1001 Ideas That Changed the Way We Think

Robert Arp

Summary

From Confucius and Plato to today’s cutting-edge thinkers, a comprehensive guide to the most interesting and imaginative thoughts from our finest minds.

Within the pages of this book you will find a wide variety of answers to the great, eternal questions: How was the universe created and what is the place of humans within it? How should a person live? And how can we build a just society? 1001 Ideas That Changed the Way We Think also includes a host of hypotheses that are remarkable for their sheer weirdness—from the concept of the transmigration of souls to parallel universes and the theoretical paradoxes of time travel (what happens if you travel back in time and kill your own grandfather?).

Discover how the Greek philosopher Zeno “proved” a flying arrow never moves; how modern science has shown that a butterfly’s wing can stir up an Atlantic storm; and the mathematical proof of the existence of life in other galaxies. The inspirational ideas explored here range from Gandhi’s theory of civil disobedience to Henry David Thoreau’s praise of the simple life and Mary Wollstonecraft’s groundbreaking advocacy of women’s rights. The book also covers a wide variety of lifestyle concepts, such as “rational dress” and naturism, and cultural movements including Neoclassicism, Surrealism, and Postmodernism.

Supported by a wealth of striking illustrations and illuminating quotations, 1001 Ideas That Changed the Way We Think is both an in-depth history of ideas and a delightfully browsable source of entertainment.

“This work covers ideas that have inspired humankind and changed our lives . . . [an] entertaining and informative book.” —Booklist

“Educational and fascinating reading.” —Library Journal

Available since: 10/29/2013.

Print length: 961 pages.

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