Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for How We Got to Now by Steven Johnson - Wait list

How We Got to Now

by Steven Johnson
ebook
Read a sample Read a sample
Did you drink a glass of water today? Did you turn on a light? Did you think about how miraculous either one of those things is when you did it? Of course not—but you should, and New York Times bestselling author Steven Johnson has. This adaptation of his adult book and popular PBS series explores the fascinating and interconnected stories of innovations—like clean drinking water and electricity—that changed the way people live.
Innovation starts with a problem whose solution sets in motion all kinds of unexpected discoveries. That's why you can draw a line from pendulums to punching the clock at a factory, from ice blocks to summer movie blockbusters, from clean water to computer chips.
In the lively storytelling style that has made him a popular, bestselling author, Steven Johnson looks at how accidental genius, brilliant mistakes, and unintended consequences shape the way we live in the modern world. Johnson's "long zoom" approach connects history, geography, politics, and scientific advances with the deep curiousity of inventors or quirky interests of tinkerers to show how innovation truly comes about.
His fascinating account is organized into six topics: glass, cold, sound, clean, time, light. Johnson's fresh exploration of these simple, single-syllable word concepts creates an endlessly absorbing story that moves from lightning strikes in the prehistoric desert to the herculean effort to literally raise up the city of Chicago to laser labs straight out of a sci-fi movie.
In other words, it's the story of how we got to now!

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

    • Release date

      October 16, 2018

    • Formats

      • Kindle Book

      • OverDrive Read

        • ISBN: 9780425287804

      • EPUB ebook

        • ISBN: 9780425287804
        • File size: 82529 KB

    • Accessibility

    • Languages

      • English

    • Levels

      • ATOS Level: 8.7
      • Lexile® Measure: 1230
      • Interest Level: 4-8(MG)
      • Text Difficulty: 7

    • Reviews

      Loading
      Loading

    Formats

    • Kindle Book
    • OverDrive Read
    • EPUB ebook

    subjects

    Languages

    • English

    Levels

    • ATOS Level:8.7
    • Lexile® Measure:1230
    • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
    • Text Difficulty:7