This book is based on Tim Harford's BBC radio series. Each of the short chapters describes fifty products or inventions that have revolutionised the modern world – like the gramophone, barbed wire, the contraceptive pill, air conditioning, the clock, razor blades and so on. They include the Compiler, without which installing your next version of Windows might take about 5000 years. And the barcode, which he credits for the demise of the corner store. It’s a great romp through human inventions and ingenuity, if you’re inquisitive you’ll just love it.
Share on Twitter Share on Facebook