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sarahabein.bsky.social · @sarahabein.bsky.social@bridge.neodb.net

Rated How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe’s Poorest Nation Created our World & Everything in It 5/10

<div>3 stars would be a bit generous, but I did learn some things. This look at Scotland's history and influence as it relates to the modern world (well, as of 2001, when this was published) is a dry read, and I didn't always agree with Herman's assessments. He takes too light a hand in matters of colonialism and capitalism, and there's barely a woman to be found. However, he does lay out a timeline well, and it's interesting to learn about the ways in which Scotland prioritized education and freedom, and I could see some through-lines when it comes to my own family's ancestry (those ex-Orkney Canadians/New Englanders and Carolina/Tennessee "rednecks" are both in my background). So, for a book I picked up because I happened to notice it at the library, it's not bad, but it definitely wasn't love.</div>

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Published 2026-08-18 23:01 UTC · bridged from Atmosphere