Thomas Cahill: The Gift Of The Jews

HarperCollins

$29.95

The Jews started it all, writes Cahill - meaning the underlying values that make us all, Jew and gentile, believer and atheist, tick.

Without the Jews, we would see the world through different eyes, hear with different ears, feel with different feelings.

He charts Western culture back to its source, the religious ideas and sensibilities of ancient Israel, explaining how they broke the circle paradigm by which even more ancient cultures had lived, and evolved a vision of people with unique destinies, with a belief in progress, and monotheism.

Cahill transmits a calm wonder at human achievement, and maintains a refreshingly positive view of vital Western culture.

A friendly yet odd book, it requires and rewards concentration.