Steven Johnson

An illustrated history of innovation shares lesser-known stories of accidental genius and brilliant mistakes, examines unexpected connections between seemingly unrelated fields and reveals how important inventions have had unintended consequences. By the best-selling author of Where Good Ideas Come From. 100,000 first printing.

Six Innovations that Made the Modern World

How We Got to Now

matej yangwao

Book tries force you in awe and impression. Me personally don't prefer as looking for dry hard facts.
I mean, at least I read through.
Okay seems facts are nice but writing style doesn't fits for me

≥Simple things are not always what they seem; they may lead to the world’s most significant inventions

≥Inventions are rarely products of single-minded inspiration. They’re born out of hard work, perseverance, and many hurdles along the way.

Amanda Valentin

A fascinating book! Would be really cool to do a week of lessons on this in my history classroom someday!

Dani

Great narrative. Super recommended to 'review' some things we all take for granted. :)

Bryan Alexander

I read How We Got to Now after having read and appreciated several of Johnson's other books, but not having seen the associated tv show.

It's a fun sketch of the history of multiple technologies. Air conditioning, mirrors, the computer, freezing food, radio, audio recording, chlorinated water, watches, electrical light, and more. Johnson organizes these into six themes: sound, light, cleaning, time, glass, and cold. This allows him to race between different inventions, people, historical events, details of the natural world, scientific concepts, and popular culture, a bit like James Burke's Connections (the tv series as well as the 1978 book). 

Overall it's very entertaining and engaging. Having taught it once, I know it's a good introduction to the history of technology. The structure also lets Johnson hit some of his earlier themes, like the importance of innovation networks over the impact of a single genius and his form of technological determinism.

Weaknesses: it's a fast book, without time to get deeply into topics. And while Johnson brings in some nonwhite and female people, it's still overwhelmingly about western (mostly American and western European) white men. There are historical reasons for this, but it would be good to see the book stretch beyond the cliche.

Overall, recommended.

Michael Hessling

And now I'm off to watch the companion PBS series.

Lucas Kohorst

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.

Six Innovations That Made the Modern World

Jeffrey Jose

Yan Aung

Daniel Toke Hansen

MacKenzie Hamon

Jimmy Cerone

Andy Sporring

John Bush

Tiffany

This book is a celebration of ideas: how they happen and their sometimes unintended results. Johnson shows how simple scientific breakthroughs have driven other discoveries through the network of ideas and innovations that made each finding possible. He traces important inventions through ancient and contemporary history, unlocking tales of unsung heroes and radical revolutions that changed the world and the way we live in it

How We Got to Now Six Innovations that Made the Modern World

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