How We Got to Now

How We Got to Now PDF Author: Steven Johnson
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0698154509
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book 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.

How We Got to Now

How We Got to Now PDF Author: Steven Johnson
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0698154509
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 304

Get Book Here

Book 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.

Ancient Inventions

Ancient Inventions PDF Author: Peter J. James
Publisher: Random House Digital, Inc.
ISBN: 0345401026
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 702

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Book Description
A guide to ancient accomplishments and inventions unearths the origins of modern creations, including computers in ancient Greece, plastic surgery in India in the first century B.C., and a postal service in medieval Baghdad

A Native American Thought of it

A Native American Thought of it PDF Author: Rocky Landon
Publisher: We Thought of It
ISBN: 9781554511549
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Diverse Cultures; Social Studies.

The Britannica Guide to Inventions That Changed the Modern World

The Britannica Guide to Inventions That Changed the Modern World PDF Author: Britannica Educational Publishing
Publisher: Britannica Educational Publishing
ISBN: 1615300643
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 387

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Book Description
By their very nature, inventions change the status quo. The innovations highlighted in this book have done so in a most dramatic, memorable, or effective fashion. Through engaging narrative and accompanying images, this volume gives readers a deeper appreciation for the inventions that have made their lives easier, more aesthetically pleasing, or otherwise better.

1001 Inventions

1001 Inventions PDF Author: Salim T. S. Al-Hassani
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 1426209347
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 356

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Book Description
Modern society owes a tremendous amount to the Muslim world for the many groundbreaking scientific and technological advances that were pioneered during the Golden Age of Muslim civilization between the 7th and 17th centuries. Every time you drink coffee, eat a three-course meal, get a whiff of your favorite perfume, take shelter in an earthquake-resistant structure, get a broken bone set or solve an algebra problem, it is in part due to the discoveries of Muslim civilization.

Innovation Economics, Engineering and Management Handbook 1

Innovation Economics, Engineering and Management Handbook 1 PDF Author: Dimitri Uzunidis
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119832489
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 466

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Book Description
Innovation, in economic activity, in managerial concepts and in engineering design, results from creative activities, entrepreneurial strategies and the business climate. Innovation leads to technological, organizational and commercial changes, due to the relationships between enterprises, public institutions and civil society organizations. These innovation networks create new knowledge and contribute to the dissemination of new socio-economic and technological models, through new production and marketing methods. Innovation Economics, Engineering and Management Handbook 1 is the first of the two volumes that comprise this book. The main objectives across both volumes are to study the innovation processes in todays information and knowledge society; to analyze how links between research and business have intensified; and to discuss the methods by which innovation emerges and is managed by firms, not only from a local perspective but also a global one. The studies presented in these two volumes contribute toward an understanding of the systemic nature of innovations and enable reflection on their potential applications, in order to think about the meaning of growth and prosperity.

Fifty Things that Made the Modern Economy

Fifty Things that Made the Modern Economy PDF Author: Tim Harford
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 1408709139
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
Based on the series produced for the BBC World Service Who thought up paper money? How did the contraceptive pill change the face of the legal profession? Why was the horse collar as important for human progress as the steam engine? How did the humble spreadsheet turn the world of finance upside-down? The world economy defies comprehension. A continuously-changing system of immense complexity, it offers over ten billion distinct products and services, doubles in size every fifteen years, and links almost every one of the planet's seven billion people. It delivers astonishing luxury to hundreds of millions. It also leaves hundreds of millions behind, puts tremendous strains on the ecosystem, and has an alarming habit of stalling. Nobody is in charge of it. Indeed, no individual understands more than a fraction of what's going on. How can we make sense of this bewildering system on which our lives depend? From the tally-stick to Bitcoin, the canal lock to the jumbo jet, each invention in Tim Harford's fascinating new book has its own curious, surprising and memorable story, a vignette against a grand backdrop. Step by step, readers will start to understand where we are, how we got here, and where we might be going next. Hidden connections will be laid bare: how the barcode undermined family corner shops; why the gramophone widened inequality; how barbed wire shaped America. We'll meet the characters who developed some of these inventions, profited from them, or were ruined by them. We'll trace the economic principles that help to explain their transformative effects. And we'll ask what lessons we can learn to make wise use of future inventions, in a world where the pace of innovation will only accelerate.

Patents, Citations, and Innovations

Patents, Citations, and Innovations PDF Author: Adam B. Jaffe
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 9780262600651
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 502

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Book Description
A study of how patents and citation data can serve empirical research on innovation and technological change.

Wonderworks

Wonderworks PDF Author: Angus Fletcher
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1982135980
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 464

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Book Description
"A brilliant examination of literary invention through the ages, from ancient Mesopotamia to Elena Ferrante, showing how writers created technical breakthroughs as sophisticated and significant as any in science, and in the process, engineered enhancements to the human heart and mind"--

Learn from the Past, Create the Future

Learn from the Past, Create the Future PDF Author: Maria de Icaza
Publisher: WIPO
ISBN: 9280514318
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 69

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Book Description
"Inventions and Patents" is the first of WIPO's Learn from the past, create the future series of publications aimed at young students. This series was launched in recognition of the importance of children and young adults as the creators of our future.