The Creators

A History of Heroes of the Imagination

By: Daniel J. Boorstin

Narrated by: Michael Jackson

Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

In this companion volume to The Discoverers, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Daniel J. Boorstin brings to life more than three thousand years of human artistic achievement.

In this engrossing book, Boorstin examines what people have added to the world: painting, sculpture, architecture, theology, philosophy, history, poetry, drama, literature, dance, music, and film.

In a narrative brimming with lively biographical sketches and illuminating anecdotes, Boorstin captures the remarkable history of artistic achievement in the West.

Here is a truly epic story, told with all the excitement, appreciation, and authority Boorstin brought to The Discoverers.

©1992 Daniel J. Boorstin (P)1992 The Publishing Mills

Critic reviews

"An enormously stimulating volume, an epic work of immeasurable riches...this eloquent, remarkable synthesis sets the framework of humanity's advance from darkness and ignorance." (Publishers Weekly)
"A remarkable achievement and a pleasure...an engrossing introduction to many of the greatest glories of the imagination and the intellect." (The New York Times)

Abridged: Disappointing

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

No. He's such a great author. Why the abridged version?

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

ho hum

Which scene was your favorite?

Renaissance period

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No. It's not meant to be a movie. 5-10 documentaries perhaps. Yes

Any additional comments?

Why not the unabridged version? He's such a great writer. I was disappointed. I didn't know it was an abridged version when I bought it.

The Creators

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Boorstin is a brilliant, brilliant scholar. The audible version, however, did not quite have the some dynamism as reading the actual book.

Could you see The Creators being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Maybe a PBS series.

Any additional comments?

Thank you for making this available.

No one should miss this book...

This book was recommended to me by a friend. It is one of the most interesting books of the history of ALL the creators. Most of it was new knowledge and told like a storyteller, which kept my attention all the time. I have relistened to parts of it, so that I can memorize this important information.

the ultimate anthology

Boorstin is the master of the brief history of...well, anything. We enjoy everything by him as a beautiful introduction to a vast array of people and ideas, from which we can then decide if we wish to investigage further. This is wonderfully written and perfectly read. A strong recommendation! Hans & Betty

excellent

as an overall intro this was good as it led me to further research the creators that interested me

Strange but beautiful

Would you consider the audio edition of The Creators to be better than the print version?

Toss up.

What other book might you compare The Creators to and why?

Coming of Age in the Milky Way : Timothy Ferris. Avail on Audible. Endearing portraits of the oddballs who just have to create and explore.

What about Michael Jackson’s performance did you like?

Conversational tone, as if recounting old stories and characters. His delivery and the editing are herky jerky: this takes some getting used to be I've grown found of it, as it heightens the randomness and connectivity of creation.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Willingness to take both spirituality and religious figures seriously.

Any additional comments?

Great for listeners like me, who use non fiction audio as bedtime stories, and who draw inspiration from the details and influences in the great lives.

Good survey

This is an informative historical survey of those whom Boorstin must consider the greatest creators from multiple disciplines. What I found maddeningly distracting was the narrator's mispronunciation of many of the names. Fair warning for those who are being introduced to these creators and their works for the first time. I wish I had kept a list to include here.

Full version would have been better!

It is a good book and is nicely written however, because the audio book is abridged, you lose a lot of the meaning compared to the actual book, of which I have both. It is nice, but if you actually want the entire message and less chaos, save you money and buy the actual written version.

Content solid, audiobook narrative poor

Nothing wrong with the book, Content solid. But the audiobook narrative is poor, it Sounds like a robot is reading it.

Simplistic, Outdated, Factually Challenged

The sort of popular history that's thankfully gone out of fashion, where the complicated, messy real world is shoehorned into a handful of Grand Themes and Big Ideas.

I noticed a number of factual errors, too. For example, he says the funds for the Parthenon came solely from the citizens of Athens, when in fact they were drawn from the (pan-Hellenic) Delian League.

If you're interested in any of what Boorstin covers, just pick a current volume by an actual expert.