kind of one-volume overview of all of culture has become more common recently, but I was surprised to find this one written several decades ago. It holds up well, and I enjoyed it. It belongs to a time when you could enthuse about democracy and individual freedom without sounding soppy, and I enjoyed the dip back into what now seems a more innocent time. It doesn't tell you what happened in history, it assumes you know that already, it's commentary on that. Fortunately I did know enough, and this was like mind candy, no big surprises, just plain pleasure to read, a tutorial with a charming wise guide with a soothing and reassuring point of view. Everything that happens is dynamic. The Uses of the Past/Profiles of Former Societies (1952, 1953, 1963) by Herbert J. Muller shows how much scholarly freedom can be allowed when people are freely contriving atomic bombs. I have a CD called Bloodletting (1990) of songs performed by Concrete Blonde that has a grasp on ideas like: They say nice try, Tomorrow Wendy, you're going to die. Don't count on any second coming. God got his ass kicked the first time he came down here slumming. . . . and then forgive us. No, I don't wonder why? I wonder what he thought it would get us? The Uses of the Past explains the origins of Christianity as a struggle between traditional church doctrines, Jesus casting out demons, and St. Paul establishing doctrines like gutter