A wise and witty compendium of the greatest thoughts, greatest minds, and greatest books of all time--listed in accessible and succinct form--by one of the world's greatest scholars. From the "Hundred Best Books" to the "Ten Greatest Thinkers" to the "Ten Greatest Poets," here is a concise collection of the world's most significant knowledge. For the better part of a century, Will Durant dwelled upon--and wrote about--the most significant eras, individuals, and achievements of human history. His selections have finally been brought together in a single, compact volume. Durant eloquently defends his choices of the greatest minds and ideas, but he also stimulates readers into forming their own opinions, encouraging them to shed their surroundings and biases and enter "The Country of the Mind," a timeless realm where the heroes of our species dwell. From a thinker who always chose to exalt the positive in the human species, The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time stays true to Durant's optimism. This is a book containing the absolute best of our heritage, passed on for the benefit of future generations. Filled with Durant's renowned wit, knowledge, and unique ability to explain events and ideas in simple and exciting terms, this is a pocket-size liberal arts and humanist curriculum in one volume.

威尔・杜兰特，是普利策奖花了50多年的时间完成了广受好评的重要著作：11卷本的《世界文明史》。他92岁时，还创作了《历史上的英雄》，这是他辉煌一生的最后作品。他的《哲学的故事》旨在让更多人了解哲学。 终其一生，杜兰特都热情地致力于将哲学从学术的象牙塔中解放出来，让它进入更多普通人的生活。在人类情谊和社会改革等出版物普遍流行之前，杜兰特就是这类著述的倡导者。通过自己的作品，杜兰特使全世界范围内的读者不断得到愉悦，也受到教益，使上百万人的生活更丰富，也使人们更宽容。