The Ascent Of Man.

jumpy · 09-17-09, 12:26 AM

A personal view - Jacob Bronowski

I had not thought to see this again without having to spend money on a dvd set (though this is not as expensive as I thought on amazon).

I have two transcripts of the series, hardback and a paperback edition (with some editing).
There are few documentaries that come close to having the sincerity and gravitas and sheer dignity contained within this series. As a child I was spellbound by the program.

There are no flashy graphics or cgi, no banal platitudes so common in some of the discovery/national geographic/history channel programming today.

There are only two others who hold such a place of respect for me: David Attenborough (who incidentally had a hand in commissioning The Ascent Of Man as the then controller of bbc2) and Carl Sagan.

Bronowski has a clear and engaging charisma that guides the watcher, without ever leaving you feeling like a mere passenger throughout.

Serialised in its entirety. (all 13 episodes)
If you're old enough to remember it, indulge yourself once again with a masterful study of humanity.
And if you're still a young'un; settle down and forget about your playstation or nintendo ds for a moment and consider something so much more worthwhile -

The Ascent of Man: A Personal View - Jacob Bronowski

Fish · 09-17-09, 04:38 PM

Thanks!

Arclight · 09-18-09, 05:08 PM

Much appreciated.

Bit before my time, so didn't know it yet. Always glad to see a good documentary.

porphy · 09-21-09, 11:35 AM

Thanks Jumpy. Haven't seen that one. I recognized the title from Henry Drummond's book "The Ascent of Man" from late nineteenth century though. A Scottish man of science and a religious evangelist who wrote a few books on evolution and Christianity. His Natural Law in the Spiritual World is a fascinating read if one wants to study a case of how religion and nineteenth century science might get mixed up.

cheers porphy

jumpy · 09-24-09, 08:07 AM

^^
funnily enough, the title of the series/book is somewhat derived from Darwin's 'Descent of Man' and commissioned as a compliment to 'Civilisation' by Kenneth Clark (1969).

09-17-09, 12:26 AM	#1
jumpy Admiral Join Date: May 2003 Location: Midlands, UK Posts: 2,139 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	The Ascent Of Man. A personal view - Jacob Bronowski I had not thought to see this again without having to spend money on a dvd set (though this is not as expensive as I thought on amazon). I have two transcripts of the series, hardback and a paperback edition (with some editing). There are few documentaries that come close to having the sincerity and gravitas and sheer dignity contained within this series. As a child I was spellbound by the program. There are no flashy graphics or cgi, no banal platitudes so common in some of the discovery/national geographic/history channel programming today. There are only two others who hold such a place of respect for me: David Attenborough (who incidentally had a hand in commissioning The Ascent Of Man as the then controller of bbc2) and Carl Sagan. Bronowski has a clear and engaging charisma that guides the watcher, without ever leaving you feeling like a mere passenger throughout. Serialised in its entirety. (all 13 episodes) If you're old enough to remember it, indulge yourself once again with a masterful study of humanity. And if you're still a young'un; settle down and forget about your playstation or nintendo ds for a moment and consider something so much more worthwhile - The Ascent of Man: A Personal View - Jacob Bronowski __________________ when you’ve been so long in the desert, any water, no matter how brackish, looks like life Last edited by jumpy; 09-17-09 at 12:40 AM.

09-18-09, 05:08 PM	#3
Arclight Navy Seal Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of windmills, tulips, wooden shoes and cheese. Lots of cheese. Posts: 8,467 Downloads: 53 Uploads: 10	Much appreciated. Bit before my time, so didn't know it yet. Always glad to see a good documentary. __________________ Contritium praecedit superbia.

09-21-09, 11:35 AM	#4
porphy Commodore Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sweden Posts: 603 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	Thanks Jumpy. Haven't seen that one. I recognized the title from Henry Drummond's book "The Ascent of Man" from late nineteenth century though. A Scottish man of science and a religious evangelist who wrote a few books on evolution and Christianity. His Natural Law in the Spiritual World is a fascinating read if one wants to study a case of how religion and nineteenth century science might get mixed up. cheers porphy __________________ "The only remedy for madness is the innocence of facts." O. Mirbeu "A paranoid is simply someone in possession of all the facts." W. B.

09-24-09, 08:07 AM	#5
jumpy Admiral Join Date: May 2003 Location: Midlands, UK Posts: 2,139 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	^^ funnily enough, the title of the series/book is somewhat derived from Darwin's 'Descent of Man' and commissioned as a compliment to 'Civilisation' by Kenneth Clark (1969). __________________ when you’ve been so long in the desert, any water, no matter how brackish, looks like life

09-17-09, 04:38 PM	#2
Fish Eternal Patrol Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Netherlands Posts: 1,923 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Thanks!