Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World

By Steven Johnson

Categories: History, Science & Math

Steven Johnson argues that the pursuit of play, delight and entertainment has driven many of history's most important innovations. He shows how fashion, music, spices, games, illusions and public spaces led to advances in technology, trade, science and social life, from the computer to the global economy. Johnson argues that wherever people have the most fun, the future soon follows.

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• Shane Parrish: “Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World by Steven Johnson — Interesting, well-researched and entertaining to read. This book gives a whole new appreciation of how our drives shape our world; how our desire to be entertained helped to create many of our modern structures. Johnson provides a balanced account on the virtues and vices of play as he explores how this fundamental human desire has led”