Book of the Week

It is tempting to recommend Natalie Haynes's book The Ancient Guide to Modern Life if for no other reason that it is that rarity of rarities -- a historical book that manages to make a better case for the Internet than most of the pro-Internet puff pieces in existence. But it is also a great history book as well. Not many historians can write prose as accessible as Ms. Haynes. Not every historian tries. And while I must admit to having a slight bias in favor of this book due to its emphasis on classical history, I have yet to come across a recent book that does such a good job of relating such history to modern times. (Well, Will and Ariel Durant did a good job but their work is not exactly recent.)

Of course, there could be some budding history major out there at this very moment who is aiming to prove me wrong about all this. Then again stumbling across such a writer would hardly be the worst experience of my life.