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The Book That Changed Your World (2000)

by Vishal Mangalwadi(Favorite Author)

4.24 of 5 Votes: 2

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English

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review 1: The author looks at how the Bible has influenced Western Civilization, and describes the Bible's influence on various aspects of that civilization. I was impressed that the author had numerous examples that I hadn't heard about before, despite having read a couple of similar books. Also, as a non-Westerner (the author is from India), he is able to draw some sharp contrasts with his own civilization, as well as showing how India, too, was influenced by the Bible (through the British).The book is lacking somewhat in organization; it jumps back and forth between personal stories the author tells to illustrate his points and a larger grand narrative. Also, the author tends to define the Bible somewhat narrowly, taking the Protestant side in the Reformation and the abolition... moreist side over slavery, without acknowledging that in these cases, both sides claimed to base their case on Scripture. However, it is still a worthwhile and interesting book, and overall, the author supports his thesis well.
review 2: How the Bible/Christianity has impacted culture, technology, language, families, economies, etc. all over the world. The author is an intellectual Christian Indian, and I enjoyed how he often contrasted the culture of Christian nations with the culture of India. The technology chapters were especially interesting, because he showed how the Christian monks believed that God created work, that it wasn't evil, but that "toil" in work was a result of the fall. So Christian monks worked to invent machines and systems that would make their toil lessen, but still get the work done. They invented the water wheel. The Indian Buddhist monks believed that all physical things were evil, and they must separate themselves from hard work by emptying their mind. So they sat and stared at the swirling currents in the river while the Christian monks put the river to work. He also tells the story of the first plow, and the three-generation Christian American family that invented, manufactured, and marketed their plow, which was one of the reasons America's economy did so well in the early years.Also enjoyed the language chapter. Christians have been the ones to put many of the world's languages into writing. This is because we know Christ is the Word, and to know Him it helps quite a lot to know words! Great book. less

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