At some point this weekend, you should settle into an easy chair, crank up the volume, and listen to Stephen Davies's entire talk about historical placement, Western civilization, and what distinguishes modernity from what has come before. The lecture runs about 45 minutes, then there are questions. But as Davies talks you will actually feel your brain getting smarter. A thought-provoking argument that fans of Gregg Easterbrook's Sonic Boom, Jacques Barzun's From Dawn to Decadence, and Charlotte Allen's recent cover story " The New Dating Game" will enjoy in particular.
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