A Fascinating Exploration of More Than 300 Compelling Examples of Missing Historical Information That Humanity Can Learn From Today
Only 1.6 percent of human history is recorded in some form, meaning most of humanity’s past will remain buried forever.
This is just one of the surprises revealed in Jack R. Bialik’s Lost in Time: Our Forgotten and Vanishing Knowledge, a fascinating book that challenges readers to rethink how much they truly know and how much is waiting to be rediscovered.
With bite-sized nuggets of wisdom, Lost in Time: Our Forgotten and Vanishing Knowledge takes readers on a captivating exploration of humanity’s lost ingenuity and the forgotten knowledge that once shaped civilizations. Spanning centuries and continents, the book uncovers astonishing technologies, philosophies and cultural practices that have been buried under the sands of time — some of which are more advanced than what people use today. Bialik effortlessly confronts the assumption that only modern-day humans are capable of producing innovative feats of technology and brilliance.
With meticulous research that spanned over 10 years and compelling storytelling, Bialik highlights how these past innovations could still hold the potential to address modern challenges, from knowledge sustainability to societal resilience. Lost in Time unravels the intricate tapestry of human civilization, weaving together narratives of inventions of yesterday, overlooked pioneers and epoch-defining discoveries that have shaped the modern world.
Among the amazing facts readers will learn:
• Cataract surgery was being performed in India more than 2000 years ago.
• The first known fountain pen was created centuries before Europe “invented” it.
• Ancient civilizations debated waste disposal and sanitation solutions that rival or even surpass some modern systems.
• When filled with vinegar, an ancient Mesopotamian clay jar called The Baghdad Battery generated electricity, centuries before Volta’s experiments.
• In the 1930s, the Crypt of Civilization was sealed with 640,000 pages of microfilm, a Donald Duck doll and a Budweiser can — set to be opened in the year 8113 AD.
Through thought-provoking analysis, Lost in Time examines the fragile nature of human knowledge and the forces — be they war, natural disasters or changing priorities — that contribute to its disappearance. Bialik highlights just how easily human knowledge can literally vanish, with the burning of the Library of Alexandria in Egypt that possessed nearly half a million scrolls and the destruction of the ancient Mayan civilization’s written records, to name just two of many such losses.
However, Lost in Time is more than an archive of historical losses. Bialik inspires readers to reconnect with the lessons of the past as a means of fostering a more informed and innovative future. He challenges readers to consider whether humanity is building a legacy of accessible wisdom — or an archive of forgotten lessons.
In Bialik’s own words: “We keep trying to save knowledge, and what we need to do is turn the knowledge into wisdom so that it can be saved from generation to generation. The key is to understand that knowledge alone is fleeting and transient … Wisdom has a unique property in that it is an ethereal form of knowledge. What is meant by that? Wisdom is the proper application of knowledge. By proper application, it means that using good morals and ethical standards when applying knowledge is wisdom. With wisdom, we get added benefits such as longer lives, better living conditions, happier families, and knowledge that will last lifetimes.”
Both a cautionary tale and a celebration of resilience, this book illuminates the enduring power of human curiosity and determination. Readers will contemplate how much of humanity’s ingenuity has been left behind, urging them to consider the steps needed to safeguard knowledge for generations to come.
From history enthusiasts to curious thinkers to those passionate about reclaiming lost wisdom, this book offers a fascinating lens through which to view humanity’s enduring quest for progress. This book is appropriate for grade school children all the way to adults of all ages.
For more information, please visit JRBialik.com.
Lost in Time: Our Forgotten and Vanishing Knowledge
Publisher: Mill City Press
Paperback: 266 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8868502293
