scots invented modern world scots invented modern world true story western europe scottish enlightenment scots invention non fiction book written american historian book examines origins scottish enlightenment impact modern world following great man approach focuses individuals presents biographies context individual fields terms theme scottish contributions world book published hardcover november trade paperback september critics found thesis reaching descriptive scots impact american market trade paperback peaked washington_post bestseller list canadian market peaked background time publication author coordinator washington book grew class topic intellectual life edinburgh 18th century impressed fact prominent individuals significant impact come specific geographic location time frame scotland teenager father professor spent semester born raised ancestry traces norway scots ancestral background aware synopsis book divided parts consists chapters focuses roots development impact scottish enlightenment scotland great_britain roots come appreciation democracy literacy developed brought scotland preached god ordained power people people administer enforce god laws monarchy common people understand god laws able read bible schools built parish literacy rates grew rapidly creating scottish oriented market books writers resented english scots joined form english wanted scots controlled scots realized match english power scots immediately benefited centralized government paid little attention example inexpensive imports reduced impacts allowed scottish culture flourish calls scottish enlightenment robust original french enlightenment product scottish school humans creatures environment constantly evolving trying understand social sciences defeat rising social structure based clans scottish way life allowing citizens land profits instead giving profits owned land foundation allowed scots economically advantage trade edinburgh glasgow intellectual thought existed scotland clergy believed moral religious foundation required compatible free open sophisticated culture conservatives presents biographies lord illustrate scottish development second focuses impacts scots events world industries scots immigrants american colonies british american revolutionary war fight militias capable refugee families rising claims influenced american declaration independence constitution great_britain lost american colonies second generation scottish intellectuals saved britain reinforced self confidence allowed country manage world empire victorian era scots india like led british idea liberal indigenous cultures run society good white man burden claims sir invented historical novel giving self conscious gave literature place modern life science industry states steam engine gave capitalism modern face persisted today permitted business choose location like cities close inexpensive labor scots negative impacts industry public health movement scots contribution modern society illustrated biographies scots like style wrote book american audience familiar scottish history provides historical overview short biographies prominent scots historical approach uses great man theory historical narrative told lives prominent figures approach globe_and_mail wrote biographies reveal subtle important links figures ideas seeks characterize success coherent body scottish thought reviewer noted book complete dependence secondary sources provides section end book listing sources suggestions reading chapter section notes influential sources consulted included works scottish historians publication history book published hardcover released november trade paperback published imprint released september market hardcover spent weeks washington_post bestseller list peaking followed week run trade paperback peaking canadian market trade paperback spent weeks globe_and_mail bestseller list peaking british version titled book scottish enlightenment scots invention released market imprint long listed reception title thesis people scotland invented modern world nearly reviewer commented calling provocative absurd prejudice writes rhetoric invites reaction suggest accept extraordinary compliment likely influenced irish saved civilization result marketing strategy reviewers found successful proving scots impact continued type theme book rule waves british navy shaped published critics found book written scholarly reaching thesis reviewer use word invented writing older meaning discover understand scots like number french counterparts seek construct new world instead tried understand certain traditions institutions spontaneously arisen course man work misunderstood intelligent observers reviewer wrote successfully proven thesis account scotland accused playing unfavourable actions scots like highland prominence slave trade formation reviewer noted study falls short explaining scottish enlightenment ended scotland declined end 19th century
How the Scots Invented the Modern World