The first set of book reviews in history. 9th century AD, by Saint Photius (if Eastern Orthodox) or just Photius (if Roman Catholic) – or ancient smart dude if anybody else – wrote 280 book reviews, including a lot of famous ancients, his summaries and his impressions of them.
He would’ve done great in the 21st century. He’d be all over Amazon.
One of them is lost, so it’s really 279. Imagine Amazon’s reviews lasting for 1200 years? Where will my review on socks be in the year 3216 AD?
http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/photius_03bibliotheca.htm
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I’m stoked to find this and go through it. I ALWAYS read reviews instead of the books themselves: I hate reading 300 pages when I can just read a few summaries and people’s opinions instead.
The chance to get the book reviews of greek, arabic and latin books by one of the scholarly giants of the 9th century AD? I’m beside myself.
Most of them are pretty short and to the point too. Executive summaries. Some are more detailed. I like it.
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