How We Got to Now

Book cover of How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World

Book description

From Steven Johnson, the bestselling author of Where Good Ideas Come From, comes How We Got to Now, the companion book to his five-part BBC TV series.

How did the advent of refrigeration help create the golden age of Hollywood? How did the invention of flash photography help shift public…

Explore

Topics

Genres

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked How We Got to Now as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Peter H. Spitz

Author

I'm fascinated by the connection between our modern world and how we got here, and this book takes a deep dive into just that. Johnson looks at the most common objects we often accept as if they've been a part of life forever (such as eyeglass lenses), and traces not only how they were created, their impact on our lives.

I find Johnson's writing incredibly informative without being pedantic and always entertaining. He's got an eye for unintended consequences and pays homage to the spirited determination innovators tend to have. As an inventor I note his appreciation for those brilliant…

From Peter's list on for passionate innovators.