Dick Teresi
Dick Teresi is a co-founder of Omni magazine and recently the author of Lost Discoveries: The Ancient Roots of Modern Science—From the Babylonians to the Maya (Simon & Schuster, $27). He chooses his favorite books that celebrate the scientific achievements of past civilizations.
Primal Myths by Barbara C. Sproul (HarperSanFrancisco, $18). Long before we envisioned the big bang, the Mesopotamians, Indians, Egyptians, and others attributed the universe to a “great cosmic copulation.” Sproul documents the creation myths of more than 100 ancient civilizations, demonstrating that we moderns are less original than we think.
Number by Tobias Dantzig (out of print). Dantzig traces the use of numbers from the Sumerians onward. Albert Einstein called this “the most interesting book on the evolution of mathematics which has ever fallen into my hands.” He also said it had a “wonderfully lively style.” I go along with Albert.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Ecological Imperialism by Alfred W. Crosby (Cambridge University Press, $18). Forget Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel. Crosby was the first to ask the question, Why are European emigrants and their descendants “all over the place?” The answer is biology.
The Exact Sciences in Antiquity by Otto Neugebauer (Dover, $10). A pioneer scholar shows why the Hellenistic world owed its knowledge of math and astronomy to the Babylonians and the Egyptians, and how Copernicus relied on Islamic astronomers to reorganize the universe.
The Lost Cities of Africa by Basil Davidson (Little Brown & Co., $22). A rich chronicle of sub-Saharan Africa, including the fabulous kingdoms of Kush and Meroë, 1,500 years before European ships came to African shores.
The Sun in the Church
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Gandhi arrests: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's opposition
The Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Susan Page's 6 favorite books about historical figures who stood up to authority
Feature The USA Today's Washington bureau chief recommends works by Catherine Clinton, Alexei Navalny, and more
By The Week US
-
Ione Skye's 6 favorite books about love and loss
Feature The actress recommends works by James Baldwin, Nora Ephron, and more
By The Week US
-
Colum McCann's 6 favorite books that take place at sea
Feature The National Book Award-winning author recommends works by Ernest Hemingway, Herman Melville, and more
By The Week US
-
Max Allan Collins’ 6 favorite books that feature private detectives
Feature The mystery writer recommends works by Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and more
By The Week US
-
John McWhorter’s 6 favorite books that are rooted in history
Feature The Columbia University professor recommends works by Lyla Sage, Sally Thorne, and more
By The Week US
-
Abdulrazak Gurnah's 6 favorite books about war and colonialism
Feature The Nobel Prize winner recommends works by Michael Ondaatje, Toni Morrison, and more
By The Week US
-
Elliot Ackerman’s 6 favorite books on war and duty
Feature The Marine veteran recommends works by Robert A. Heinlein, John le Carré, and more
By The Week US
-
Xochitl Gonzalez’s 6 favorite books that shaped her storytelling
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Stephen King, Julian Barnes, and more
By The Week US