The Swerve is a GREAT book to gain background knowledge about Ancient Greece and Rome. The book explains cultural constructs so the reader better understands the past. Greenblatt discusses early book collecting and establishment of libraries, the pests that literally ate the books and other threats to the written word. One MAIN threat to the written word, other than a volcanic eruption that one cannot plan for, is MAN. Words that are in print that go against the grain can be threatening.
The Swerve discusses how the discovery of Lucretius' poem On the Nature of Things changed scholarly perception of the people. This HUMANIST poem breaks down matter into simple particles, atoms, and claims they are the building blocks of all things. The Catholic Church was opposed to the idea as they wished creationism to be the only concept taught.
If you are looking for a story that better explains HUMANISM and the intellectual pursuits of the Renaissance, this is the book for you!
Watch a CBS News author interview from November 2011.
NPR Book Review
NPR Story
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