Jacques Barzun’s ambitious new book attempting to contextualize 500 years of history is getting warm reviews everywhere. “In his gigantic tome, Barzun wades willfully into the miasma known as cultural history. Along the way he discovers the swampy depths – and the occasional high ground – of Western life. ‘I don’t believe that history is cyclical,’ he says. ‘It’s much more mixed up.’ His operative metaphor is a kaleidoscope, not a Ferris wheel.” – Washington Post