THE PURPOSE OF THE PAST Reflections on the Uses of History

Wood, a professor of history at Brown University, and that rare gem of an academic who can write for a general audience, gives a critique of the current state of the discipline of history. This collection of his essays and book reviews balances Wood's view of what is good about the new trends—the inclusion of heretofore largely ignored demographic groups—with his view of what is hurting the profession—relativism. Malcolm Hillgartner gives a superb performance in narrating this work. His reading sounds effortless, making it appear that he’s delivering all of the material from memory, without any pause or hesitation. The listener is quickly engaged by Hillgartner, and he doesn't let go. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 08]