Ideas have spurred the way to human progress, from the earliest cave dweller to the latest frontiers of computers and technology. This is a human-scale distillation of the major ideas which have had the greatest impact on our development through the ages. It includes a huge variety of terms including the intimidating, such as post-modernism, structuralism and chaos theory, the unusual, including alchemy, polyphony and parapsychology, while familiar terms such as civilization and beauty are explained anew.

"A version of Abert's diary of 1846-47 was published as a Congressional document in 1848 [Senate Executive document no. 23 (30th Congress, 1st session) under title: Report of the Secretary of War, communicating, in answer to a resolution of the Senate, a report and map of the examination of New Mexico, made by Lieutenant J.W. Abert, of the Topographical Corps]."

The travel diary : From Fort Leavenworth to Bent's Fort ; Southward from Bent's Fort to Santa Fe ; From Santa Fe to the old and new placers ; Explorations westward and eastward ; Southward to Valverde and return ; From Santa Fe back to Fort Leavenworth ; Conclusion -- by steamer to Louisville. Appendices : Notes concerning animals, birds, and plants ; Notes concerning minerals and fossils ; Order directing Lieut. Abert to continue the first United States survey of New Mexico -- Glossary.