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How we got to now six innovations that made the modern world

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"From the New York Times-bestselling author of Where Good Ideas Come From and Everything Bad Is Good for You, a new look at the power and legacy of great ideas. In this illustrated volume, Steven Johnson explores the history of innovation over centuries, tracing facets of modern life (refrigeration,...

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Main Author: Johnson, Steven, 1968- (Author)
Format: Books Print Book
Language:English
Published: New York : Riverhead Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA), 2014.
Subjects:
Technology > Social aspects.
Inventions > Social aspects.
Online Access:Go to Downloadable eBook Here.
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Summary:"From the New York Times-bestselling author of Where Good Ideas Come From and Everything Bad Is Good for You, a new look at the power and legacy of great ideas. In this illustrated 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-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. "-- Provided by publisher.
Physical Description:293 pages : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references (pages 267-277) and index.
ISBN:9781594632969 (hardback)
1594632960 (hardback)
Author Notes:Steven Johnson was born on June 6, 1968. He received an undergraduate degree at Brown University, where he studied semiotics, and later went on to receive a graduate degree in English literature from Columbia University. He is the author of several books including Future Perfect: The Case for Progress in a Networked Age; Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation; The Invention of Air: A Story of Science, Faith, Revolution and the Birth of America; and The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic-and How it Changed Science, Cities and the Modern World. His book, How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World, was the subject of a six-part series on PBS, which he also hosted.

(Bowker Author Biography)

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