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How We Got to Now
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Farsighted
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Where Good Ideas Come From
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The Great Mental Models
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The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts is the first book in The Great Mental Models series designed to upgrade your thinking with the best, most useful and powerful tools so you always have the right one on hand. This volume details nine of the most versatile all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making, your productivity, and how clearly you see the world.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Good concept. Too short / limited in detail.
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21 Lessons for the 21st Century
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Yuval Noah Harari's 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is a probing and visionary investigation into today's most urgent issues as we move into the uncharted territory of the future. As technology advances faster than our understanding of it, hacking becomes a tactic of war, and the world feels more polarized than ever, Harari addresses the challenge of navigating life in the face of constant and disorienting change and raises the important questions we need to ask ourselves in order to survive.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Good stuff, but mostly repeats
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Everything Bad Is Good for You
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From the author of the New York Times bestseller Mind Wide Open comes a groundbreaking assessment of popular culture as it's never been considered before: through the lens of intelligence. Forget everything you’ve ever read about the age of dumbed-down, instant-gratification culture.
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5 out of 5 stars
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nice to hear "the rest of the story"
- By stacey nelson on 03-17-18
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How We Got to Now
- Six Innovations That Made the Modern World
- By: Steven Johnson
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- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
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In this volume, 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.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Really good and interesting book
- By CJFLA on 10-29-14
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Farsighted
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- Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 190
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 177
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There's no one-size-fits-all model for the important decisions that can alter the course of a life, an organization, or a civilization. But Farsighted explains how we can approach these choices more effectively and how we can appreciate the subtle intelligence of choices that shaped our broader social history.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Enjoyed it - Not what I was expecting
- By William Coppage on 10-08-18
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Where Good Ideas Come From
- The Natural History of Innovation
- By: Steven Johnson
- Narrated by: Eric Singer
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 878
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 616
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Story4 out of 5 stars 611
What sparks the flash of brilliance? How does groundbreaking innovation happen? Answering in his infectious, culturally omnivorous style, using his fluency in fields from neurobiology to popular culture, Johnson provides the complete, exciting, and encouraging story of how we generate the ideas that push our careers, our lives, our society, and our culture forward.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Ambitious
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The Great Mental Models
- General Thinking Concepts
- By: Shane Parrish
- Narrated by: Shane Parrish
- Length: 3 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 188
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 166
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 162
The Great Mental Models: General Thinking Concepts is the first book in The Great Mental Models series designed to upgrade your thinking with the best, most useful and powerful tools so you always have the right one on hand. This volume details nine of the most versatile all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making, your productivity, and how clearly you see the world.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Good concept. Too short / limited in detail.
- By Maverick on 04-11-19
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21 Lessons for the 21st Century
- By: Yuval Noah Harari
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 11 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,803
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 5,118
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,087
Yuval Noah Harari's 21 Lessons for the 21st Century is a probing and visionary investigation into today's most urgent issues as we move into the uncharted territory of the future. As technology advances faster than our understanding of it, hacking becomes a tactic of war, and the world feels more polarized than ever, Harari addresses the challenge of navigating life in the face of constant and disorienting change and raises the important questions we need to ask ourselves in order to survive.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Good stuff, but mostly repeats
- By Amazon Customer on 09-13-18
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Everything Bad Is Good for You
- By: Steven Johnson
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 104
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 95
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 96
From the author of the New York Times bestseller Mind Wide Open comes a groundbreaking assessment of popular culture as it's never been considered before: through the lens of intelligence. Forget everything you’ve ever read about the age of dumbed-down, instant-gratification culture.
-
5 out of 5 stars
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nice to hear "the rest of the story"
- By stacey nelson on 03-17-18
-
How We Got to Now
- Six Innovations That Made the Modern World
- By: Steven Johnson
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,391
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,218
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,210
In this volume, 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.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Really good and interesting book
- By CJFLA on 10-29-14
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Sapiens
- A Brief History of Humankind
- By: Yuval Noah Harari
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 15 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 21,881
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 19,286
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 19,175
Most books about the history of humanity pursue either a historical or a biological approach, but Dr. Yuval Noah Harari breaks the mold with this highly original book. From examining the role evolving humans have played in the global ecosystem to charting the rise of empires, Sapiens integrates history and science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific events within the context of larger ideas.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Should be required reading
- By Blue Zion on 12-22-18
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Wonderland
- How Play Made the Modern World
- By: Steven Johnson
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 135
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 122
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This history of popular entertainment takes a long-zoom approach, contending that the pursuit of novelty and wonder is a powerful driver of world-shaping technological change. Steven Johnson argues that throughout history, the cutting edge of innovation has lain wherever people have been working the hardest to keep themselves and others amused.
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5 out of 5 stars
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It will delight you
- By T. Leach on 02-09-17
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Fooled by Randomness
- The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets
- By: Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,524
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,619
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,608
This audiobook is about luck, or more precisely, how we perceive and deal with luck in life and business. It is already a landmark work, and its title has entered our vocabulary. In its second edition, Fooled by Randomness is now a cornerstone for anyone interested in random outcomes.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An Excellent and Worthwhile Book
- By Amazon Customer on 02-15-13
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Cooked
- A Natural History of Transformation
- By: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,847
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In Cooked, Michael Pollan explores the previously uncharted territory of his own kitchen. Here, he discovers the enduring power of the four classical elements - fire, water, air, and earth - to transform the stuff of nature into delicious things to eat and drink. Apprenticing himself to a succession of culinary masters, Pollan learns how to grill with fire, cook with liquid, bake bread, and ferment everything from cheese to beer. In the course of his journey, he discovers that the cook occupies a special place in the world....
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4 out of 5 stars
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A bit bland
- By Mark on 12-12-14
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Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation
- By: Tim Brown
- Narrated by: Tim Roberts
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
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The myth of innovation is that brilliant ideas leap fully formed from the minds of geniuses. The reality is that most innovations come from a process of rigorous examination through which great ideas are identified and developed before being realized as new offerings and capabilities. This is not a book by designers for designers; this is a book for creative leaders seeking to infuse design thinking into every level of an organization's products or service to drive new alternatives for business and society.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Starts strong, then becomes an Ideo advertisement
- By Cameron on 09-10-12
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Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy
- By: Tim Harford
- Narrated by: Roger Davis
- Length: 9 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 196
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Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy paints an epic picture of change in an intimate way by telling the stories of the tools, people, and ideas that had far-reaching consequences for all of us. From the plough to artificial intelligence, from Gillette's disposable razor to IKEA's Billy bookcase, best-selling author and Financial Times columnist Tim Harford recounts each invention's own curious, surprising, and memorable story.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing Book
- By Jesse Murray on 06-29-18
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The Fifth Risk
- By: Michael Lewis
- Narrated by: Victor Bevine
- Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,402
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"The election happened," remembers Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, then deputy secretary of the Department of Energy. "And then there was radio silence." Across all departments, similar stories were playing out: Trump appointees were few and far between; those that did show up were shockingly uninformed about the functions of their new workplace. Some even threw away the briefing books that had been prepared for them. Michael Lewis’ brilliant narrative takes us into the engine rooms of a government under attack by its own leaders.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Awkward and Disappointing
- By Amit M on 10-04-18
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Scale
- The Universal Laws of Growth, Innovation, Sustainability, and the Pace of Life, in Organisms, Cities, Economies, and Companies
- By: Geoffrey West
- Narrated by: Bruce Mann
- Length: 19 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 755
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Visionary physicist Geoffrey West is a pioneer in the field of complexity science, the science of emergent systems and networks. The term complexity can be misleading, however, because what makes West's discoveries so beautiful is that he has found an underlying simplicity that unites the seemingly complex and diverse phenomena of living systems, including our bodies, our cities, and our businesses.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fascinating and clear enough for a lib arts major
- By kwdayboise (Kim Day) on 05-29-17
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The Structure of Scientific Revolutions
- By: Thomas S. Kuhn
- Narrated by: Dennis Holland
- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 756
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A good book may have the power to change the way we see the world, but a great book actually becomes part of our daily consciousness, pervading our thinking to the point that we take it for granted, and we forget how provocative and challenging its ideas once were - and still are. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is that kind of book.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Important - not only for science
- By Mirek on 07-05-09
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How to Change Your Mind
- What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence
- By: Michael Pollan
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 13 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 9,205
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 8,306
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Story5 out of 5 stars 8,233
When Michael Pollan set out to research how LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction, and anxiety, he did not intend to write what is undoubtedly his most personal book. But upon discovering how these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life, he decided to explore the landscape of the mind in the first person as well as the third.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A delightful trip
- By Paul E. Williams on 05-19-18
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The Fourth Industrial Revolution
- By: Klaus Schwab
- Narrated by: Nicholas Guy Smith
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 296
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 268
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World-renowned economist Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, explains that we have an opportunity to shape the fourth industrial revolution, which will fundamentally alter how we live and work.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good, not great
- By R. Toth on 01-24-17
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Venture Deals, Third Edition
- Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist
- By: Brad Feld, Jason Mendelson
- Narrated by: Jason Mendelson, Brad Feld
- Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 352
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 297
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 293
Venture Deals provides entrepreneurs and start-up owners with a definitive reference for understanding venture capital funding. More than an overview of the process, this book delves into the details of the term sheet, the players, the negotiations, the legalities, and more, including what not to do. This new third edition has been updated to reflect the new realities of today's intricate start-up environment.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Also recommend signing up for their free course online
- By Susan on 11-08-17
Publisher's Summary
Did you drink a glass of water today? Did you turn on a light? Did you think about how miraculous either one of those things is when you did it? Of course not - but you should, and New York Times best-selling author Steven Johnson has. This adaptation of his adult book and popular PBS series explores the fascinating and interconnected stories of innovations - like clean drinking water and electricity - that changed the way people live.
Innovation starts with a problem whose solution sets in motion all kinds of unexpected discoveries. That's why you can draw a line from pendulums to punching the clock at a factory, from ice blocks to summer movie blockbusters, from clean water to computer chips.
In the lively storytelling style that has made him a popular, best-selling author Steven Johnson looks at how accidental genius, brilliant mistakes, and unintended consequences shape the way we live in the modern world. Johnson's "long zoom" approach connects history, geography, politics, and scientific advances with the deep curiousity of inventors or quirky interests of tinkerers to explain how innovation truly comes about.
His fascinating account is organized into six topics: glass, cold, sound, clean, time, light. Johnson's fresh exploration of these simple, single-syllable word concepts creates an endlessly absorbing story that moves from lightning strikes in the prehistoric desert to the herculean effort to literally raise up the city of Chicago to laser labs straight out of a sci-fi movie.
In other words, it's the story of how we got to now!
Critic Reviews
“You’re apt to find yourself exhilarated...Johnson is not composing an etiology of particular inventions, but doing something broader and more imaginative.... I particularly like the cultural observations Johnson draws along the way...[he] has a deft and persuasive touch...[a] graceful and compelling book.” (The New York Times Book Review)
“Johnson is a polymath.... [It’s] exhilarating to follow his unpredictable trains of thought. To explain why some ideas upend the world, he draws upon many disciplines: chemistry, social history, geography, even ecosystem science.” (Los Angeles Times)
“Steven Johnson is a maven of the history of ideas...How We Got to Now is readable, entertaining, and a challenge to any jaded sensibility that has become inured to the everyday miracles all around us.” (The Guardian)
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