#504

Mentioned in 50 episodes

The Lessons of History

Book •

Written by Will and Ariel Durant after completing the 10th volume of their 'The Story of Civilization' series, 'The Lessons of History' provides an overview of the themes and lessons observed from human history.

The book examines history from various perspectives including geography, biology, race, character, morals, religion, economics, socialism, government, war, growth and decay, and progress.

The Durants discuss the recurring themes of history, such as the balance between liberty and equality, the role of economics, and the inevitability of human nature's influence on historical events.

They argue that while there are no predictable regularities in the course of civilizations, there are common factors that contribute to their growth and decline.

Mentioned by

Andrew Wilkinson

Jim O’Shaughnessy

Mentioned in 50 episodes

Mentioned by Nval Ravakant; he reread 'The Lessons of History' and is currently reading 'The Story of Philosophy'.

#18 Naval Ravikant: The Angel Philosopher

Mentioned by

David Senra

as a 100-page book by Will and Ariel Durant about the history of human civilization.

#828: David Senra — How Extreme Winners Think and Win: Lessons from 400+ of History’s Greatest Founders and Investors (Including Buffett, Munger, Rockefeller, Jobs, Ovitz, Zell, and Names You Don’t Know But Should)

Mentioned by

Josh Waitzkin

as authors of a potent compilation of essays.

The Art of Learning & Living Life | Josh Waitzkin

Mentioned by

Elon Musk

in the context of discussing the importance of technology and innovation in human history.

#438 – Elon Musk: Neuralink and the Future of Humanity

Mentioned by

David Senra

as a 100-page biography of the human species, summarizing their 40-year work, *The Story of Civilization*.

#342 The Lessons of History (Will & Ariel Durant)

Mentioned by

David Senra

, drawing a parallel between the book's wisdom and Bernie Ecclestone's management of Formula One.

#395 How Geniuses and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World's Fastest-Growing Sport

Mentioned by

Naval Ravikant

as a summarization of the story of civilization.

Recommended by

David Senra

as a comprehensive overview of human history and nature.

“You Couldn’t Pay Me to Stop” — David Senra on Obsession and Great Founders

Mentioned by

Morgan Housel

for his quote on respecting each other's delusions.

Rare and Powerful Skills

Mentioned by

Naval Ravikant

, who states that prior specific history knowledge is needed to understand it.

My Conversation with Naval on Philosophy

Mentioned by

Andrew Wilkinson

as a source of broad historical perspective.

How I Built a $180M/Year Business Without Making Myself Miserable

David Senra

references "Lessons of History" by Will and Ariel Durant and their ideas about new technology.

30: David Senra - The Clarity of Commitment

Mentioned by

Naval Ravikant

; it was recommended by a listener and he likes how it summarizes history.

#136: Naval Ravikant on Happiness Hacks and The 5 Chimps Theory

Mentioned by

David Senra

in relation to the dark side of human nature.

David Senra - In Service of Founders - [Invest Like the Best, EP.343]

Mentioned by

Mark Manson

when discussing the patterns and takeaways from studying human civilization.

How to go from Boring to Extraordinary (ft. Codie Sanchez)

Mentioned by

Andrew Wilkinson

as a source of broad historical perspective.

How Andrew Wilkinson Runs a $180M Company Working 4 Hours a Day

Mentioned by

David Senra

, a quote from the book is referenced.

#250 Jacob Fugger (The Richest Man Who Ever Lived)

Mentioned by

Naval Ravikant

as a summarization of Will Durant's large 12-volume series, 'The Story of Civilization'.

The Best Authors Respect the Reader's Time

Recommended by Charlie Munger and others as a masterful distillation of history's lessons.

Patrick Griffin - The Lessons of History - [Joys of Compounding, EP.23]

Mentioned by

Jim O’Shaughnessy

as a compact book written by Will and Ariel Durant after writing 'The Story of Civilization'.

Elle Griffin — Rethinking Ownership and the Future of Work (EP. 287)

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!

App store banner

Play store banner