This book was a wonderful overview of Great Moments in Western Civilization, and presented a wonderful reading list and survey of the great minds of our time, and some of the most important ideas captured on paper. However, it is fairly out of date and does not include more contemporary works which merit inclusion in such a compendium. Contemporary gurus such as Robert Kyosaki, Tony Robbins, Stephen Hawkings, John Grey, and Clint Arthur are not included due to their relative youth and modern messages. Highly advised would be going directly to the source, experiencing first hand the groundbreaking works "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" or "Men are from Mars," or Clint's "9 Free Secrets of New Sensual Power" which are all life-changing and life-affirming books. The Greatest Minds and Ideas is just a book report for intellectuals -- Rich Dad, Mars, and 9 Free Secrets are the books to read, savor, and profit from by way of enhanced quality of life & authentic connection with Great Authors.

In these modern times of cynicism, worn as a garb of superiority, it has become intellectually fashionable, a pose of small minds, to negate greatness, revealing that our heroes are not heroes at all, but mere historical constructs with feet of clay. Unfortunately, this is a pathological symptom of democracy, where mediocrity must be exalted at all costs, to maintain the notion of equality. Men and women must be viewed as equal under the eyes of the law and society, for this is justice. But we are not equal in health, wealth, intelligence and talent. What Will Durant has shown us unashamedly is "...that at the beginning and summit of every age some heroic genius stands, the voice and index of his time...the guide and pioneer into the future." (10)

This necessary little book presents six essays on the greatest thoughts, minds and books of all time. The reader may disagree occasiionally with his choices, though Durant compellingly argues his choices from his informed view as a recognized historian, philosopher and teacher.

The text is a snap shot of history; an opportunity to see the past and its great historical figures through the eyes of a man who made it his life mission to celebrate what it means to be human. Durant's humanism and enthusiasm is highly infectious - one comes away from his texts with a renewed hope that civilization was once great and can be great again. We have been submerged into the pessimistic, fragmented and distilled perspectives of Modernism far too long. Durant's optimism slices like Excaliber through our fashionable cynicism about the world; he is the intellectual white knight, celebrating the miracle of existence and the endless potential of humanity.

At the moment the world is filled with uncertainty and pessimism, therefore this text is highly recommended, for it might cast a glimmer of hope, and a renewed optimism about the world, the future and us.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to more fully develop themselves through self-education. The book is not too heavy-handed with the various subject matter, nor is it written in the stale, esoteric language of an academic. It is a series of papers written by a man of the people for the people, and the passion that Durant has for the material (and the love of knowledge) shines through.

This book is a wonderful and concise lesson in history, arts, and sciences, and will help start any one's pursuit of knowledge and wisdom.

I found this book at my local library and am somewhat disappointed to discover that it is out of print. Durant and Harwood seem like good people, if a tad too serious about matching Audubon step for step on his collecting trips around the country more than 150 years ago. I was consistently amazed at their earnestness in seeking out a particular view or clearing or ditch that the artist might have stopped at.

Clearly this was a labor of love for them, and their dedication, not to mention their scholarship, is commendable. It has been said, however, that an author should resist the urge to tell the reader EVERYTHING he or she knows. I know that rule gets thrown out the window when what is being written is more academic than artistic, but this book was apparently intended as both, and I can't tell you how boring it was to read paragraphs that consisted of nothing more than the names of all the plants the author saw around her. The bird lists made for only slightly less dull reading, but only because I'm a birder.

The book is really a combination travelogue/biography/history. It succeeds best at the last two, and some passages and descriptions are quite poetic. But less minutia, no matter how fascinating to the author, would have been most welcome. The urge to record and relate everything (including a photograph of the authors' makeshift drying rack, moist socks included) kills some of the joy of this book.

But I learned a lot about Audubon and grew to respect the authors' experience and knowledge of natural history - Harwood seems to be a highly expert birder and ditto for Durant as botanist.

I will also be seeking out a permanent Audubon exhibit and the artist's grave, which I learned are nearby in New York.

Though the book often came across as a little too indulgent, the zeal and genuine love the Harwoods bring to their work (and they work very hard) is truly inspiring.

I couldn't disagree more with the last reviewer. I read this book more than ten years ago and it is still the best source of information on the life of Audubon, as well as the most enjoyable read in the large Audubon literature. It fired my interest in Audubon more than any other book. The fact that the authors contemplate the people, places, plants, and birds that they found in Audubon's path -- and the changes that have taken place over nearly 200 years -- only adds to the book's value. This is history (natural and biographical) in 3D, and brings Audubon to life like no other book about him.

This book has two main sections. The first deals with Darwin and his views on science and religion. The second addresses a motley group of issues, such as the relation of religion to biology, and early opinions about evolution. Unfortunately, there is little in this book to interest most readers. The creation/evolution debate is barely covered at all, except to a slight degree in the last chapter. Most of the contributers do not specialize in either science or religion, and write with the assumption that their readers think as they do. The result is a boring book with little to say about anything, and of interest to few outside of narrow academic circles. Those interested in the creation/evolution debate should go elsewhere for their reading.