EarÂliÂer this week I spoke on the phone with Alan WeisÂman, the author of The World WithÂout Us. (See our iniÂtial piece on his book.) Alan was graÂcious enough to take some time out of his pubÂlicÂiÂty schedÂule to share his thoughts on the book, the world, his writÂing process, and more. What folÂlows is an editÂed tranÂscript of our conÂverÂsaÂtion.
Ed: This book addressÂes what on the surÂface seems to be a pretÂty far-fetched hypoÂthetÂiÂcal: that humanÂiÂty might sudÂdenÂly disÂapÂpear. What drew you to this premise in the first place?
Alan: Well, preÂciseÂly that. Most great enviÂronÂmenÂtal writÂing does not get read by a lot of the peoÂple who ought to be learnÂing about it because the nearÂer-term posÂsiÂbilÂiÂties just seem someÂtimes so frightÂenÂing, or so depressÂing, that nobody realÂly wants to pick up a book to read it.
By strucÂturÂing the book the way that I did, I disÂarm the autoÂmatÂic fear that repels a lot of peoÂple from readÂing about the enviÂronÂment. PeoÂple don’t want to read someÂthing that seems too threatÂenÂing. On a subÂconÂscious or even a conÂscious levÂel, they don’t want to be worÂried we’re all going to die. In my book, killing us off in the first couÂple of pages means peoÂple don’t have to worÂry about dying because we’re already dead, and that’s a relief in a sense. The idea of glimpsÂing the future is irreÂsistible to all of us and I estabÂlish pretÂty quickÂly that is not going to just be me specÂuÂlatÂing, it’s going to be some hard sciÂence writÂing based on a lot of reportÂing, of talkÂing to experts or eyeÂwitÂnessÂes whose guessÂes will be far more interÂestÂing than most peoÂples’.
The fact that it is far-fetched is realÂly useÂful because on the one hand realÂly it’s a remote posÂsiÂbilÂiÂty that we would leave, that we would disÂapÂpear tomorÂrow. So peoÂple don’t go into a panÂic over this book, and it realÂly gives peoÂple enough time to think about these things withÂout panÂickÂing about it. So that’s how this device works, and I think it’s been proven to be very effecÂtive. I’m getÂting a lot more peoÂple to read it than just peoÂple who are hung up on the enviÂronÂment.
HalÂberÂstam died in a car crash last spring and so, remarkÂably, a group of his friends are doing a pubÂlicÂiÂty tour for him. Authors like Joan DidÂion, SeyÂmour Hersh, Bob WoodÂward and Anna Quindlen are takÂing up legs of the gruÂelÂing pubÂlicÂiÂty trek in honÂor of HalÂberÂstam. AccordÂing to the New York Times they will be “offerÂing perÂsonÂal remÂiÂnisÂcences and readÂings” in an interÂestÂing comÂbiÂnaÂtion of festschrift and proÂmoÂtion. The tour will start on TuesÂday and run until OctoÂber 15th. In the words of Sy Hersh, “LisÂten, ain’t nothÂing like David — you don’t need this to keep David alive. You’ve got to marÂket a book, let’s marÂket a book, but he tranÂscends that. He was a great war reporter and a great baseÂball reporter, and the most loyÂal perÂson in the world.”
Here are a few facts to know about the advenÂturÂous Patrick Hunt. He’s a StanÂford archaeÂolÂoÂgist who has spent more than a decade tryÂing to unravÂel the mysÂtery of how HanÂniÂbal, the great ancient milÂiÂtary leader, crossed the Alps in 218 BCE with 25,000 men and 37 eleÂphants. (LisÂten on iTunes to the course he gave on this advenÂture, and get more info below). He has broÂken more than 20 bones while doing fieldÂwork, fought off kidÂnapÂpers, and twice surÂvived sunÂstroke-induced blindÂness. And now he has just pubÂlished an excitÂing new book called Ten DisÂcovÂerÂies That Rewrote HisÂtoÂry. It’s pubÂlished by Penguin/Plume and starts shipÂping tomorÂrow. I asked Patrick what makes these disÂcovÂerÂies — rangÂing from the RosetÂta Stone to the Dead Sea Scrolls to Machu PicÂchu— so imporÂtant. Below he gives us a brief glimpse into what makes each disÂcovÂery hisÂtorÂiÂcalÂly sigÂnifÂiÂcant and fasÂciÂnatÂing. Read on, and check out his capÂtiÂvatÂing new book for the fuller picÂture.
Patrick Hunt: “First I should say that not every archaeÂolÂoÂgist would agree that these are the ten most imporÂtant disÂcovÂerÂies of all time. On the othÂer hand, the ten stoÂries retold in this book are often regardÂed as among the most excitÂing archaeÂoÂlogÂiÂcal disÂcovÂerÂies of the modÂern era (since 1750). And no one would deny that these ten vital disÂcovÂerÂies have forÂevÂer changed the world of archaeÂolÂoÂgy, transÂformÂing how and what we know about ancient hisÂtoÂry. Let me tell you a litÂtle about them.
RosetÂta Stone: This excitÂing disÂcovÂery in 1799 was the key to deciÂpherÂing EgyptÂian hieroÂglyphs and unlockÂing the hisÂtoÂry of the ancient world texts. It proÂvides a winÂdow into the real hisÂtoÂry of Egypt rather than an imagÂiÂnary one; all othÂer deciÂpherÂings of ancient lanÂguages since the RosetÂta Stone’s iniÂtial decodÂing in 1822 are based on its preceÂdents. (See phoÂto here.)
Troy: Its disÂcovÂery and excaÂvaÂtion beginÂning in 1870 proved once and for all that Troy was not just a myth based on Homer; Troy was a hisÂtorÂiÂcal site where real peoÂple lived and fought. Its earÂliÂest excaÂvaÂtor, the oft-maligned and often-unethÂiÂcal HeinÂrich SchlieÂmann has been mostÂly credÂitÂed — right or wrong — as being the “Father of ArchaeÂolÂoÂgy” and his techÂniques became the founÂdaÂtion of archaeÂoÂlogÂiÂcal research, howÂevÂer greatÂly improved, afterÂward.
NinÂeveh and the RoyÂal AssyrÂiÂan Library: This rivÂetÂing find beginÂning in 1849 by Austen HenÂry Layard, a sleuth of antiqÂuiÂty, evenÂtuÂalÂly unearthed a whole lost library of cuneiform texts, includÂing ones not only from ancient AssyrÂia but also from far oldÂer Sumer, Akkad, BabyÂlon and othÂer great civÂiÂlizaÂtions. This had a very sigÂnifÂiÂcant impact on world litÂerÂaÂture, introÂducÂing such semÂiÂnal works as the Epic of GilÂgamesh.
King Tut’s Tomb: The draÂmatÂic openÂing of this royÂal tomb in 1922 — sought for years by a deterÂmined Howard Carter — was the first time in milÂlenÂnia a pharaoÂh’s tomb had actuÂalÂly been found intact; its treaÂsure gave the world a unique opporÂtuÂniÂty to actuÂalÂly account for stagÂgerÂing EgyptÂian royÂal wealth. [Dan’s note: NationÂal GeoÂgraphÂic has a nice web site on this archaeÂoÂlogÂiÂcal find.]
Machu PicÂchu: The remarkÂable high junÂgle mounÂtain disÂcovÂery in 1911 of the remote Lost City of the Inca by Hiram BingÂham made it posÂsiÂble for the world to finalÂly see an undisÂturbed Inca royÂal city mysÂteÂriÂousÂly abanÂdoned on a mounÂtainÂtop but neiÂther conÂquered nor changed by the coloÂnial world. (See phoÂto here.)
PomÂpeii: PreÂserved by the erupÂtion of VesuÂvius in AD 79 and not dug out for almost two milÂlenÂnia, PomÂpeii (probÂaÂbly acciÂdenÂtalÂly found by a farmer digÂging a well) is the sinÂgle most imporÂtant Roman site in the world; its artiÂfacts offer the largest and fullest record of life in a Roman city. PomÂpeiÂi’s misÂforÂtune is our great forÂtune. It preÂserves a city with thouÂsands of objects virÂtuÂalÂly unchanged. (See images here.)
Dead Sea Scrolls: Since 1947, when two Bedouin boys in the desert stumÂbled upon the first cave at QumÂran, these hidÂden desert texts have revÂoÂluÂtionÂized our perÂcepÂtions of earÂly JewÂish and ChrisÂtÂian reliÂgion; their findÂing has pushed back our knowlÂedge of bibÂliÂcal manÂuÂscripts by a thouÂsand years. This disÂcovÂery and the off-and-on secreÂcy of the finds reads like spy ficÂtion but is real instead. (See phoÂto here.)
Akrotiri on Thera: ArchaeÂolÂoÂgist SpyriÂdon MarÂiÂnatos had been laughed at by his peers for his theÂoÂries and was finalÂly vinÂdiÂcatÂed 30 years latÂer (cirÂca 1967). Like PomÂpeii, ash from the volÂcanic erupÂtion in 1620 BC preÂserved a whole Aegean city that might have been the source of the Atlantis myths but was cerÂtainÂly a wealthy city with fabÂuÂlous wall paintÂings depictÂing Bronze Age life. It gives us for the first time a whole new body of Minoan art and underÂstandÂing of MediterÂranean sea trade. (Images here.)
OlduÂvai Gorge: Since the 1920’s, the Leakey famÂiÂly doggedÂly perÂsistÂed searchÂing in East Africa for the most ancient human oriÂgins; draÂmatÂic unearthing of bones and tools in 1959 from OlduÂvai and othÂer sites in Great Rift Africa forÂevÂer showed the world how long — at least a milÂlion years — antecedents to human life have perÂsistÂed, finalÂly proÂvidÂing proof of DarÂwinÂian evoÂluÂtion from earÂliÂer priÂmate and hominid finds.
Tomb of 10,000 WarÂriors: This stagÂgerÂing tomb from around 220–210 BC, spreadÂing over hunÂdreds of acres, sinÂgle-handÂedÂly awakÂened WestÂern interÂest in ChiÂnese hisÂtoÂry and reviÂtalÂized ChiÂnese archaeÂolÂoÂgy. The opuÂlence and grandeur of an emperÂor’s tomb astonÂished the world. ArcheoÂtourism in ChiÂna has profÂitÂed immenseÂly from the acciÂdenÂtal 1974 find of a pre-Han tomb where lies the authorÂiÂtarÂiÂan emperÂor who forcibly unitÂed and rewrote ChiÂnese culÂture in many ways that still surÂvive today.”
RelatÂed ConÂtent: Above, I menÂtioned that you can lisÂten to Patrick Hunt’s StanÂford course on HanÂniÂbal on iTunes. The course is going to be rolled out in installÂments over the next sevÂerÂal weeks. SepÂaÂrateÂly you can lisÂten to a standÂalone lecÂture that he gave on HanÂniÂbal shortÂly before the start of the course. (LisÂten on iTunes here.) This lecÂture gets refÂerÂenced in the course at sevÂerÂal points. PatrickÂ’s work on HanÂniÂbal is sponÂsored by NationÂal GeoÂgraphÂic SociÂety.
AnothÂer quick obserÂvaÂtion to menÂtion: Most all of these rooms are paintÂed comÂpleteÂly white. For most of the world, that’s hardÂly strange. But if you live in NorthÂern CalÂiÂforÂnia, the site of one white room after anothÂer is fairÂly jarÂring. It’s pasÂtels here all the way. Source: Boing Boing
GramÂmar is in vogue. The staÂtisÂtics don’t lie. The GramÂmar Girl (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) remains one of the most popÂuÂlar podÂcasts on iTunes, and The GramÂmar Grater (iTunes — Feed — Web Site) is holdÂing its own. From gramÂmar, it’s just a short step to words, to etyÂmolÂoÂgy. And, today, we want to highÂlight PodÂicÂtionary (iTunes — Feed — Site) for you. It’s a “word-of-the-day” podÂcast that spends an easy three to five minÂutes surÂveyÂing the hisÂtoÂry of comÂmon words in the EngÂlish lanÂguage. (This makes it useÂful for native and non-native speakÂers alike). Its creÂator, Charles HodgÂson, has so far tackÂled over 600 terms, which means that he’s amassed an extenÂsive audio archive that you can access here.
And his work on words doesÂn’t stop there. HodgÂson recentÂly pubÂlished a new book called CarÂnal KnowlÂedge: A Navel GazÂer’s DicÂtioÂnary of AnatoÂmy, EtyÂmolÂoÂgy, and TrivÂia (St. MarÂtÂin’s Press). Far from pedanÂtic, the book uses engagÂing prose and fun facts to tease out the meanÂing of words we use to describe our bodÂies. The whole body gets covÂered here, from the “eye” to the “simiÂan line” to the “gulÂlet,” and it goes straight down to the nether regions, too. For more inforÂmaÂtion, spend some time with the blog that accomÂpaÂnies the new book.
On the anniverÂsary of the SepÂtemÂber 11th attacks, it seems fitÂting to call attenÂtion to Don DeLilÂlo’s Falling Man, a recent addiÂtion to the growÂing body of ficÂtion now known as “9/11 novÂel.” HowÂevÂer you may feel about DeLilÂlo’s writÂing style (we often find that it grates), Falling Man adeptÂly capÂtures the emoÂtionÂal and physÂiÂcal haze that surÂroundÂed NYC in the wake of the attacks. In interÂviews with GuerÂniÂca and NPR’s All Things ConÂsidÂered, DeLilÂlo talks about the influÂences that led him to explore the attacks and their afterÂmath from the perÂspecÂtive of both a terÂrorÂist and a surÂvivor. If lisÂtenÂing to the book is more your speed, check out the audio verÂsion at AmaÂzon or the downÂload at AudiÂble.
A few weeks ago, our readÂers conÂtributed to creÂatÂing a list of books that left an indeliÂble mark on their lives. You can review the origÂiÂnal post here. But we figÂured why not add them to our “My Library” page on Google, a new prodÂuct that we briefly menÂtioned yesÂterÂday. You can access the colÂlecÂtion here (or get it by rss feed). And, as you’ll see, we also importÂed to the list all of our users’ comÂments on the indiÂvidÂual books. Explore the list, find a great read, and pass it along to a worÂthy friend.
PubÂlishÂer’s WeekÂly announced last week that Lars BrownÂworth, a New York high school teacher, will pubÂlish with Crown (a RanÂdom House diviÂsion) a new book that covÂers “1,200 years of ByzanÂtine hisÂtoÂry, examÂinÂing the culture’s forÂgotÂten role in preÂservÂing clasÂsiÂcal thought, conÂnectÂing East and West, and buildÂing modÂern WestÂern sociÂety.” It’s expectÂed to hit the bookÂstores in earÂly 2009.
There’s lots to say about this deal, but we wantÂed to delve a litÂtle into the backÂstoÂry, and parÂticÂuÂlarÂly how an unexÂpectÂed chain of events, all built into Web 2.0, made this deal posÂsiÂble. (And, yes, we’ll also touch briefly on where Open CulÂture fits into the picÂture.)
The stoÂry begins in March 2005, back when BrownÂworth startÂed disÂtribÂutÂing on iTunes an eduÂcaÂtionÂal podÂcast called 12 ByzanÂtine Rulers: The HisÂtoÂry of the ByzanÂtine Empire (iTunes — Feed — Site). Released in installÂments, the podÂcasts gave users the rare abilÂiÂty to downÂload a comÂplete acaÂdÂeÂmÂic course to their MP3 playÂer, anyÂtime, anyÂwhere, for free. BrownÂworth was a pioÂneer, and by late 2006, peoÂple startÂed takÂing notice. In DecemÂber, Wired menÂtioned 12 ByzanÂtine Rulers in a short web feaÂture, which netÂted the podÂcast a small uptick in downÂloads. Then, days latÂer, our fledgÂling blog folÂlowed up with a short piece —The Hottest Course on iTunes (and the Future of DigÂiÂtal EduÂcaÂtion). From there, things got interÂestÂing. Our post got almost immeÂdiÂateÂly picked up on Digg.com, a masÂsiveÂly popÂuÂlar webÂsite, and its users catÂaÂpultÂed the stoÂry to DigÂg’s homeÂpage. DownÂloads of BrownÂworth’s podÂcasts surged; the powÂer of Web 2.0 was kickÂing in. BrownÂworth specÂuÂlatÂed durÂing an interÂview last week that the “Digg effect” wideÂly broadÂened the expoÂsure of his podÂcast, and, soon enough, The New York Times was knockÂing on his door. By late JanÂuÂary, the pilÂlar of AmerÂiÂcan jourÂnalÂism pubÂlished a flatÂterÂing feaÂture: HisÂtoÂry Teacher Becomes PodÂcast CelebriÂty. Then, it all startÂed again. PodÂcast downÂloads spiked highÂer, far exceedÂing the preÂviÂous wave from Digg. More artiÂcles and an NPR interÂview folÂlowed. Next came the book agents’ calls. … That’s, in short, how we got to last week’s announceÂment.
BrownÂworth’s stoÂry, although unusuÂal, is part of a growÂing trend. Book pubÂlishÂers seem increasÂingÂly willÂing to let the wisÂdom of crowds idenÂtiÂfy podÂcasts that transÂlate into marÂketable books, and then let the podÂcasts stimÂuÂlate book sales. This year, Mignon FogÂaÂrÂty notably inked deals to release spinÂoff books and audioÂbooks of her popÂuÂlar GramÂmar Girl podÂcast (iTunes — Feed — Web Site). And givÂen that 12 ByzanÂtine Rulers has been downÂloaded 735,000 times just this year, BrownÂworth and his new pubÂlishÂer felt rightÂly jusÂtiÂfied in takÂing a simÂiÂlar approach.
We’ll gradÂuÂalÂly find out whether this develÂopÂing modÂel proÂvides a way for innoÂvÂaÂtive podÂcastÂers to monÂeÂtize their sucÂcessÂful conÂtent. In the meanÂtime, Lars is givÂing it all a good go. He recentÂly gave up his New York teachÂing job, reloÂcatÂed to North CarÂoliÂna (where his brothÂer Anders proÂvides techÂnolÂoÂgy and busiÂness supÂport), and is now dedÂiÂcatÂing himÂself full-time to podÂcastÂing and writÂing. It’s a big change, but a change worth makÂing. “Web 2.0 has enabled me,” BrownÂworth says, “to do things that I nevÂer would have been able to do othÂerÂwise. It’s a bit humÂbling to find myself on the ground floor of a revÂoÂluÂtion, but this move is undoubtÂedÂly the most excitÂing opporÂtuÂniÂty I’ve ever had.”
We’re pleased to have played even a bit part in BrownÂworth’s sucÂcess. Keep an eye out for his book and, until then, give his podÂcast a good lisÂten: 12 ByzanÂtine Rulers: The HisÂtoÂry of the ByzanÂtine Empire (iTunes — Feed — Site).
We're hoping to rely on loyal readers, rather than erratic ads. Please click the Donate button and support Open Culture. You can use Paypal, Venmo, Patreon, even Crypto! We thank you!
Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.
