Norris McWhirter's Book of Millennium Records: The Story of Human Achievement in the Last 2,000 Years - Hardcover

McWhirter, Norris

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1852278056 ISBN 13: 9781852278052

Publisher: Virgin Pub, 1999

Synopsis

It's a millennial event! The creator of The Guinness Book of World Records--which has sold a whopping 84 million copies--has come up with another winner! This entertaining and useful mix of quirky facts and 40 years' worth of serious scholarship shows just how far humanity has come in the past two millennia. Topic by topic, Norris McWhirter uses an eye-catching and easy-to-follow array of lists, timelines, and color photos to track the records set in prehistory; at the birth of Christ; at 1000 A.D., at the turn of the first millennium; and all the years in between. Special attention is focused on 20th- century breakthroughs, and the breadth of subjects covered in depth is simply astonishing: clothing; clocks and timekeeping; marriage and relationships; food and drink; mathematics; medicine; war, religion, astronomy, politics; sports of every type; the arts; space travel; the media; the great civilizations; and so much more. From unsung heroes to extraordinary events, Norris McWhirter gives "snapshots" of the world's progress that put flesh on the bare bones of history 224 pages (all in color), 8 5/8 x 11 5/8.

About this title

Review

First things first. This is not The Guinness Book of World Records. The Book of Millennium Records is not nearly as comprehensive as that ultimate chronicle of bizarre and curious achievement. Both books, however, are creations of Norris McWhirter, a man who has spent 40 years researching firsts, biggests, and mosts. With this book, McWhirter seeks to honor a privilege afforded only to one generation in 35--the chance to welcome a new millennium. The focus here is on those events that show great achievement and change, and how far humanity has progressed in the last 2,000 years. Chapters are devoted to a variety of categories, including everyday life (lighting, money, marriage, and relationships), the arts, science, politics, and government, building and engineering, transportation, war, and sports. Along the way, photos, charts, drawings, and short paragraphs make this an extremely browsable book. Flip through the section devoted to business and trade and you will learn that the earliest approximation to a business school was established in central China around 400 B.C. Life insurance started in Rome around 50 B.C. with a plan that paid heirs triple the amount of the joining fee. Customs and excise taxes were started at the Port of London in the mid-7th to early 9th centuries. The first patent was issued by King Henry VI in 1449 for the design of the stained-glass windows of Eaton College. The cash register was first patented in 1879 by a saloon owner combating employee theft. Bar-code scanners were introduced 25 years ago. And the book notes that, at the close of the 20th century, Internet shopping is rapidly changing the world of retail sales. By looking backward, taking today's pulse, and, in some cases, venturing to predict what life will be like in 3000, readers are reminded that no matter how advanced we think we are, we need only look back 1,000 years, to a time when the abacus had not yet reached its zenith, to realize that, 1,000 years from now, our ways and accomplishments may seem quite primitive. --John Russell

From Booklist

This very browseable guide to the last 2,000 years was created by the man who is also responsible for The Guinness Book of Records. Having spent 40 years researching and tracing humankind's progress from the wheel to microwave meals, McWhirter has produced a gorgeous volume packed with facts and figures, tables, and pictures that bring history to life. The continual search for better, easier ways to live is presented in 10 topics: "Everyday Life," "The Arts," "Science," "Medicine and Health," "Politics and Government," "Building and Engineering," "Transport," "War," "Communications and Media," and "Sports."

In the introduction, McWhirter provides an outstanding millennium time line showing "How it was" in 1000 B.C., AD 1, and AD 1000; "How it is" in AD 2000; and "How it will be" in AD 3000, a format followed more or less in the sections that follow. Using the first section as an example, under "Everyday Life" readers will find segments on "Food and Drink," "Lighting," "Clothing," "Marriage and Relationships," and "Banking and Finance," to name just a few. Under "Clothing," there are descriptions of typical garb for the period before AD 1, AD 1, and AD 1,000, with additional information under such topics as jewelry and hats. A table depicts the earliest surviving evidence for such items as trousers and buttons. The volume concludes with an index of people as well as a general index.

Although there are time lines in some sections, this book is more a topic-by-topic survey than a chronology. Libraries may want to purchase a reference copy for information about "firsts" and origins, but its real value will be in a personal collection.

About this edition

• Publisher: Virgin Pub
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 1852278056
• ISBN 13: 9781852278052
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256