The Lessons of History describes recurring themes and trends throughout 5,000 years of human history, viewed through the lenses of 12 different fields, aimed at explaining the present, the future, human nature and the inner workings of states.

Will Durant was one of the most celebrated historians in American history, having published dozens of books on a great variety of historic topics in his lifetime, some of them together with his wife Ariel.

His most notable work is The Story of Civilization, an eleven volume series covering the history of mankind all the way from the Persian empire until Napoleon's exile to St. Helena.

In this book, the Durants reflect on the lessons they've learned from examining all of human history, viewed from various perspectives, like geography, war, biology, economics, religion, morals and the human character.