If you think that Scotland's contribution to civilization is limited to golf, tartan and single malt whisky, then this is the book to set you straight. Arthur Herman takes the reader on a journey to the origins, as well as the furthest limits, of what we call the modern age. Scotland's turbulent history, from William Wallace to the Presbyterian Lords of the Covenant, laid the foundations for the Scottish miracle. Herman shows how a remarkable circle of 18th-century Scottish thinkers, including David Hume and Adam Smith, gave birth to the key assumptions that underlie modern politics, economics, morals and cultural life. The Scots went on to become the mainstays of the British Empire, transforming it from a system of exploitation into a genuine world community. Immigration to America brought inspiration for the Revolution, and the Scots were key to the rise of America's capitalist democracy.