a good view of history

If it were not a dated book (1946) I would easily give it four stars. Northrop gives and excellent analysis of the philosophical foundations of various would cultures. His view of the "East" is dated but still holds merit. It is clear that Northrop writes out of the 1940s and 1950s - his proposal for a synthesis of cultures includes a change in religion/theology via the arts. The idea that we can find a way to bring together different cultures is dated and hopefully abandoned. His view of the arts is very good making the final chapter well worth the read. I highly recommend his analysis of the US - it has a timeless quality. Overall I recommend this book despite the inherent flaws of the book due to its dated publication. ( )