The Cheese and the Worms
The Cheese and the Worms by Carlo Ginzburgby Carlo Ginzburg and Anne C. Tedeschi and John Tedeschi and Francisco Martín Arribas and Justo Serna and Anaclet Pons Pons
Shares rank 28 of 51 history books by recommenders
Readers recommend it for an unusual history that other writers rarely cover, told boldly and engagingly.
Readers recommend it for an unusual history that other writers rarely cover, told boldly and engagingly.
4 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 4
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 2 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 4 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 2 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Covers history others rarely cover
“he really presents a version of history that hasn't been much covered by others”
Comment from 13 Aug 2026 in “'The Cheese and the Worms' by Carlo Ginzburg Review” Bold ideas pursued with conviction
“he really rattled some cages and wasn't afraid to take an idea and run with it”
Comment from 12 Aug 2026 in “'The Cheese and the Worms' by Carlo Ginzburg Review” Engaging history in its own right
“is therefore invaluable, both as an engaging history in its own right”
Comment from 12 Aug 2026 in “'The Cheese and the Worms' by Carlo Ginzburg Review” Lovely to read
“The Cheese and the Worms was lovely.”
Comment from 21 Jun 2026 in “Carlo Ginzburg, Who Told the History of the Obscure, Dies at 87”
Other history books people recommend
The four most recommended other history books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Dawn of Everythingby David Graeber and David Wengrow | 23 | 5 | 82% | 10 | — | Approved |
| Cadillac Desertby Marc Reisner | 18 | 0 | 100% | 11 | — | Approved |
| The Boxby Marc Levinson | 16 | 0 | 100% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Sapiensby Yuval Noah Harari | 13 | 9 | 59% | 8 | — | — |
| The Cheese and the Wormsby Carlo Ginzburg and Anne C. Tedeschi and John Tedeschi and Francisco Martín Arribas and Justo Serna and Anaclet Pons PonsThis page | 4 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
What people said
All 4 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“he really presents a version of history that hasn't been much covered by others”
“he really rattled some cages and wasn't afraid to take an idea and run with it”
“is therefore invaluable, both as an engaging history in its own right”
“The Cheese and the Worms was lovely.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.