How We Got to Now

In this book, Steven Johnson examines the history of innovation, highlighting six key innovations that have shaped the modern world.

He delves into unexpected connections between seemingly unrelated fields, such as how air-conditioning enabled massive migrations to cities, how pendulum clocks triggered the industrial revolution, and how clean water facilitated the manufacture of computer chips.

The book is accompanied by a six-part television series on PBS and is written in Johnson's engaging and informative style.