Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy
Written by Tim Harford
Narrated by Roger Davis
4/5
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About this audiobook
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.
Tim Harford
Tim Harford is the Undercover Economist and Dear Economist columnist for the Financial Times. His writing has also appeared in Esquire, Forbes, New York magazine, Wired, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. His books include Adapt, The Undercover Economist and The Logic of Life. Harford presents the popular BBC radio show More or Less and is a visiting fellow at London's Cass Business School. He is the winner of the 2006 Bastiat Prize for economic journalism and the 2010 Royal Statistical Society Award for excellence in journalism.
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Reviews for Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy
22 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a very nice and well written book.
I just wish Tim Harford himself voiced this audiobook. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A well thought out discussion on inventions that shape the economy. There are fifty case studies that are important but not necessarily the top fifty inventions.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I have really enjoyed listening to the original podcasts of this series and wanted to read the related book. I was expecting the chapters to have more than the podcast but they don't - it is really just a repetition of the podcast script. But if you'd like a reminder of each "thing" then worth a read.