Wonderland

'Wondrous . . . he has that knack of making the familiar seem gloriously fresh and his ideas squirm into your brain' The TimesWhat connects Palaeolithic bone flutes to the invention of computer software? Or the murex sea snail to the death of the great American city? How does the bag of crisps you hold in your hand help tell the story of humanity itself? In his brilliant new work on the history of innovation, international bestseller Steven Johnson argues that the pursuit of novelty and wonder has always been a powerful driver of world-shaping technological change. He finds that throughout history, the cutting edge of innovation lies wherever people are working the hardest to keep themselves and others amused.'There is a fabulous amount here to be surprised by and interested in. It's a book about delight that is itself delightful' Spectator'Seductively erudite . . . a speed-read history of the serendipitous and the entertaining' Observer'The book is a house of wonders' New York Times Book Review von Johnson, Steven