How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's Poorest Nation Created our World & Everything in It showed up in a Goodreads recommendations list. I put a hold on it through my local library system and a few days ago it arrived. Usually, I don't read broad works of history. I tend to choose works focused on individual persons or events because I find those most interesting. I wasn't sure how I would like reading a broad book on Scottish history.
The title of the books is what drew me to it. I was curious to find out why the author would argue that Scotland "invented" the modern world. While, after reading, I'm not entirely convinced of the author's argument, I do see how influential the people of Scotland were, especially through immigration, in shaping certain aspects of North America.
My knowledge of Scottish history was and still is minimal, but at least I can now say I know some of the bare-bone basics, such as how it came about that Scotland is part of the UK. I also discovered, through a collection of sections focused on individuals, how many prominent figures were Scottish. Imagine my surprise when I realized Adam Smith was Scottish and not English!
I think Arthur Herman's book may lead me to reading more on the history of Scotland and history in general.
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