Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy - Grand Format

Who thought up paper money ? What was the secret element that made the Gutenberg printing press possible ? Why are cell phones replacing banks ? In Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy, author and economist Tim Hayford paints an epic yet intimate picture of economic change by telling the stories of the ideas, people, and tools that have had far-reaching consequences for all of us. Expanding from his popular BBC radio program and his podcast Fifty Things That Made the Modern Economy, Harford offers fascinating glimpses into the inventions that transformed the ways we work, play, and live.
From the plow to artificial intelligence, from Gillette's disposable razor to IKEA's Billy bookcase, Harford recounts the memorable story behind each invention and introduces us to the characters who developed them, profited From them, and were in some cases ruined by them. The result is a wise and witty book of history, economics, and biography.