Decoder Ring | How Books About Things That Changed the World… Changed the World
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Mar 26, 2025
Dive into the world of microhistories, where unexpected subjects like mauve, cod, and beavers are claimed to have changed history. Discover how the invention of artificial dye revolutionized fashion and consumer culture. Explore how the marine chronometer transformed navigation and the icy innovations in refrigeration reshaped food systems and societies. Reflect on the role of beavers in capitalism and conservation, while authors humorously defend their subjects’ influences on our world.
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Mauve's Impact
Simon Garfield's son's book inspired him to write about mauve.
Queen Victoria wearing mauve sparked a global trend, similar to millennial pink.
insights INSIGHT
Microhistories
Microhistories reveal how unexpected things connect to the wider world.
They explore surprising links between mundane subjects and historical events.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Longitude's Success
Dava Sobel's "Longitude" tells of John Harrison's invention of the marine chronometer.
This solved the longitude problem, revolutionizing sailing and trade.
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The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time
Dava Sobel
In 'Longitude', Dava Sobel narrates the epic scientific quest to determine longitude at sea, a problem that had plagued navigators for centuries. The story centers around John Harrison, a self-educated clockmaker from Yorkshire, who devoted forty years to developing a series of precise chronometers that could accurately measure time even on long and rough sea voyages. By comparing the chronometer's time to local sun time, navigators could precisely measure longitude, a breakthrough that significantly improved maritime navigation and saved countless lives. The book also delves into the historical context, including the establishment of the Board of Longitude and the scientific and political rivalries of the time, making it a compelling tale of human ambition, science, and innovation.
Mauve
How One Man Invented a Colour That Changed the World
Simon Garfield
This book tells the story of William Perkin, an 18-year-old English chemist who accidentally discovered mauve in 1856 while trying to synthesize quinine. The discovery revolutionized the dye industry and had significant impacts on fashion and industrial chemistry. The book explores how Perkin's innovation transformed various aspects of society, including fashion trends and the development of the chemical industry.
Cod
A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World
Mark Kurlansky
This book chronicles the history of the Atlantic cod, spanning a thousand years and four continents. It introduces readers to explorers, merchants, writers, chefs, and fishermen whose lives have been intertwined with this fish. Kurlansky discusses the commercialization of cod by the Basques in medieval times, the cod wars, and the significant role cod played in world history, including its impact on European food supplies, the settlement of North America, and its current status facing extinction. The book is enriched with gastronomic details, recipes, and lore from the Middle Ages to the present.
Paved Paradise
How Parking Explains the World
Henry Grabar
In 'Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World,' Henry Grabar provides a detailed and engaging account of the role parking plays in shaping American urban environments. The book covers the history and politics of parking, from post-war development to current reform movements, and explains how parking requirements have influenced housing costs, urban design, and the overall livability of cities. Grabar's analysis is supported by vivid storytelling and meticulous research, making the book both informative and entertaining.
Rope
Rope
Tim Queeney
Beaverland
How One Weird Rodent Made America
Lila Philip
Look in the nonfiction section of any bookstore and you’ll find dozens of history books making the same bold claim: that their narrow, unexpected subject somehow changed the world. Potatoes, kudzu, soccer, coffee, Iceland, bees, oak trees, sand, chickens—there are books about all of them, and many more besides, with the phrase “changed the world” or something similarly grandiose right there in the title. These books are sometimes called “microhistories” or “thing biographies” and they’ve been a trope in publishing for decades. In this episode, we establish where this trend came from, figure out why it’s been so persistent, and then we put a bunch of authors on the spot, asking them to make the case for why their subjects changed the world.
This episode was written by Willa Paskin and produced by Evan Chung, Decoder Ring’s supervising producer. Katie Shepherd and Max Freedman also produce our show. Merritt Jacob is Senior Technical Director.
If you have any cultural mysteries you want us to decode, please email us at DecoderRing@slate.com, or leave a message on our hotline at 347-460-7281.
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