The Shortest History of Innovation

From the wheel to gene editing, new ideas shape our world.

In this dazzling, surprising and always entertaining book, bestselling author Andrew Leigh tells the story of innovation.

Innovation shapes almost every corner of our lives, yet we rarely pause to notice it. Someone had to invent nails and wheelbarrows; alphabets and books; glass windows and windscreen wipers; tin cans and synthetic dyes. From tools and technologies to fresh approaches in art and architecture, innovation surrounds us.

Leigh shows that three forces drive innovation- tinkering, teams and trade. He examines hotbeds of creativity, the forces that suppress them, and the surprising ways ideas travel across borders and disciplines. The result is a lively, compact look at the engines powering progress.

A brilliant follow-up to the international bestseller The Shortest History of Economics.

Contents

1. Mould Juice and Myth--Making
2. Axes, Aqueducts and Sapphic Love
3. Algebra, Gunpowder and the Plough
4. Perspective, Clocks and the Printing Press
5. Telescopes, Microscopes and Intellectual Property
6. Steam, Vaccination and the Piano
7. Steel, Plastic and Electricity
8. Physics, Automobiles and Flight
9. Wars, Labs and Moonshots
10. Biotech, Computers and AI
11. Beyond Eureka