First published 2014
Steven Johnson examines how common technologies shaped human civilization across centuries. He follows innovations like refrigeration, timekeeping devices, and optical lenses from their origins with tinkerers and business founders to their sweeping historical effects. Johnson reveals stories of unexpected discoveries and productive failures. A French publisher created sound recording technology ahead of Edison but omitted playback capability. A Hollywood performer contributed to developing wireless communication systems now used in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The book uncovers surprising links between different domains of knowledge. Air conditioning technology enabled massive population shifts to previously unlivable cities like Dubai and Phoenix. Pendulum clocks catalyzed industrial transformation. Clean water systems became necessary for computer chip production. Johnson demonstrates how collaborative networks of inventors and innovators built the contemporary world. This exploration of hidden connections behind familiar objects shows readers the intricate web of human ingenuity.
Genres: science, non-fiction, 21st-century, history-of-science
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: hidden-connections
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century, 21st-century
293 pages · Hardcover · Riverhead Books