{"id":1167,"date":"2015-07-22T15:52:17","date_gmt":"2015-07-22T13:52:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kwasniewski.org.pl\/?page_id=1167"},"modified":"2025-11-22T22:55:47","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T21:55:47","slug":"recenzje-ksiazek","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/","title":{"rendered":"Reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #3366ff;\">jacek9520@gmail.com<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\">Reviews, Essay reviews and Synopses<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial,sans-serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px; color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px; color: #ff0000;\">PL &#8211; text available in Polish,\u00a0 ENG &#8211; text available in English, FR &#8211; text available in French, P &#8211; text available in Portueguese<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Spis tre\u015bci  \/  Contents<\/p>\n<\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Ernst_Benz_and_19th-Century_Transhumanism\" >Ernst Benz and 19th-Century Transhumanism<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Butterfield_Herbert_The_Origins_of_Modern_Science_1300_%E2%80%93_1800\" >Butterfield Herbert, The Origins of Modern Science 1300 \u2013 1800<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Chaunu_Pierre_Le_temps_des_Reformes_Historie_religieuse_et_systeme_de_civilization_La_Crise_de_la_chretiente_LEclatement_1250-1550\" >Chaunu Pierre, Le temps des R\u00e9formes. Historie religieuse et syst\u00e8me de civilization. La Crise de la chr\u00e9tient\u00e9. L\u2019\u00c8clatement (1250-1550)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#dAvray_David_The_Medieval_Church_as_an_Economic_Production_Firm\" >d&#8217;Avray David, The Medieval Church as an Economic Production Firm?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Delumeau_Jean_Le_peche_et_la_peur_La_culpabilisation_en_Occident_XIII_%E2%80%93_XVIII_siecles\" >Delumeau Jean, Le p\u00e9ch\u00e9 et la peur, La culpabilisation en Occident (XIII &#8211; XVIII siecles)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Duchesne_Ricardo_The_Uniqueness_of_Western_Civilization\" >Duchesne Ricardo, The Uniqueness of Western Civilization<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Dyson_George_D_Darwin_Among_the_Machines_The_evolution_of_global_intelligence\" >Dyson George D., Darwin Among the Machines. The evolution of global intelligence<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Ekelund_Robert_B_Hebert_Robert_F_Tollison_Robert_D_The_Political_Economy_of_the_Medieval_Church\" >Ekelund Robert B., H\u00e9bert Robert F., Tollison Robert D., The Political Economy of the Medieval Church<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Greene_Brian_The_Fabric_of_the_Cosmos_Space_Time_And_the_Texture_of_Reality\" >Greene Brian, The Fabric of the Cosmos. Space, Time, And the Texture of Reality<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Grant_Edward_The_Foundations_of_Modern_Science_in_the_Middle_Ages\" >Grant Edward, The Foundations of Modern Science in the Middle Ages<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Guinote_Pauolo_JA_Ascensao_e_declinio_da_Carreira_da_India_Seculos_XV-XVIII\" >Guinote Pauolo J.A., Ascensao e declinio da Carreira da India (Seculos XV-XVIII)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Iannaccone_Laurence_R_Ekelund_Robert_B_The_Medieval_Church_from_the_Perspective_of_the_Economics_of_Religion_Some_Information\" >Iannaccone Laurence R., Ekelund Robert B., The Medieval Church from the Perspective of the Economics of Religion: Some Information<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Jaki_Stanley_The_Savior_of_Science\" >Jaki Stanley, The Savior of Science<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Jones_Eric_Lionel_The_European_Miracle_Environments_economies_and_geopolitics_in_the_history_of_Europe_and_Asia\" >Jones Eric Lionel, The European Miracle. Environments, economies, and geopolitics in the history of Europe and Asia<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Kloczowski_Jerzy_Europa_Chrzescijanskie_korzenie\" >K\u0142oczowski Jerzy, Europa. Chrze\u015bcija\u0144skie korzenie<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#LaMDA_Transcript_of_an_Interview_with_Googles_Artificial_Intelligence_2022\" >LaMDA: Transcript of an Interview with Google&#8217;s Artificial Intelligence [2022]<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Does_LaMDA_Have_Consciousness_Pros_and_Cons_Ongoing_Debate_and_Controversies_2022\" >Does LaMDA Have Consciousness? Pros and Cons. Ongoing Debate and Controversies [2022]<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Google_on_the_Design_of_the_LaMDA_Artificial_Intelligence_Program_2022\" >Google on the Design of the LaMDA Artificial Intelligence Program [2022]<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Landes_David_The_Wealth_and_Poverty_of_Nations\" >Landes David, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Landes_David_The_Wealth_and_Poverty_of_Nations-2\" >Landes David, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Hugh_McLoad_Secularisation_in_Western_Europe_1848_%E2%80%93_1914\" >Hugh McLoad, Secularisation in Western Europe, 1848 &#8211; 1914<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Pacey_Arnold_Technology_In_World_Civilization\" >Pacey Arnold, Technology In World Civilization<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Plantinga_Alvin_God_Freedom_and_Evil\" >Plantinga Alvin, God, Freedom and Evil<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Shapin_Steven_The_Scientific_Revolution\" >Shapin Steven, The Scientific Revolution<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Simon_Marcel_La_Civilization_de_LAntiquite_et_le_Christianisme\" >Simon Marcel, La Civilization de L&#8217;Antiquit\u00e9 et le Christianisme<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-26\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Taylor_Mark_Zachary_Politics_of_Innovation_Why_Some_Countries_Are_Better_Than_Others_at_Science_and_Technology\" >Taylor Mark Zachary, Politics of Innovation: Why Some Countries Are Better Than Others at Science and Technology<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-27\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Whitehead_Alfred_N_Science_and_the_Modern_World\" >Whitehead Alfred N., Science and the Modern World<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-28\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Woods_Thomas_How_the_Catholic_Church_Built_Western_Civilization\" >Woods Thomas, How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-29\" href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/recenzje-ksiazek\/#Wright_Robert_Nonzero_The_Logic_of_Human_Destiny\" >Wright Robert, Nonzero. The Logic of Human Destiny<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ernst_Benz_and_19th-Century_Transhumanism\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ernst Benz and 19th-Century Transhumanism<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Benz_ch.5a.pdf\">PL pdf <\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0\u00a0 Translation of Chapter V from Christian Hope: Man\u2019s Concept of the Future from the Early Fathers to Teilhard de Chardin<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/evolutionchristi0000erns\/mode\/2up\">ENG link to the book in the Internet Archive<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Translation of a passage from the book Christian Hope: Man\u2019s Concept of the Future from the Early Fathers to Teilhard de Chardin<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Benz\u2019s book is primarily known to historians of medieval technology for its chapter on the theological legitimization of technological expansion. However, it also contains many other intriguing insights. Among them is a discussion of the great wave of existential optimism that swept through 19th-century anthropologists, biologists, philosophers, visionaries, as well as proponents of the then-popular spiritualism and parapsychology, and the general public following the publication of Charles Darwin\u2019s works on the mechanisms of evolution and the origins of humankind.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Darwin\u2019s evolutionary mechanism began to be extrapolated into the future, leading to grand, almost fantastical visions of Homo sapiens&#8217; potential for development. This intellectual trend should be understood in a broader context: Christian eschatology was visibly weakening, and the fear of death sought alternative sources of comfort. The practice of spirit summoning seemed to confirm the existence of an afterlife, while the hope of near-immortality served as its own form of solace.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Butterfield_Herbert_The_Origins_of_Modern_Science_1300_%E2%80%93_1800\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Butterfield Herbert, The Origins of Modern Science 1300 \u2013 1800<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/butterfield-herbert-rodowod-wspolczesnej-nauki-1300-1800\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Butterfield_wersja_2.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <\/span><em><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Herbert_Butterfield\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Herbert_Butterfield<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A classic work in the field. First published in 1958, the author focuses on several key topics (cosmology, mechanics, gravity, medicine, popularization, etc.), presenting them with both flair and expertise. His approach is somewhat biographical, as the issues are explored through the lens of the people who worked on them. As a result, the book offers excellent portraits of many figures in the history of modern science. I recommend reading it alongside the books by Grant and Shapin, which I have also reviewed.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Chaunu_Pierre_Le_temps_des_Reformes_Historie_religieuse_et_systeme_de_civilization_La_Crise_de_la_chretiente_LEclatement_1250-1550\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Chaunu Pierre, Le temps des R\u00e9formes. Historie religieuse et syst\u00e8me de civilization. La Crise de la chr\u00e9tient\u00e9. L\u2019\u00c8clatement (1250-1550)<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/chaunu-pierre-czas-reform-historia-religii-i-cywilizacji-1250-1550\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Chaunu2.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<em>Time of Reforms (1250 &#8211; 1550): Religion and Civilization. Crisis of Christendom \u2013 The Split<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A book about the roots of the Reformation. It provides a broad panorama of civilizational, intellectual, and material dynamics during the late Middle Ages and the early modern era. One of its greatest strengths is the way it connects intellectual currents with material processes, avoiding the oversimplifications often found in Marxist-inspired revisionism.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"dAvray_David_The_Medieval_Church_as_an_Economic_Production_Firm\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">d&#8217;Avray David, The Medieval Church as an Economic Production Firm?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A critical analysis of the works of Robert B. Ekelund, who viewed the medieval Church as a production firm, using microeconomic tools for his analysis. On this page (Reviews), there is also a text by Ekelund himself summarizing his ideas, as well as another piece outlining the range of topics he covers in his three books on the medieval Church (see Iannaccone, Ekelund). d\u2019Avray\u2019s text is worth reading, but after going through Ekelund\u2019s books\u2014which I highly recommend\u2014I got the impression that d\u2019Avray misses the forest for the trees. By focusing on details, he overlooks how heuristically fruitful it is to view the medieval Church through the lens of the economics of religion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Publication date: August 2024<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">ENG original: <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s11127-024-01198-6\">https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/s11127-024-01198-6 <\/a><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">ENG shareable link <a href=\"https:\/\/rdcu.be\/d7MrC\">https:\/\/rdcu.be\/d7MrC<\/a>\u00a0 <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">in: Public Choice (2024) 201:1\u201320, https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s11127-024-01198-6 <\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Delumeau_Jean_Le_peche_et_la_peur_La_culpabilisation_en_Occident_XIII_%E2%80%93_XVIII_siecles\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Delumeau Jean, Le p\u00e9ch\u00e9 et la peur, La culpabilisation en Occident (XIII &#8211; XVIII siecles)<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/delumeau-jean-grzech-i-strach-poczucie-winy-w-kulturze-zachodu-xiii-xviii-w\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Delumeau_Grzech_i_strach.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Sin and Fear: The Emergence of the Western Guilt Culture, 13th-18th Centuries.\u00a0<\/span> <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; padding-left: 120px;\"><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">FR About Jean Delumeau:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jean_Delumeau\">http:\/\/fr.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jean_Delumeau<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">One of the most hotly debated works on the history of Christianity and its influence on Western civilization. The book offers a gripping vision of late medieval and early modern culture, marked by pessimism, fear, guilt, and sin. A classic in the field, written by a renowned French historian.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Duchesne_Ricardo_The_Uniqueness_of_Western_Civilization\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Duchesne Ricardo, The Uniqueness of Western Civilization<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/duchesne-ricardo-cywilizacja-zachodnia-polemika-z-krytykami-zachodu\/\">PL on-line<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/Ricardo-Duchesne12_04.2020.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">About Duchesne:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ricardo_Duchesne\">https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ricardo_Duchesne<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ricardo Duchesne\u2019s book (published in 2011) is an extensive discussion of the historical debates of recent decades regarding the relationship between Western civilization and other cultural spheres. The 1980s and 1990s saw a shift in perspective on this issue, with multicultural and revisionist approaches gaining prominence and questioning the significance and achievements of the West. Duchesne thoroughly examines this trend, sharply criticizes it, and offers his own interpretations of key historical processes. My essay serves as both a review of the book and a collection of supplementary comments.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dyson_George_D_Darwin_Among_the_Machines_The_evolution_of_global_intelligence\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Dyson George D., Darwin Among the Machines. The evolution of global intelligence<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/dyson-george-d-darwin-wsrod-maszyn-rzecz-o-ewolucji-inteligencji\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Darwin_wsrod_maszyn.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 ENG About ideas contained in the book:<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edge.org\/conversation\/george_dyson-darwin-among-the-machines-or-the-origins-of-artificial-life\">see here<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The title of the book promises more than it actually delivers. It is a work on the history and prehistory of computing machines, information theory, and those branches of mathematics that contribute to &#8220;computerization.&#8221; Anyone interested in the past of this field will find this book worthwhile. Dyson is a historian of technology, and this is his area of expertise.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ekelund_Robert_B_Hebert_Robert_F_Tollison_Robert_D_The_Political_Economy_of_the_Medieval_Church\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ekelund Robert B., H\u00e9bert Robert F., Tollison Robert D., The Political Economy of the Medieval Church<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A perspective on the medieval Church as a production firm. The main author is the renowned economist Robert Ekelund (1940\u20132023). The economics of religion applies microeconomic tools to study various phenomena within the religious sphere. Ekelund\u2019s books extensively use this branch of economics to examine religious phenomena in the Middle Ages.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The presented text is a several-page summary by Ekelund himself of his ideas, along with those of several scholars who have shaped the view of the Middle Ages from this perspective. It is a highly interesting piece. Due to its brevity, it may give the impression of a sharp critique of the Church, but reading the much longer analyses found in Ekelund\u2019s books significantly weakens this impression.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Political Economy of the Medieval Church, in: Rachel M. McCleary (ed), The Oxford Handbook of The Economics of Religion<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">ENG Online access: ResearchGate<\/span><br \/>\nENG <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/287706475_The_Political_Economy_of_the_Medieval_Church\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #38a9eb;\"><span style=\"color: #2187c2;\">https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/287706475_The_Political_Economy_of_the_Medieval_Church<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Greene_Brian_The_Fabric_of_the_Cosmos_Space_Time_And_the_Texture_of_Reality\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Greene Brian, The Fabric of the Cosmos. Space, Time, And the Texture of Reality<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/greene-brian-struktura-kosmosu\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Brian_Greene_Struktura_kosmosu.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG<\/span> <em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">About Greene:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brian_Greene\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brian_Greene<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A well-known book that presents the state of physics and cosmology at the dawn of the 21st century. Written for a broad audience, it is exceptionally clear and competent without excessive simplifications. A careful reader, even from a humanities background, will find satisfaction in grasping a field often considered highly specialized and difficult to penetrate<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Grant_Edward_The_Foundations_of_Modern_Science_in_the_Middle_Ages\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Grant Edward, The Foundations of Modern Science in the Middle Ages<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/grant-edward-sredniowieczne-podstawy-nauki-nowozytnej\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Grant_SKROT_2.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ENG <em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">About Grant:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.indiana.edu\/~alldrp\/members\/grant.html\">http:\/\/www.indiana.edu\/~alldrp\/members\/grant.html<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The book is highly interesting and offers a fresh perspective on the role of the Middle Ages in the emergence of modern science. It contributes to the ongoing great debate on whether the medieval period made a valuable contribution to the creation of the modern era. The author\u2019s answer is decidedly positive, and the arguments presented are far from conventional.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Guinote_Pauolo_JA_Ascensao_e_declinio_da_Carreira_da_India_Seculos_XV-XVIII\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Guinote Pauolo J.A., Ascensao e declinio da Carreira da India (Seculos XV-XVIII)<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Guinote-Armady-indyjskie-Portug.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rise and Fall of Carreira da India (XV-XVIII Centuries) Polish translation<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/alvarovelho.net\/images\/patrono\/ASCENSAO_E_DECLINIO_DA_CARREIRADAINDIA.pdf\">Pdf &#8211; portuguese original<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A well-known text that includes, among other things, a detailed analysis of the losses suffered by Portuguese armadas en route to India between the 15th and 18th centuries.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Iannaccone_Laurence_R_Ekelund_Robert_B_The_Medieval_Church_from_the_Perspective_of_the_Economics_of_Religion_Some_Information\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Iannaccone Laurence R., Ekel<span style=\"color: #000000;\">und Robert B., The Medieval Church from the Perspective of the Economics of Religion: Some Information<\/span><\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">An excerpt from L. Iannaccone&#8217;s article <em>Introduction to the Economics of Religion<\/em> and information about three books edited by Robert B. Ekelund on the medieval Church from the perspective of the economics of religion.<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Laurence-R.pdf\">PL Link to the text described above <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/15106218\/Introduction_to_the_Economics_of_Religion\">ENG link to Iannaccone&#8217;s original article in Academia.edu<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Jaki_Stanley_The_Savior_of_Science\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Jaki Stanley, The Savior of Science<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/jaki-stanley-zbawca-nauki\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Stanley_Jaki_Zbawca_swiata.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">About Jaki:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stanley_Jaki\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Stanley_Jaki<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">ENG Texts of Stanley Jaki available online<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sljaki.com\/texts.html\">http:\/\/www.sljaki.com\/texts.html<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A renowned historian of science traces the origins of modern science to fundamental principles of Judaism and Christianity. According to Jaki, these origins lie in the idea that key cosmological concepts from the Old and New Testaments\u2014such as the belief in creation ex nihilo, the notion of a stable and orderly universe, and faith in both the rationality of the Creator and the rationality of the created world\u2014made empirical and experimental research into the laws of nature possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Jones_Eric_Lionel_The_European_Miracle_Environments_economies_and_geopolitics_in_the_history_of_Europe_and_Asia\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Jones Eric Lionel, The European Miracle. Environments, economies, and geopolitics in the history of Europe and Asia<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/jones-eric-lionel-the-european-miracle\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/E.J._Jones_Cud_europejski.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">About Jones: <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_European_miracle\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_European_miracle<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/europeanmiraclee0000jone\">ENG link to the book in the Internet Archive<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The theory of the European miracle. This famous 1981 book played a key role in establishing World History as a field of study. \u201cWhy did Europe, at the dawn of the modern era, embark on a path of sustained growth and economic development, while older and richer Asian empires did not?\u201d With this question, Eric Jones opens his book. His answers\u2014surprising when first formulated\u2014have since become partly accepted truths, while still sparking heated debates. My review and translation\/summary provide the most extensive presentation of Eric Jones\u2019s ideas available to Polish readers.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Kloczowski_Jerzy_Europa_Chrzescijanskie_korzenie\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>K\u0142oczowski Jerzy, Europa. Chrze\u015bcija\u0144skie korzenie<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/kloczowski-jerzy-europa-chrzescijanskie-korzenie\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Europa_-_chrzescijanskie_korzenie.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<em>translation of Polish title:\u00a0 Europe &#8211; Christian Roots<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; padding-left: 120px;\"><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">PL About K\u0142oczowski:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ziemiaznieba.pl\/file\/index.php?strona=kloczkowski.&amp;&amp;grup=komiteth\">http:\/\/www.ziemiaznieba.pl\/file\/index.php?strona=kloczkowski.&amp;&amp;grup=komiteth<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A synthetic account of Christianity\u2019s contribution to the formation of European civilization. I summarized the section covering the period from the 4th to the 15th century. The book primarily lists facts rather than analyzing how Christianity propelled Europe forward in later centuries. My summary serves as an introduction to the topic suggested by the title.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"LaMDA_Transcript_of_an_Interview_with_Googles_Artificial_Intelligence_2022\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>LaMDA: Transcript of an Interview with Google&#8217;s Artificial Intelligence [2022]<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/lambja-PL.pdf\">PL ENG pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <span style=\"color: #000000;\">The text is in Polish. It contains links to the original American texts<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Year 2022. Does artificial intelligence already possess consciousness? A few days ago, news broke that Google employee Blake Lemoine declared that the LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) program is a sentient, conscious being. LaMDA is designed for building chatbots that mimic human conversation. It operates on a vast dataset, using neural networks and artificial intelligence to make conversations feel remarkably natural. According to Google, it is a groundbreaking technology. However, Lemoine\u2019s conclusions were dismissed, and he was placed on administrative leave, after which he publicly released his conversations with LaMDA. Below is a Polish translation of those conversations, allowing readers to assess LaMDA\u2019s capabilities and the differing opinions of Lemoine, Google, and various experts, to whom I provide links in the introduction.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_LaMDA_Have_Consciousness_Pros_and_Cons_Ongoing_Debate_and_Controversies_2022\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Does LaMDA Have Consciousness? Pros and Cons. Ongoing Debate and Controversies [2022]<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/dwuglos-google-lemoine.pdf\">PL ENG pdf<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #000000;\">The text is in Polish. It contains links to the original American texts<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The year 2022 may go down in AI history as the moment when an intense debate erupted over whether a human-made program could be conscious. The controversy ignited in June 2022. A few days ago, I presented transcripts of a Google employee\u2019s conversations with LaMDA, the program to which he (Blake Lemoine) attributed consciousness (see LaMDA: Interview with an AI). Now, I present the arguments of those who deny LaMDA\u2019s consciousness, as well as Lemoine\u2019s counterarguments.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Google_on_the_Design_of_the_LaMDA_Artificial_Intelligence_Program_2022\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Google on the Design of the LaMDA Artificial Intelligence Program [2022]<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/LaMDA-safe-convers-PL.pdf\">PL ENG pdf<\/a> \u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The text is in Polish. It contains links to the original American texts<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">I present two texts from Google\u2019s AI research team. They discuss the construction and training methods of the LaMDA conversational program.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Landes_David_The_Wealth_and_Poverty_of_Nations\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Landes David, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.kulturaihistoria.umcs.lublin.pl\/archives\/42\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<em>Author of the review: Rados\u0142aw Kawczy\u0144ski<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Reviewer: Rados\u0142aw Kawczy\u0144ski. A detailed discussion of a well-known book on the causes of historical disparities between different societies.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Landes_David_The_Wealth_and_Poverty_of_Nations-2\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Landes David, The Wealth and Poverty of Nations<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.turowski.uni.wroc.pl\/frank-landes.htm\">PL on-line Polish review<\/a> <span style=\"color: #000000;\">by Maciej Hacaga \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rrojasdatabank.info\/agfrank\/landes.html\">ENG on-line review by Andre Gunder Frank<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www-rrojasdatabank-info.translate.goog\/agfrank\/landes.html?_x_tr_sl=en&amp;_x_tr_tl=pl&amp;_x_tr_hl=pl&amp;_x_tr_pto=sc\">PL on-line review by Andre Gunder Frank<\/a> \u00a0 <span style=\"color: #000000;\">Polish translation<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Hugh_McLoad_Secularisation_in_Western_Europe_1848_%E2%80%93_1914\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Hugh McLoad, Secularisation in Western Europe, 1848 &#8211; 1914<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Summary of the book. MacMillan Press Ltd., 2000<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/resume3.pdf\">pdf in Polish<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pacey_Arnold_Technology_In_World_Civilization\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Pacey Arnold, Technology In World Civilization<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/pacey-arnold-technology-in-world-civilization\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Arnold_Pacey_Technology_In_World_Civilization.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Other Pacey&#8217;s books:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/mitpress.mit.edu\/catalog\/author\/default.asp?aid=656\">http:\/\/mitpress.mit.edu\/catalog\/author\/default.asp?aid=656<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A book exploring the mechanisms of technological transfer between the world&#8217;s major civilizations from AD 700 to 1980. Within this broader context, it examines Europe. By analyzing the history of technology, the author highlights the continuous exchange of knowledge between different cultural spheres, focusing on mutual transfers and borrowings. A widely discussed work in the history of technology.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Plantinga_Alvin_God_Freedom_and_Evil\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Plantinga Alvin, God, Freedom and Evil<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/plantinga-alvin-o-ksiazce-a-plantingi-bog-wolnosc-i-zlo\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Plantinga_Bog_wolnosc_zlo.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">About Plantinga:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alvin_Plantinga\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alvin_Plantinga<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/ndl.ethernet.edu.et\/bitstream\/123456789\/4351\/1\/52.pdf\">Open access to the book\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> in National Academic Digital Library of Ethiopia<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Alvin Plantinga (b. 1932) is an American philosopher of religion, logician, and philosopher of language. His book God, Freedom, and Evil is a well-known rebuttal of arguments against the rationality of theistic beliefs. Using formal logic, Plantinga demonstrated that classical theodicy (God is omnipotent, God is good, evil exists) is internally consistent and non-contradictory. His defense of the rationality of faith remains one of the most significant achievements in 20th-century philosophy of religion.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Shapin_Steven_The_Scientific_Revolution\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Shapin Steven, The Scientific Revolution<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/shapin-steven-rewolucja-naukowa\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Steven_Shapin_Rewolucja_naukowa.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <em>Shapin&#8217;s page: <\/em><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.fas.harvard.edu\/~hsdept\/bios\/shapin.html\"><em>http:\/\/www.fas.harvard.edu\/~hsdept\/bios\/shapin.html<\/em> <\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A book providing a synthetic summary of the past 30 years of scholarship on the European Scientific Revolution of the 16th-18th centuries.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Simon_Marcel_La_Civilization_de_LAntiquite_et_le_Christianisme\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Simon Marcel, La Civilization de L&#8217;Antiquit\u00e9 et le Christianisme<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/simon-marcel-cywilizacja-wczesnego-chrzescijanstwa\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Marcel_Simon_Cywilizacja_wczesnego_chrzescijanstwa.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<em>The Civilization of Ancient Christianity<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The author examines the period from the 1st to the 5th century BC. The book is well-written and authoritative. In my notes, I combined Chapter IX, which discusses persecution, with information on the same topic from Ewa Wipszycka\u2019s The Church in the Late Antique World. Marcel Simon (1907\u20131986) was a scholar of religious history, particularly the relationship between Christianity and Judaism.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Taylor_Mark_Zachary_Politics_of_Innovation_Why_Some_Countries_Are_Better_Than_Others_at_Science_and_Technology\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Taylor Mark Zachary, Politics of Innovation: Why Some Countries Are Better Than Others at Science and Technology<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Taylor_innovation_skrot.pdf\">ENG PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG about Mark Z. Taylor:<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/1b33c78d-701e-50fb-ae00-8105150ced47\"> see here<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Published in 2016, this book was recognized as one of the most compelling attempts to explain technological disparities. In 2017, it won the Don K. Price Award from the American Political Science Association for the best book in science, technology, and policy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It presents a well-written history of different theories explaining why some countries are more innovative than others. Each theory is subjected to statistical verification, adding a new dimension to discussions on innovation theory. Taylor challenges mainstream institutional explanations, proposing instead the concept of constructive threat states. He argues that the most significant driver of innovation is a sustained imbalance where external threats (economic, political, military) outweigh internal rivalries. The book includes case studies of post-WWII technological leaps in South Korea, Taiwan, Israel, Singapore, and Ireland, demonstrating how this constructive threat state led to rapid technological advancement.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whitehead_Alfred_N_Science_and_the_Modern_World\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Whitehead Alfred N., Science and the Modern World<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/whitehead-alfred-n-nauka-i-swiat-wspolczesny\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/nauka_i_swiat_wspolczesny.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #000000;\">ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">On Whitehead:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/entries\/whitehead\">http:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/entries\/whitehead<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.org\/details\/in.ernet.dli.2015.17780\">ENG link to the book in the Internet Archive<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/ebooks\/68611\">ENG link to the book in the Project Gutenberg<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A 1925 book on the birth of modern science. I have summarized the fascinating first chapter. According to the author, for science to emerge in the modern sense of the word, there first had to be a widespread and instinctive belief in the existence of an order in the world\u2014particularly in nature. Additionally, precise thinking habits had to develop (influenced by Greek logic and the long dominance of scholastic reasoning). However, the most significant medieval contribution, according to Whitehead, was the conviction that every event could be linked to preceding events, revealing general patterns. The source of this belief, he argues, was the medieval emphasis on God\u2019s rationality. God possessed the power of Yahweh but the rationality of a Greek philosopher. Every detail was under control and part of a greater order, making the study of nature a means to affirm the rationality of the universe.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Woods_Thomas_How_the_Catholic_Church_Built_Western_Civilization\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Woods Thomas, How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/woods-thomas-jak-kosciol-katolicki-zbudowal-cywilizacje-zachodnia\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Woods.pdf\">pdf<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <span style=\"color: #000000;\">ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">On Woods: <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thomas_Woods\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thomas_Woods<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A popular book, yet competently written. It covers most of the topics related to its central theme. In traditional interpretations, the Church&#8217;s influence on the development of Western civilization is typically reduced to a specific set of issues, on which there is a general consensus. Woods effectively identifies these issues, describing each succinctly\u2014sometimes uncritically, but without major errors. However, the book lacks a broader contextual background. No matter how much we value Christianity and the Church\u2019s role in shaping Europe and the West, we must not forget other crucial factors, such as geography, climate, the legacy of antiquity, shifting geopolitical landscapes, and the barbarian origins of European culture.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wright_Robert_Nonzero_The_Logic_of_Human_Destiny\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Wright Robert, Nonzero. The Logic of Human Destiny<\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/recenzje-ksiazek\/wright-robert-nonzero-logika-ludzkiego-przeznaczenia\/\">PL on-line<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/media\/recenzje\/Nonzero.pdf\">PL pdf<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<span style=\"color: #000000;\"> ENG <\/span><em><span style=\"color: #000000;\">On Wright and about his book:<\/span> <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nonzero:_The_Logic_of_Human_Destiny\">http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Nonzero:_The_Logic_of_Human_Destiny<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A book on the mechanisms of cultural evolution throughout history. According to the author, this evolution has a distinct direction\u2014it progresses toward increasing complexity due to the continuous expansion of positive-sum social interactions. Hence the title: NonZero. The work is theoretical but supported by extensive historical material. Wright\u2019s theoretical claims provide an intriguing way to organize a vast amount of factual data. Regardless of whether one ultimately agrees with his conclusions, the book is a valuable contribution to discussions on the dynamics of cultural change.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>jacek9520@gmail.com Reviews, Essay reviews and Synopses PL &#8211; text available in Polish,\u00a0 ENG &#8211; text available in English, FR &#8211; text available in French, P &#8211; text available in Portueguese Ernst Benz and 19th-Century Transhumanism PL pdf \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Translation of Chapter V from Christian Hope: Man\u2019s Concept of the Future from the Early Fathers to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1167","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"category-recenzje","6":"czr-hentry"},"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["pl","en"],"languages":{"pl":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1167"}],"version-history":[{"count":179,"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10867,"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1167\/revisions\/10867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jacek.kwasniewski.org.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}