Towards a Better Understanding

By Bernard Norling

Book Overview

"History," writes Bernard Norling, "is not a series of unconnected episodes, all about equally important or equally useless, each embellished with a chapter title, and all then assembled in a book. It is a seamless garment, each part of which is related to all the others. It should be studied as such: studied with the object of understanding how civilizations change and why; how societies differ in many ways yet usually have to face the same kinds of problems; how innumerable ideas, events, and institutions from the past have made our present world what it is." In this eminently practical book, Professor Norling provides the beginning student of history with a basic orientation towards the subject. He explains why the study of history is worthwhile, discusses the fundamental concepts and methods involved, and shows the student how to start doing historical research. Yet the book is not an abstract treatise, for Professor Norling constantly illustrates what he has to say about history with fascinating and pertinent examples from history. In so doing he truly shows how the events of the past make up that "seamless web" that in time includes us all.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0268002843
• ISBN13: 9780268002848
• Release Date: August 1988
• Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press
• Length: 157 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Great source for AP History class!

As a high school history teacher, I found this book a fascinating and practical explanation of how to read and study history. Norling begins his book with convincing arguments for why history should be studied at all. He continues by outlining the many different "theories" of history (Great Men, Great Ideas, etc.)and comes to the accurate conclusion first stated by Carl Gustavson, that the only law of history is the law of multiple causation. Throughout his book are many interesting examples from the pages of history to illustrate the points he makes. He concludes with a practical chapter on how to write a term paper for history class. I would love to use this book to teach an AP course.