There are many ways to try to improve our lives - we can turn to the wisdom of philosophers, the teachings of religions or the latest experiments of psychologists. But we rarely to look to history for inspiration - and when we do it can be surprisingly powerful. Showing the lessons that can be learned from the past, cultural historian Roman Krznaric explores twelve universal topics, from work and love to money and creativity, and reveals the wisdom that we've been missing. There is much to be learned from Ancient Greece on relationships, from the industrial revolution on job satisfaction, and from Ming-dynasty China on bringing up our children. Just as a Renaissance 'Wunderkammer' was a curiosity cabinet full of fascinating objects, each with a story behind it, The Wonderbox is full of stories and ideas from history, each of which sheds invaluable light on the decisions we make every day, whether we think about the different uses of the senses or changing attitudes to time. History is usually read for pleasure or for insight into current affairs, but The Wonderbox, stepping into the territory of Alain de Botton and Theodore Zeldin, is 'practical history' - using the past to think about our day to day lives.Review"'A fascinating rattlebag of intelligent, stimulating essays. The Wonderbox is very much in the mould of Alain de Botton's bestsellers' (Financial Times) 'Entertaining and instructive' (The Times) 'A cornucopia of delights. Completely fascinating, beautifully written and brimming with insights' (Michael Wood, historian, film maker and author of The Story of England) 'The author's enthusiasm for direct solutions to modern dilemmas is infectious.' (Sue Gerhardt, author of Why Love Matters and The Selfish Society)" About the AuthorRoman Krznaric is a cultural historian and faculty member of Alain de Botton's School of Life. He has taught sociology and politics at Cambridge and City University, London and is an adviser to organisations including Oxfam, the Red Cross and the United Nations.

The Wonderbox: Curious Histories of How to Live PDF

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