If you want to find some good but easy reading about our world history, I would recommend «A Little History of the World» by E.H. Gombrich. This is my first experience of «binge-reading» a non-fiction book. The book was actually written to make history more interesting and accessible to younger readers. I don’t think that makes it any less good for adults, especially adults like me who does not have a «sticky-brain». I got so excited about it that I had to share it!
Most of the books in our apartment belong to my partner, so for me it´s a small library of undiscovered books. Some days ago I was browsing the bookshelves for non-fictional reading. Something to give me «fuel» through knowledge. Already with first impression «A Little History of the World» seemed right up my alley; not too long (285 pages) and not too detailed. Now, I think history is really interesting, but historical facts (and a lot of other factual stuff) can’t seem to stick to my memory properly.
Gombrich is a storyteller. When you start to read you don’t think about learning and remembering – you just get caught up in the stories that become vivid images in your mind. I think his own fascination of history shines through, and he conveys it in a way that makes the reader just as fascinated. The focus is on creating a wholesome understanding of the progression of history and how people have lived, instead of filling the pages with a lot of numbers and names. Sometimes it is very clear that the book is written for younger readers. He often directly engages the reader through repetitions or by asking questions. I liked that, because it made me think back on what I had read.
I wish one of my teachers had told me to read this book in school, because it certainly is more engaging than any history book that we had in our curriculum.
Lisbeth Moen 