Cartoon History of Tejanos Funny Funny Cartoon History of Tejanos

• Home
• My Books

Open Preview

See a Problem?

We'd love your help. Let us know what's wrong with this preview of The Cartoon History of the Universe I, Vol. 1-7 by Larry Gonick.

Thanks for telling us about the problem.

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

Be the first to ask a question about The Cartoon History of the Universe I, Vol. 1-7

Community Reviews

 · 3,358 ratings  · 270 reviews

Start your review of The Cartoon History of the Universe I, Vol. 1-7: From the Big Bang to Alexander the Great (The Cartoon History of the Universe, #1)

Aug 02, 2007 Christine rated it it was amazing

One of my all time favorite books.

A classmate once asked a teacher how I know so many things (this was in reference to prehistory, greek history, early hominids, early civilizations, egypt). The answer came back "because she reads a lot." The picture that came into my head was this book, and I started to smile. Not exactly the kind of reading I think she meant.

One of my all time favorite books.

A classmate once asked a teacher how I know so many things (this was in reference to prehistory, greek history, early hominids, early civilizations, egypt). The answer came back "because she reads a lot." The picture that came into my head was this book, and I started to smile. Not exactly the kind of reading I think she meant.

...more

Oct 17, 2009 Abrahamus rated it really liked it

This is a really fun—and actually quite comprehensive—historical overview. It's very handy as sort of a quick-reference guide and/or as a supplemental companion to the reading of primary source history texts. (I found it to be fabulously helpful along these lines with respect to Herodotus.)

A couple of disclaimers, primarily applicable to younger readers:

First off, the subject of sex is treated with direct frankness throughout. (This shouldn't be a problem, really. Gonick's emphasis on sex is ro

This is a really fun—and actually quite comprehensive—historical overview. It's very handy as sort of a quick-reference guide and/or as a supplemental companion to the reading of primary source history texts. (I found it to be fabulously helpful along these lines with respect to Herodotus.)

A couple of disclaimers, primarily applicable to younger readers:

First off, the subject of sex is treated with direct frankness throughout. (This shouldn't be a problem, really. Gonick's emphasis on sex is roughly equivalent to the emphasis given in the primary source texts with which he is dealing, the biblical texts certainly being no exception.)

And speaking of the Bible, that brings up the second yellow flag. Gonick is a big-time skeptic and antagonist of the Bible and the Christian Faith. The good news, however, is that his skepticism typically amounts to the rather facile type of junior-highesque nay-saying that can be answered fairly easily. To provide one example, his treatment of the episode between Elijah and the priests of Baal is all "Oh sure. The 'water' that Elijah had dumped on the sacrifice was probably some kind of oil, to which he stealthily lit a match. Besides, there was a three year drought going on, so where did he get all that water anyway?". To which the reply is "Well, actually, Mount Carmel is right next to the sea, which, even during the most prolonged drought would have no shortage of water which, though undrinkable, would nonetheless have sufficed for Elijah's purposes well enough."

At any rate, I find it pretty easy to overlook his skeptical handling of biblical history given the fact that he nonetheless treats it, more-or-less at least, as history, (just as he also does, incidentally, with some of the mythologies of Greece and of the other cultures represented). Ironically enough, this is a refreshing approach that I think a few Christian colleges and universities could take a cue from.

...more

Sep 05, 2007 Gphatty rated it really liked it

Great epic view of history, with lots of synthesis between events/movements occurring concurrent in different parts of the world. This volume covered many time periods I already knew a great deal about -- Greek & Roman empires; the Biblical era -- but there were still many nuggets of history that were completely new to me. The history of Mesopotamia, for example, when contrasted with what the Bible said had occurred, was fascinating. The strangeness of Egyptian history. The many humorous footnot Great epic view of history, with lots of synthesis between events/movements occurring concurrent in different parts of the world. This volume covered many time periods I already knew a great deal about -- Greek & Roman empires; the Biblical era -- but there were still many nuggets of history that were completely new to me. The history of Mesopotamia, for example, when contrasted with what the Bible said had occurred, was fascinating. The strangeness of Egyptian history. The many humorous footnotes. A good intro to history, and one that can spark interest in the source material. ...more

Dec 31, 2018 Newly Wardell rated it really liked it

I read this book because I needed to finish my 2018 reading challenge. I. Had no idea I'd be so entertained. It covers a lot and still manages a level of brevity missing from every other history book. It offers a varied look at our shared history. I read this book because I needed to finish my 2018 reading challenge. I. Had no idea I'd be so entertained. It covers a lot and still manages a level of brevity missing from every other history book. It offers a varied look at our shared history. ...more

Mar 08, 2022 Dakota Morgan rated it it was amazing

Dated, sure, but nonetheless fantastically detailed and engaging, The Cartoon History of the Universe is a must-read for any comics fan. I could have used more pre-history and less Greece, but those are minor quibbles when Larry Gonick is presenting history in such an informative and amusing fashion. I learned something new on basically every page.

Though Gonick does a nice job of pointing out women's role in history (or lack thereof in the Western canon), some of the "jokes" might not work with

Dated, sure, but nonetheless fantastically detailed and engaging, The Cartoon History of the Universe is a must-read for any comics fan. I could have used more pre-history and less Greece, but those are minor quibbles when Larry Gonick is presenting history in such an informative and amusing fashion. I learned something new on basically every page.

Though Gonick does a nice job of pointing out women's role in history (or lack thereof in the Western canon), some of the "jokes" might not work with the PC crowd. A product of the book's time, perhaps - though the focus on sex in history is somewhat novel.

I'd really like a revised edition featuring all the historical knowledge we've obtained since the 90s. I'll just have to make do with the next volume which, delightfully, veers away from the Mediterranean view of history.

...more

Jun 05, 2014 Drew rated it really liked it

A fascinating journey from the big bang, to the dinosaurs and evolution, to the beginnings of man and civilization; culminating in discussions of Greece.

This makes for a nice introduction to some of the subjects, and a nice reminder of others (depending on how much you already know, of course). I was thinking, "this would have been nice to read when I was 12" many times throughout the book because it covers a lot of the material I drudged through in public school middle school (age 12-15).

Much

A fascinating journey from the big bang, to the dinosaurs and evolution, to the beginnings of man and civilization; culminating in discussions of Greece.

This makes for a nice introduction to some of the subjects, and a nice reminder of others (depending on how much you already know, of course). I was thinking, "this would have been nice to read when I was 12" many times throughout the book because it covers a lot of the material I drudged through in public school middle school (age 12-15).

Much of history is conjecture, so its good to have multiple opinions on the subject matter. I think one criticism of this book is that Gonick seems confident in his opinion and either writes off other opinions who doesn't discuss them at all.

He's highly critical of religion (which I think is a good thing because it allows him to provide conjecture of the real-world basis of religion and religious/mythical [is there a difference?] stories). The old testament volume was interesting, as I contrasted it to my reading of Genesis, many of the historical conjecture as filtered through Gonick seems much more reasonable than the Bible's account.

I was bored by the Greek stories, which makes up that latter part of the book, if only because I am familiar with Greek history through my studies of its philosophy. I would have preferred more in depth discussion on early civilizations like Sumer.

Overall, a fun and enlightening read. I'm definitely going to continue the series as well as seek out the books Gonick recommends in his bibliography.

...more

Apr 17, 2018 Udit Tyagi rated it did not like it

Utter rubbish

1. I am not sure how much of it is accurate. There are nine issues. I found inaccuracies in the one on ancient India. I don't know as much about the content of the other issues to say that there were inaccuracies, but I am doubtful anyway.

2. I wouldn't even consider this history. There is a lot of talk of legends and other texts that is not strictly historical like the Vedas, Old Testament, Greek epics. The title of the book is very misleading in this regard.

3. It's outdated. It ta

Utter rubbish

1. I am not sure how much of it is accurate. There are nine issues. I found inaccuracies in the one on ancient India. I don't know as much about the content of the other issues to say that there were inaccuracies, but I am doubtful anyway.

2. I wouldn't even consider this history. There is a lot of talk of legends and other texts that is not strictly historical like the Vedas, Old Testament, Greek epics. The title of the book is very misleading in this regard.

3. It's outdated. It talks about how fair-skinned aryans came from the Nordic region with horses and conquered pretty much every ancient civilisation from the black Egyptians to the dark-skinned dravidians in the Indus Valley. Oppressive, inaccurate colonial construct.

4. Even if I put aside the issues listed above and read this as if it were just any other comic book with a story, it's dull and confusing. People and places are mentioned in a way that they are difficult to remember or connect with what I had already read in this book. Everything is too rushed.

This is a waste of time.

If you are a baboon who has never read history and wants a book with silly jokes and cute pictures, read this.

...more

May 17, 2020 Anders rated it it was amazing

Dad read these to me as bedtime stories. Loved em!

Apr 22, 2019 Dominick rated it really liked it

This is an impressive achievement. Gonick's attempt to boil the history of the world down into comics form is ambitious and largely successful, despite how unwieldy the subject is, especially when he gets to the birth of civilization and faces the challenge of how to juggle the accounts of multiple parallel developments. The cartooning seems to waver somewhat in these later chapters, becoming sketchier and scratchier, losing a lot of the supple expressiveness of line that made the early chapters This is an impressive achievement. Gonick's attempt to boil the history of the world down into comics form is ambitious and largely successful, despite how unwieldy the subject is, especially when he gets to the birth of civilization and faces the challenge of how to juggle the accounts of multiple parallel developments. The cartooning seems to waver somewhat in these later chapters, becoming sketchier and scratchier, losing a lot of the supple expressiveness of line that made the early chapters stand out. Gonick's gimmick of maintaining a serious tone in the text but using a very cartoony style for the illustrations--and embedding a lot of humour, including many groan-worthy puns into the art--works well, balancing what could easily become dry information with dynamic visuals. The style is reminiscent of underground cartooning, but is rarely explicit enough to make this book unacceptable for general audiences--a few violent sequences perhaps being the exception. I look forward to getting my hands on the subsequent volumes. ...more

Dec 13, 2014 Aneesh rated it it was amazing

Context: I recently learnt that Scott recommended this book (http://squid314.livejournal.com/34080...), just after having decided to read more books and semi-randomly browse the internet less (the latter was my wont for the last few years).

What I think of the book:
1) The writing style is conversational yet rigorous - very readable.
2) The illustrations are quite evocative, yet still funny.
3) It is synoptic in its scope - as Scott said, it introduces *many* people and places not usually covered, a

Context: I recently learnt that Scott recommended this book (http://squid314.livejournal.com/34080...), just after having decided to read more books and semi-randomly browse the internet less (the latter was my wont for the last few years).

What I think of the book:
1) The writing style is conversational yet rigorous - very readable.
2) The illustrations are quite evocative, yet still funny.
3) It is synoptic in its scope - as Scott said, it introduces *many* people and places not usually covered, and actually goes into causes usually glossed over.
4) It appears *rigorously* researched, with an excellent (cartoon!) bibliography at the end for those who want to dig further into a specific topic (I'd love to read many of the books listed).
5) I felt, when reading the book, that this was a story of things that happened and that people did; a far cry from most history textbooks, which abstract away too many things.
6) It was utterly *gripping*, and having started, I found it really difficult to put the book down. I finished this volume in an all-nighter (which I, no longer a college student but a responsible working man, shouldn't really have indulged in); such did I find the writing.

I'm now much more interested in history than I was before, and plan to dig into the bibliography when my current reading backlog (of terrifying size) is finished.

...more

I am a pretty terrible student of history. It doesn't matter how many times I try and grasp historical events; weeks later, I cannot recount a single name or detail. So I was hoping that this comic book (which would surely provide an easily digestible account of world history) could help.

There are certainly a lot of things to like about these volumes -- the drawings are engaging, the humor is dry, and I did indeed learn some things. I have a much better understanding of Greek history now, the re

I am a pretty terrible student of history. It doesn't matter how many times I try and grasp historical events; weeks later, I cannot recount a single name or detail. So I was hoping that this comic book (which would surely provide an easily digestible account of world history) could help.

There are certainly a lot of things to like about these volumes -- the drawings are engaging, the humor is dry, and I did indeed learn some things. I have a much better understanding of Greek history now, the relationship between Persia and Greece, etc.

That said, after finishing, I was mostly disappointed with it. I found his treatment of sex odd; I'm no prude, and would expect a book on history to include violence and sex, but his approach to it gave me "creepy uncle" vibes. Also: it's obviously VERY DIFFICULT to cover the Big Bang to Alexander the Great in 350 illustrated pages, but his focus and pacing were challenging. Sometimes he would spend pages on a single event; other times, he would jump decades or hundreds of years into the future without much warning.

I think I would have liked this more if I already had a good grasp on the content and could enjoy Gonick's take on things. As a learning aid, it left a lot to be desired.

...more

Nov 08, 2007 Jocelyn rated it it was amazing

This is such an *awesome* book. From the time I was about 7 to, oh, a few months ago, I have picked up this book and disappeared for an hour or so at a time just reliving this very wrily funny (re: British) "comic" on human history, from the Big Bang up to Alexander's conquest. It helped make me a well-rounded little 7-year-old, but more than that, I'm effing positive it shaped my sense of humor. Every child in the world should be given this on their 7th birthday so they can keep revisiting it t This is such an *awesome* book. From the time I was about 7 to, oh, a few months ago, I have picked up this book and disappeared for an hour or so at a time just reliving this very wrily funny (re: British) "comic" on human history, from the Big Bang up to Alexander's conquest. It helped make me a well-rounded little 7-year-old, but more than that, I'm effing positive it shaped my sense of humor. Every child in the world should be given this on their 7th birthday so they can keep revisiting it their whole lives.

And plus, it's the HISTORY of the UNIVERSE, folks...in addition to being funny and charmingly illustrated, dear lord is it comprehensive.

What a way to educate someone on, oh, Sumerian economy or the fertilization of reptiles...by being able to laugh out loud while doing so. Just brilliant.

...more

Jun 13, 2009 Christopher rated it it was amazing

I don't know what it says about me that this book counts as one of my major comfort books. My wife reads Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books, I re-read the Cartoon History. I guess it's just been a stressful few weeks for me.

My one off-note of this book is a change in the style of the art for the last chapter (covering the Golden Age of Athens up to Alexander the Great). Gonick was going for a more Crumb, less cartoony style, but I like the earlier style better.

No more information, just go fi

I don't know what it says about me that this book counts as one of my major comfort books. My wife reads Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books, I re-read the Cartoon History. I guess it's just been a stressful few weeks for me.

My one off-note of this book is a change in the style of the art for the last chapter (covering the Golden Age of Athens up to Alexander the Great). Gonick was going for a more Crumb, less cartoony style, but I like the earlier style better.

No more information, just go find it and read it!

...more

Overly obsessed with sex, focused on minutae, and at times offensive to my Christian viewpoint (I often felt that Gonick was accusing ANYINE with religious convictions of being dim-witted and gullible). I'm glad I read it, and there are a few parts if the Greek history that I'd like to use in teaching, but overall, I'm thoroughly unimpressed. Despite the fact that the next book contains through the fall of Rome (my favorite period to teach in World History), I'll not be picking up Gonick's next Overly obsessed with sex, focused on minutae, and at times offensive to my Christian viewpoint (I often felt that Gonick was accusing ANYINE with religious convictions of being dim-witted and gullible). I'm glad I read it, and there are a few parts if the Greek history that I'd like to use in teaching, but overall, I'm thoroughly unimpressed. Despite the fact that the next book contains through the fall of Rome (my favorite period to teach in World History), I'll not be picking up Gonick's next book. It's not worth slogging through the rest to get to those little gems. ...more

Cannot recommend this book enough. It condenses a lot of information into just a few pages, yet strikes the perfect balance between details and brevity. I was looking to expand my knowledge about world history, and this book is an immense help in building a solid mind-map for the same. Why isn't this mandatory reading in schools/colleges already? Cannot recommend this book enough. It condenses a lot of information into just a few pages, yet strikes the perfect balance between details and brevity. I was looking to expand my knowledge about world history, and this book is an immense help in building a solid mind-map for the same. Why isn't this mandatory reading in schools/colleges already? ...more

Sep 28, 2019 Joy Gatewood rated it it was amazing

This book is a great way to sneak science into your child's diet. Or for anyone to read and learn all those things that you missed or were never taught at all in school. Highly recommended. Nice to know that Jacqueline Onassis was the editor and that Gilbert Shelton, creator of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers was a big fan and gave these books their names. This book is a great way to sneak science into your child's diet. Or for anyone to read and learn all those things that you missed or were never taught at all in school. Highly recommended. Nice to know that Jacqueline Onassis was the editor and that Gilbert Shelton, creator of the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers was a big fan and gave these books their names. ...more

Aug 15, 2020 Brown Robin rated it it was amazing

The art and the narrative unite to create the best explication of history in my experience. I suppose a better story could be made of the available material.

Required reading for homo sapiens: a book I would give to a kid for their tenth birthday, and I would give odds they will treasure it too.

Jan 13, 2008 Laurel rated it really liked it

We read this in my high school philosophy class. Christ that class rocked my face.

May 24, 2015 Gary Butler rated it really liked it

7th book read in 2016.

Number 146 out of 500 on my all time book list.

Review Pending:

May 14, 2019 Aidan Suess rated it it was amazing

The Cartoon History of the Universe, written by Larry Gonick. This was a great book! This book is like a history lesson, but I actually want to learn and keep reading. It's full of interesting information and facts. This would be a good book for wanting to learn about the past, if you enjoy history and would like a different way of learning about it, or if you have a history test and need to study up on your history to pass it. I would say this book is probably more appropriate for ages 13+, I The Cartoon History of the Universe, written by Larry Gonick. This was a great book! This book is like a history lesson, but I actually want to learn and keep reading. It's full of interesting information and facts. This would be a good book for wanting to learn about the past, if you enjoy history and would like a different way of learning about it, or if you have a history test and need to study up on your history to pass it. I would say this book is probably more appropriate for ages 13+, I think it would entertain even the older readers as much as the younger ones. This book might not be the most helpful for the more advanced student, but I think it would still entertain them. I honestly love this book and the creative style of how it is written, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves history or would like to learn more in a fun way.
This book is a little dated, it was published in 1990, but it's still entertaining to read. Larry Gonick is a very creative author. I love the way he creates his books and makes them so fun and interesting. His style is: find something that is boring, turn it into a fun comic, and make it enjoyable and readable. His style works! He does this with all of his work. I love how he can make reading enjoyable and fun. He can take something that is difficult to understand or boring and turn it into a fun and easy learning experience.
This is a nonfiction book, it is a comic book (or graphic novel), but its still full of accurate and detailed information. The first installment of the series (volume 1-7) is basically just a history lesson turned in pictures. In volumes 1-7 you can read about how all life has evolved and gotten to where it is, early age Middle East, Greece, and Israel. This book also talks about the origins of sex and reproduction. This book is all about history and I think readers who read this book would profit from learning about the beginnings of life and early age civilization.
...more

Jan 01, 2019 Skye rated it really liked it

Overall, this graphic novel, Cartoon History of the Universe, by Larry Gonick is a fun and informative read. Gonick's style is very self-aware and comedic which keeps the reader engaged and entertained while learning about a very boiled down version of, well, everything. I liked how anything from single-celled organisms to animals to inanimate objects are anthropomorphized and given character. I particularly enjoyed the first few volumes that were focused on the beginning of the universe, prehi Overall, this graphic novel, Cartoon History of the Universe, by Larry Gonick is a fun and informative read. Gonick's style is very self-aware and comedic which keeps the reader engaged and entertained while learning about a very boiled down version of, well, everything. I liked how anything from single-celled organisms to animals to inanimate objects are anthropomorphized and given character. I particularly enjoyed the first few volumes that were focused on the beginning of the universe, prehistory, and early human development. The portions on history and more advanced human civilization were personally not as fascinating to me, but that is obviously a subjective matter. I liked it, but it wasn't life changing. It was useful to learn about different historical events though.
The only problem I have with this book is the representation of certain prehistoric creatures and events that are outdated and somewhat inaccurate. Gonick is also very clear about his views on religion and the origins of the universe which could be offensive to some religious people, I guess. He does present alternate scientific theories and arguments to certain things which is nice.
Many parts I could connect to today's current events and more recent history because human nature tends to cause people to repeat the same mistakes again and again no matter how much we progress.
For such a light-hearted (yet raunchy) take history, there were of course some shocking things depicted that made me confused and wonder what the heck is wrong with people.
This is part of a series, and the next will most likely depict even more civilizations or continue from around 300 BCE; I am curious about how things will progress in the CE. ...more

Sep 13, 2017 Aron Barr rated it it was amazing

Have you ever wondered about history, but find textbooks too dense (and boring), to read? Then The Cartoon History of the Universe, Volumes 1-7, by Larry Gonick, is for you. He is a cartoonist who is best known for this series of books, which were published in installments from 1977 to 2009. Gonick takes us on a trip from the beginning of the universe, to Alexander the Great, with a satirical undertone that would make even the most stony-faced man chuckle. In his effort to make history engaging Have you ever wondered about history, but find textbooks too dense (and boring), to read? Then The Cartoon History of the Universe, Volumes 1-7, by Larry Gonick, is for you. He is a cartoonist who is best known for this series of books, which were published in installments from 1977 to 2009. Gonick takes us on a trip from the beginning of the universe, to Alexander the Great, with a satirical undertone that would make even the most stony-faced man chuckle. In his effort to make history engaging, the author has chosen to write his story in the form of a graphic novel. This medium works well, as his goal is to educate people in a way that makes them enjoy history, and everyone loves a good graphic novel. Gonick chose this subject because he understands that people often dislike history, and associate it with the sensation of reading a boring textbook, and he wanted to change this. I think he accomplishes this goal, and therefore, I recommend this book.

To quote his own website, "My crazy hope is that this crazy medium will somehow improve this crazy world", and I feel he has gone a pretty good way towards doing that. For example, many people find math and philosophy are quite dry, but the way he introduces Pythagoras, or even philosophy in general, is engaging and funny. The illustration of a fish jumping out of a well (page 247) really helped me remember that the philosopher Anaximander thought that people were descended from fish. His use of drawings helps get his points across more easily, as does the injection of humor. People tend to remember funny things better than boring ones.

I would strongly recommend this book, Larry Gonick, as an author in general, because it sucks you in and really ingrains the ideas into your head. Personally, I have already used some of this knowledge in my classes, and it is one of the things that made me choose the honors path for history. I hope this book will affect your life the way it has mine.

...more

History can be a great teacher to us. But who says it needs to be dull? Sometimes, we just can laugh from it!

It's no coincidence I really want to read this series since the first time I saw it on bookshop. I've read it actually, maybe two times before this (one as an assignment for a course during my time as a university student). So this is my review after I reread it. Because, I've realized I never put this book on my Goodreads. How strange.

As a story, it has a flexibility on how it should be

History can be a great teacher to us. But who says it needs to be dull? Sometimes, we just can laugh from it!

It's no coincidence I really want to read this series since the first time I saw it on bookshop. I've read it actually, maybe two times before this (one as an assignment for a course during my time as a university student). So this is my review after I reread it. Because, I've realized I never put this book on my Goodreads. How strange.

As a story, it has a flexibility on how it should be delivered. As a tragic, full of drama, a story about human determination, but also foolishness, extremism, backwardness and a lots of humor! Great news! This book has all you want!

It covers all the way from the creation of the universe to the plight of Alexander the Great. As a mathematician (he studied it at the uni) Gonick did a great job covering 3,8 million years into a 348 pages. The arts is funny and good. He changes his style at the last chapter for no apparent reason, but it didn't bother me much.

I love how Gonick portrayed so-called great events and persons so comically and cynically pleasing. He demystify it to encourage us to think, reflect and laugh at the same time. Not to mention, his little trivias that comes along in almost every topics gives us a greater insight.

As an avid fan of history, this is a must book for you.

...more

Mar 01, 2020 ROBERT rated it it was amazing

I was stunned. It is a 300 page graphic novel from the big bang to Alexander the Great. A drive by History of Western Civilization. Volume 8-13 is Eastern. There are 2 or 3 more on meso america and islam.

I was thoroughly entertained and educated. For those who just have no time or interest in Will Durants 10 Volume 10,000 page Story of Civilization, you can try Gonick's graphic histories from the big bang to at least the Renaissance. Each one is about 300 pages.

If nothing else, just try one from

I was stunned. It is a 300 page graphic novel from the big bang to Alexander the Great. A drive by History of Western Civilization. Volume 8-13 is Eastern. There are 2 or 3 more on meso america and islam.

I was thoroughly entertained and educated. For those who just have no time or interest in Will Durants 10 Volume 10,000 page Story of Civilization, you can try Gonick's graphic histories from the big bang to at least the Renaissance. Each one is about 300 pages.

If nothing else, just try one from your library. Gonick has one for physics, biology, chemistry, a bunch on history and more.

Graphic novels can be good for context on a subject. A drive by survey. I am glad that I stumbled onto them.

...more

Nov 08, 2021 P.H. Wilson rated it really liked it

Real rating: 8/10
For what is essentially a children's book, it digs deep and pushes education to the centre where it should be. The hammy jokes and the like are expected and almost feel welcomed like a Christmas cracker or that lovable family member you only see once in a while.
The art is not groundbreaking and feels almost like it could be in a textbook. But, that said, it does not detract from the author's overall love, care, and dedication in trying to give the world something beyond what is Real rating: 8/10
For what is essentially a children's book, it digs deep and pushes education to the centre where it should be. The hammy jokes and the like are expected and almost feel welcomed like a Christmas cracker or that lovable family member you only see once in a while.
The art is not groundbreaking and feels almost like it could be in a textbook. But, that said, it does not detract from the author's overall love, care, and dedication in trying to give the world something beyond what is generic, banal edutainment.
I would recommend reading it to a child who is starting to learn about history to help them learn a plethora of new words while still enjoying the comic book format. ...more

Sep 25, 2017 Michael rated it really liked it

Everything one needs to know about the world's beginning, from the formation of the planet, the start of life, the different scientific eras, dinosaurs, early life, evolution of man, wars, plantlife, cultures, religions, etc., etc., from the beginning up to and including Alexander the Great. So much information, but presented in a easy to understand and enjoyable way, all in comic form. Everything one needs to know about the world's beginning, from the formation of the planet, the start of life, the different scientific eras, dinosaurs, early life, evolution of man, wars, plantlife, cultures, religions, etc., etc., from the beginning up to and including Alexander the Great. So much information, but presented in a easy to understand and enjoyable way, all in comic form. ...more

Sep 27, 2018 Robin rated it did not like it

Ambitious and a good concept, but I was irritated by how women were consistently portrayed as punchlines and sex objects. Also disproportionately focused on bible stories. And covers almost exclusively the Mediterranean, not even mentioning South America, East Asia, etc. Could not finish. Not recommended- weed it for outdated approach.

Dec 03, 2019 Orlando rated it did not like it

This book is a piece of trash. Literally. The one I bought, I destroyed so it wouldn't accidentally fall into the hands of someone who doesn't know better. This is not reality, and it shouldn't be taken as such. I was extremely angry about this, because I hoped to have a comic-format history book I could give my son. This book is a piece of trash. Literally. The one I bought, I destroyed so it wouldn't accidentally fall into the hands of someone who doesn't know better. This is not reality, and it shouldn't be taken as such. I was extremely angry about this, because I hoped to have a comic-format history book I could give my son. ...more

Apr 21, 2021 Bonnie rated it really liked it

This book was incredibly dense, which surprised me so much! I know I only understood a quarter of what I read. I found the part prior to civilization the most interesting, but I'm glad I read the whole thing. If I had time, I would pick up the next set of volumes. It was a fascinating, monumental read.

Hilarious and informative. From the big bang, evolution, the rise and fall of many civilizations.. Cannot wait to read the rest of the series. If you're a noob in history like me, you may want to give this one a try. Guaranteed to keep you entertained. Hilarious and informative. From the big bang, evolution, the rise and fall of many civilizations.. Cannot wait to read the rest of the series. If you're a noob in history like me, you may want to give this one a try. Guaranteed to keep you entertained. ...more

topics	posts	views	last activity
cartoon history	2	15	Oct 31, 2013 09:53AM

Larry Gonick (born 1946) is a cartoonist best known for The Cartoon History of the Universe, a history of the world in comic book form, which he has been publishing in installments since 1977. He has also written The Cartoon History of the United States, and he has adapted the format for a series of co-written guidebooks on other subjects, beginning with The Cartoon Guide to Genetics in 1983. The Larry Gonick (born 1946) is a cartoonist best known for The Cartoon History of the Universe, a history of the world in comic book form, which he has been publishing in installments since 1977. He has also written The Cartoon History of the United States, and he has adapted the format for a series of co-written guidebooks on other subjects, beginning with The Cartoon Guide to Genetics in 1983. The diversity of his interests, and the success with which his books have met, have together earned Gonick the distinction of being "the most well-known and respected of cartoonists who have applied their craft to unravelling the mysteries of science" (Drug Discovery Today, March 2005). ...more

Other books in the series

Related Articles

For those with a taste for nonfiction—or even just a curiosity about what's out there—we've gathered below the most popular nonfiction titles...

"Buddha: 'Onward! Forward to the fund-raiser.'
Mahavira: 'Onward! Forward to - wait a minute. Did I hear someone swat a mosquito?" — 0 likes

"(First two cells to diddle each other's genes)
'I'm only doing this, Anita, because I want your descendants to be an improvement on you.'
'Egotist." — 0 likes

More quotes…

Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account.

wenzhambir.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/64581.The_Cartoon_History_of_the_Universe_I_Vol_1_7