f7d9395c_atings_and_reviews___Gwern_net__Review
[Title] The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution [Author] Francis Fukuyama [Rating] ★★★★★ [Year] 2011 [Read] 2012/01/01 [Review] 
It is, overall, an excellent book and one of the better ones on grand history I’ve read†… but Fukuyama does not have a very transparent prose style, and makes no concessions to those who don’t have a good grasp on global history and especially those who don’t know their Chinese history well (eg. if you can’t put the Qing, Han, Qin, and Shang dynasty in order, you aren’t going to enjoy at all the large amounts of material he rightfully devotes to Chinese politics). And it’s seriously big, no kidding. This is no fluffy Guns, Germs, and Steel walk through the park! † for example, I found some sections very useful for structuring my thinking on the evolution of ethics and regard for ancestors.
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