Why people recommend it
Too Much to Know by Harvard historian Ann M. Blair is a comprehensive scholarly examination of how scholars and intellectuals managed information overload before the advent of the modern age. On an episode of The Book Review titled Sheryl Sandberg on Life After Tragedy released in July 2024, Jenny Schlenker enthusiastically brought up the volume during the discussion. Schlenker recommended the title with great emphasis, telling her co-hosts to bring her the book immediately and praising it as a wonderful work by the Harvard historian detailing the early methods used to organize and process scholarly information prior to modern technological advancements. Blair's historical analysis sheds light on the tools, note-taking strategies, and indexing practices that early modern thinkers relied on to navigate an ever-expanding sea of texts. By highlighting historical precedents to contemporary issues with data saturation, the book offers valuable context for anyone interested in the history of knowledge management. Schlenker's endorsement on the podcast serves to introduce general readers and literature enthusiasts to this niche yet deeply relevant academic study, proving that the struggle to organize information is by no means exclusive to the digital age. The conversation highlights how historical scholarship can directly inform our understanding of modern intellectual habits and information processing challenges.
Who recommended it
- Jenny Schlenker Recommended
Jenny Schlenker — 1 mention
“bring me that one immediately a great book by the Harvard historian Anne Blair called too much to know managing scholarly information before the Modern Age”