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Title details for Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy by Tim Harford - Available

Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy

by Tim Harford
Roger Davis
Audiobook
1 of 2 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 2 copies available
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.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    August 29, 2017

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781524776916
      • File size: 267234 KB
      • Duration: 09:16:44

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Tim Harford starts his list at the modern economy's absolute beginning--the plow. Narrator Roger Davis takes listeners through it with wit and enthusiasm, building interest in Harford's choices--such as the passport, the shipping container, and the disposable blade--and the logic behind them. He can amuse listeners with his reading of a convoluted train timetable, his voice helping to make the case for standardized time. Davis switches mood with ease. As he discusses concrete, his voice shifts from disdain for soulless buildings to delight in the Sydney Opera House, created from the same material. Davis infuses his reading with Harford's mix of marvel and cynicism toward human nature and ingenuity. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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