We look at the new book by Jack Bialik, see more about Lost in Time: Our Forgotten and Vanishing Knowledge here.

Lost in Time: Our Forgotten and Vanishing Knowledge, reviewed

An interesting premise for a book, with some interesting and thought provoking examples. Bialik's topic is the sad, unfortunate, and possibly more often than we realise, the loss of human knowledge. The burning of the library of Alexandria is of course one of the best known examples, but Bialik does a good job of describing many other lost libraries, some even in the last three decades like the Bosnian one.

The narrative of the book is good, readable and thoughtful. At times though some of the examples were not much more than thumbnails, which made some chapters feel a little like a whistle stop tour through many different civilisations and cultures. The most disturbing section is arguably the one covering our recent rush into digitalisation and the inherent risks is rapidly changing technologies, especially due to the lack of backwards compatibility. While stone, papyrus and even paper have the capacity to last decades, centuries and even millennia, we already have plenty of photos that haven't even lasted from one phone upgrade to the next one. This really could be the digital dark ages that Vince Cerf highlighted.

This book by Bialik is well worth a read, even if the implications and very serious.

More about Lost in Time

What if the knowledge we depend on today… disappeared tomorrow?

Have you ever wondered how much of humanity's greatest achievements have already been lost to time?

Do you suspect that ancient civilizations knew things we are only now beginning to rediscover?

Do you worry that our own digital civilization might be far more fragile than we think?

If so… keep reading.

For thousands of years, human knowledge has risen, vanished, and - sometimes - been found again.

From medical breakthroughs in ancient Egypt to astonishing feats of engineering by cultures we barely remember, history shows a repeating pattern: discovery, prosperity… and catastrophic loss.

Now, with our reliance on digital systems and complex global networks, we may be closer than ever to our own "forgotten age."

Drawing on over 40 years of professional experience in engineering, technology, and history - including work with the U.S. Air Force, the Department of Homeland Security, and contributions to critical technology programs> - Jack R. Bialik takes you on a journey across centuries of lost civilizations, vanishing wisdom, and the fragile threads holding our modern knowledge together.

Here's a glimpse of what you'll discover inside Lost in Time:

How cataract surgery was successfully performed in 2400 BC Egypt - and why we nearly lost that knowledge forever.

The shocking truth about technologies invented thousands of years earlier than historians once believed.

Forgotten disaster events that erased entire libraries of human understanding in a single day.

The hidden risks of a fully digital society - and what history teaches us about protecting what matters.

Lessons from the past that can guide business leaders, educators, and decision-makers today.

How to recognize the warning signs of a coming knowledge collapse.

…and much more.

You might think a book like this requires deep academic expertise to follow - it doesn't.

Bialik's clear, compelling style makes these stories accessible for curious readers, history lovers, business travelers, and lifelong learners alike.

More about the author

Jack R. Bialik's 40-year career spans from Electrical Engineering and Project Management to biblical studies, with notable contributions to organizations like the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Homeland Security. His industry-impacting paper, presented at the Motorola System Symposium 2000, stands out among his many achievements. His unique expertise led him to be invited to be a reviewer for the White House's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program, marking another career highl...