Utopia: An Illustrated History

by Michael Wheeler, Ian Tod

A compelling exploration of rich diversity.

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[SRO · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me this was one of those random “oh cool cover” reads, nevertheless it did not disappoint! This book is extremely well-written, in the sense that the ideas flow seamlessly and the punctuation is precise. Looking at the past through the lenses of someone who is relative to us, past (this book was published in 1978) is always interesting, since you get so much more historical perspective, and this book has lots of that. Reading this feels weirdly nostalgic and a bit sad, since ultimately the history of utopians is the history of failure. My only real qualm is that the chapters are quite badly-defined, which kind of killed the communication of a general idea, yet I would recommend.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite being written 40 years ago, I enjoyed and got a lot more out of this than the longer Utopia: The Search For the Ideal Society in the Western World. More concise and down to earth, a survey of the world's principal Utopians throughout history. Excellent, extremely well-written, compassionate, humanist/humanitarian and relevant food for thought for 2018 and a book that speaks to me. The authors, however, remain a mystery. Who were they?