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

Details

ISBN13: 9781760645533
Format: Paperback / softback
Number of Pages: 256
Edition:
Publication Date: 17 Feb 2026
Publisher: Black Inc.
Publication City, Country: Melbourne, Australia
Dimensions (cm): 19.7(H)x13(L)x2(W)230
Weight (gm): 230

Author Biography

Andrew Leigh is a member of the Australian Parliament. He holds a PhD from Harvard University, and is a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia. Before being elected in 2010, he was a professor of economics at the Australian National University. His books include The Shortest History of Economics, The Luck of Politics, Battlers and Billionaires and Randomistas.

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