The History of Ideas

LoveReading Says

If you’ve ever found yourself in a late-night YouTube spiral watching explainer videos on philosophy or politics because it’s kind of fun, David Runciman’s The History of Ideas is basically that - but in book form, and much smarter. And no, don't worry you don’t need to have a dusty copy of Hobbes or Rousseau on your shelf to enjoy it. Thank the lord for that.

Runciman, who you might know from his excellent podcast Talking Politics, has a gift for making complicated thinkers feel... approachable. He doesn’t just list their theories like some dreary textbook. Instead, he tells stories about why these ideas mattered and how they still shape the way we argue, govern, and even doom scroll today. It's a series of essays on key thinkers who might help us imagine a better world, tackling big topics like equality, justice and revolution, he’s like that mate at the pub who can turn a chat about TikTok or elections into a deep but entertaining dive.

It’s curious, a bit playful, and very readable. You get the sense Runciman genuinely enjoys grappling with these ideas and really wants you to, too. He connects the dots between centuries-old thinkers and the mess of modern life without forcing it or sounding preachy.

A great read for the ordinary curious reader who wants to understand where all these Big Ideas came from and why we’re still arguing about them. Pour a glass of your favourite tipple and enjoy the ride.

Deborah Maclaren

Find This Book In