Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy

Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy

By Tim Harford

Originally published in hardcover in 2017 by Riverhead Books.

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Book Information

Publisher: Riverhead Books
Publish Date: 08/28/2018
Pages: 336
ISBN-13: 9780735216143
ISBN-10: 0735216142
Language: English

Full Description

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2017 by BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK, THE FINANCIAL TIMES, AND AMAZON Look out for Tim's next book, The Data Detective. A lively history seen through the fifty inventions that shaped it most profoundly, by the bestselling author of The Undercover Economist and Messy.

Who thought up paper money? What was the secret element that made the Gutenberg printing press possible? And what is the connection between The Da Vinci Code and the collapse of Lehman Brothers? Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy paints an epic picture of change in an intimate way by telling the stories of the tools, people, and ideas that had far-reaching consequences for all of us. From the plough to artificial intelligence, from Gillette's disposable razor to IKEA's Billy bookcase, bestselling author and Financial Times columnist Tim Harford recounts each invention's own curious, surprising, and memorable story. Invention by invention, Harford reflects on how we got here and where we might go next. He lays bare often unexpected connections: how the bar code undermined family corner stores, and why the gramophone widened inequality. In the process, he introduces characters who developed some of these inventions, profited from them, and were ruined by them, as he traces the principles that helped explain their transformative effects. The result is a wise and witty book of history, economics, and biography.

About the Author

Tim Harford is the author of The Undercover Economist , The Logic of Life , and Adapt. He is a weekly columnist for the Financial Times , and his work has appeared in The New York Times , Forbes , Esquire , Parade , New York , and Wired.

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