Herman was impressed by the fact that so many prominent individuals who had a significant impact on modernity had come from such a specific geographic location and time-frame. The book grew out of a class topic at the Smithsonian regarding intellectual life in Edinburgh in the 18th century. In the American market, the trade paperback peaked at #3 on The Washington Post bestseller list, while in the Canadian market it peaked at #1.Īt the time of publication, the author was the coordinator of the Western Civilization Program at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Critics found the thesis to be over-reaching but descriptive of the Scots' disproportionate impact on modernity. The book was published as a hardcover in November 2001 by Crown Publishing Group and as a trade paperback in September 2002. Herman focuses principally on individuals, presenting their biographies in the context of their individual fields and also in terms of the theme of Scottish contributions to the world. The book examines the origins of the Scottish Enlightenment and what impact it had on the modern world. How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created Our World & Everything in It (or The Scottish Enlightenment: The Scots invention of the Modern World) is a non-fiction book written by American historian Arthur Herman.
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