Men are guided instead by custom, and the personal authority - Arthur Herman

• The Scottish Reformation was the work of one man, John Knox, and he was able to turn the Scots into God’s chosen peo- ple and turn Scotland into the New Jerusalem. He imposed the Calvinist Sabbath on Scottish society, and banned all traditional forms of collective fun.
• The Kirk, which was the main church in Scotland, turned its back on secular values and embraced God alone. It created a new society in the image of Knox’s utopian ideal.
• Knox despised political authority, and treated all monarchs he came across with impatience and contempt. Yet he knew that monarchs were ordained by God, and that the people had to de- fend their political power against any interlopers.
• The dream of the people as sovereign died in Scotland with the death of John Knox, but it left its trace within the church itself in the system of synods peculiar to every parish and province in Scotland.
• The National Covenant was the Presbyterian version of democ- racy in action. It challenged the king’s prerogative to make law without consent, and affirmed that the Scottish people would op- pose any change not approved by a free General Assembly and Parliament.
• The same fanaticism that was used to persecute individuals was also used to oppose public tyranny. It was the enemy of indi- vidual liberty and thought, but it was also the enemy of public tyranny.
• Scotland was the first modern literate society, and as the bar- riers of religious censorship came down in the eighteenth cen- tury, a literary explosion ensued. intellectuals such as Adam Smith and David Hume wrote not just for other intellectuals but for a genuine reading public.
• Reading and writing became embedded in Scottish society, even in rural areas. The book trade was a important part of the local economy, and there were six publishing houses in Edin- burgh in 1763.
• The University of Edinburgh and Aberdeen’s Marischal College and King’s College were founded more recently, but they never became remote ivory towers or intellectual backwaters, as eigh- teenth-cen-tury Oxford and Cambridge did.
• The Schools Act of 1696 had a huge impact on the Kirk, as it set off far-reaching changes that the church could never have
• foreseen. It taught almost the whole common people to read and write, and a great proportion of them to account.
• The relationship between England and Scotland had never been easy, but it had not been so unbalanced until very recently. The two had been joined together by history and geography since the fall of the Roman Empire.

• The English Civil War was as much a Scottish war as an Eng- lish one, and when Charles I lost his fight against his English subjects in 1647, he offered the Scots religious freedom and state support of their Kirk if they would help him retake his southern crown. They accepted, and were defeated at the battle of Preston by Oliver Cromwell.
• The Scottish political nation was relieved when James II was overthrown and his Protestant daughter Mary took his place in 1688. But some Highland clans, such as the Camerons, the Appin Stewarts, and the MacLeods, had prospered under the old regime. They were willing to see James II back on the throne.
• The Scottish economy was already struggling before the Eng- lish invaded, as the old ties between laird and tenant had been severed following the Glorious Revolution. The English, like the Dutch before them, learned how to import food when they need- ed it, in exchange for profitable manufactured goods.
• The Scottish company, the Darien Company, was created to colonize Panama. It raised the entire amount of 400,000 pounds in a matter of months, although it amounted to almost half of the total money in circulation in Scotland.
• The Darien project was a disaster. It cost more than two thou- sand lives and over 200,000 pounds. It also broke the bank, and led to the Scottish kingdom’s financial ruin.
• The Darien expedition proved that Scotland could not get into the new Atlantic trading economy without English help. If the king or queen had to choose between English and Scottish inter- ests, they would always gravitate toward the wealthier, more populous southern kingdom.
• Union became the hot new political issue in both England and Scotland after the Darien debacle. The current relationship be- tween the two kingdoms was no longer working, and a new one was needed. The key question was what kind.

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            The Scots undeniably played a vital role in shaping the modern world. Through their contributions in various fields, they demonstrated a commitment to intellectual curiosity, innovation, and pushing boundaries. From philosophy to science, their impact continues to influence us. Also we are reminded that progress thrives on diverse perspectives and the exchange of ideas. The story of how the Scots influenced the modern world serves as an enduring testament to the power of human ingenuity and collaboration.

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Reasons to read it:

• The book offers a unique perspective on how Scottish thinkers and innovators played a crucial role in shaping the modern world's intellectual and technological landscape.
• It provides a deep dive into the Enlightenment era, helping you understand the historical context that laid the groundwork for many aspects of our contemporary society.
• By learning about the ideas of figures like Adam Smith and David Hume, you can gain insights into the origins of modern economics, philosophy, and scientific thought.
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Reasons to skip it:

• While the book focuses on Scottish contributions, it might not provide a comprehensive view of the broader global context and the contributions of other regions to the modern world.
• If you're not particularly interested in history, philosophy, or the Enlightenment era, the book's content might not align with your preferences.