How We Got to Now
Six Innovations That Made the Modern World
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4.4 • 140 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
From the New York Times–bestselling author of Where Good Ideas Come From and Extra Life, a new look at the power and legacy of great ideas.
In this illustrated history, Steven Johnson explores the history of innovation over centuries, tracing facets of modern life (refrigeration, clocks, and eyeglass lenses, to name a few) from their creation by hobbyists, amateurs, and entrepreneurs to their unintended historical consequences. Filled with surprising stories of accidental genius and brilliant mistakes—from the French publisher who invented the phonograph before Edison but forgot to include playback, to the Hollywood movie star who helped invent the technology behind Wi-Fi and Bluetooth—How We Got to Now investigates the secret history behind the everyday objects of contemporary life.
In his trademark style, Johnson examines unexpected connections between seemingly unrelated fields: how the invention of air-conditioning enabled the largest migration of human beings in the history of the species—to cities such as Dubai or Phoenix, which would otherwise be virtually uninhabitable; how pendulum clocks helped trigger the industrial revolution; and how clean water made it possible to manufacture computer chips. Accompanied by a major six-part television series on PBS, How We Got to Now is the story of collaborative networks building the modern world, written in the provocative, informative, and engaging style that has earned Johnson fans around the globe.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this fascinating book, Johnson (Where Good Ideas Come From) presents a "history of ideas and innovation," focusing on six important technical and scientific innovations that have shaped the modern world but that we often take for granted. The book reveals what Johnson calls "the hummingbird effect," when "an innovation... in one field ends up triggering changes that seem to belong to a different domain altogether." We learn how Gutenberg's press created a market for spectacles, which, in turn, led to the development of the microscope, the telescope, and the camera; how muckrakers were empowered by flash photography in the Progressive Era; and how the modern advertising business has roots in the germ theory of disease. Understanding the hummingbird effect is crucial in our world of constant technological development. Johnson debunks the genius theory of innovation the romantic idea of the lone inventor who changes history arguing instead that ideas and innovations emerge from "collaborative networks" at the intersections of different domains. He says that this understanding is crucial to "see more clearly the way new ideas come into being, and how to cultivate them as a society." 75 b&w and color photos.
Customer Reviews
Rewarding, informative, and rigorously edited.
The tone of a storyteller rather than an encyclopedia. Perfect balance of information; neither too little nor too much.
A Great Read
What fun book. Well written. Interesting to look at the long view rather than the "lightbulb effect."
A tremendous and insightful book!
How We Got to Now takes seemingly simple topics such as glass, cold, and sound and describes in depth how our ability to manipulate and refine these concepts has radically changed our lives over time.
It never occurred to me that the advent of air conditioning would allow the migration from the Midwest to the south, changing American political demographics from democrat to republican.
The book contains many such insights and is very thought provoking. Highly recommended.