The writer described as the 'Darwin of technology' presents an intertwined history of recreation and innovation, arguing that humans have always found the future in fun
Introduction - i: Introduction Chapter - 1: Fashion and Shopping Chapter - 2: Music Chapter - 3: Taste Chapter - 4: Illusion Chapter - 5: Games Chapter - 6: Public Space Section - ii: Conclusion Acknowledgements - iii: Acknowledgements Section - iv: Notes Section - v: Bibliography Section - vi: Credits Index - vi: Index
Steven Johnson is the internationally bestselling author of ten books, including How We Got to Now, Where Good Ideas Come From, The Invention of Air, The Ghost Map and Everything Bad is Good for You. The founder of a variety of influential websites, he is the host and co-creator of the PBS and BBC series How We Got to Now. Johnson lives in Marin County, California, and Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and three sons.
Wondrous...he has that knack of making the familiar seem gloriously
fresh and his ideas squirm into your brain...the writing sings
throughout...it's a joy and every twist is worth fully
digesting
*The Times*
Seductively erudite...a speed-read history of the serendipitous and
the entertaining
*The Observer*
There is a fabulous amount here to be surprised by and interested
in. It’s a book about delight that is itself delightful
*The Spectator*
It’s vintage Johnson, a fascinating and surprising guide to the
history of innovation
*Tim Harford*
Johnson is an engaging writer, unable to bore the reader
*The Guardian*
Steven Johnson has an eye for the most interesting new ideas
*Steven Pinker*
The book is a house of wonders…the flutes made of bone, the zoos,
the purple dye made from snails, the roulette, the automatons of
digesting and defecating ducks, and Minecraft. These novelties, in
turn, are connected backward in time often to ancient forces – and
then forward to their cultural derivations, including synthesizers,
computers and the internet.
*The New York Times Book Review*
Mr. Johnson’s narrative is crammed with elegantly told vignettes
from the history of ideas...The book is full of excellent facts
*The Wall Street Journal*
A rare gem. . . . Our illogical, enduring fascination with play
remains one of life’s great mysteries. That is precisely what makes
the subject so fascinating, and Wonderland such a compelling
read
*The Washington Post*
Johnson clearly delights in eccentric facts, and the book is fun to
look at
*Financial Times*
Johnson’s writing derives its appeal from his ability to illuminate
complex ideas in unpretentious language...Johnson’s prose is
nimble, his knowledge impressive...Wonderland is original and
fun
*The San Francisco Chronicle*
Wonderland brims with these sorts of tidbits, memorable moments,
and bits of information that light up the mind
*The Boston Globe*
Johnson entertainingly shows how appetites for spices led to
international exploration and colonial empires and how the
ornamentation of fashion and jewelry spurred technological
innovation and industry. He tells of the social revolutions that
were hatched in taverns and coffeehouses, public spaces distinctly
different from those where one worked, lived, or worshipped, and he
suggests that commerce and consumption were not byproducts of the
Industrial Revolution but driving forces. Johnson also shows the
darker sides of colonial empires built on spices and of the
shopping mall, which catered to consumption while threatening the
inner city. There’s an infectious spirit of delight in the prose,
which matches the themes in a book that will engage even those not
entirely convinced by its thesis to take a look from a different
perspective.
*Kirkus Review*
In this charming study, Johnson (How We Got to Now) examines how
the seemingly frivolous and unproductive aspects of society — the
things people do for fun, pleasure, and entertainment — have
influenced, defined, and created the world… In an entertaining and
accessible style, he takes tangents that arrive at sometimes
startling conclusions, like a magician practicing misdirection
*Publishers Weekly*
Johnson is a master storyteller, weaving disparate elements
together into a rich and seamless tapestry of technology and human
history
*Booklist (starred review)*
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