Praise for How the West Won "Fortunately, a few unapologetic defenders of Western civilization can still be found. In How the West Won, Rodney Stark details how and why the vital aspects of modernity—defined here as a combination of sensible economic arrangements, political freedoms and scientific knowledge—developed in the West rather than elsewhere. In the process he adds considerably to the content of the old Western Civ courses, which would often discreetly ignore the contribution of Christianity and neglect practical matters such as advances in technology and banking." —Wall Street Journal "Stark's lively and absorbing new work beheads the academy's dictatorship of relativism and enthrones in its place concrete and fact-based understanding in order here to give Western civilization the credit it richly deserves. . . . Along the way he upsets one politically correct apple cart after another. . . . Stark's book should have as wide an audience as possible." —Catholic World Report "Exposes gaping holes in the prevailing narrative . . . Stark sets out to critique, and, in some instances, demolish several widespread mythologies about the West's development. . . . In making these points, Stark is happy to engage in the deeply politically incorrect exercise of comparing developments in the West to that of other civilizations." —Crisis "What sets How the West Won apart from similar histories, and what makes it a sheer delight to read, is Stark's wit, his elegant writing and, most especially, his reinterpretation of various historical events. . . . Nearly every chapter of How the West Won breaks some widely held opinion. . . . If you are looking for lively, erudite history, you'll find How the West Won a splendid companion." —Smoky Mountain News

Praise for Rodney Stark "Stark has a vigorous prose style and a gift for clear explanation. The pace is swift, and the narrative thrilling." —New York Times "Fun to read, full of anecdote and incident . . . Mr. Stark is especially adept at challenging rec