A fascinating and counterintuitive portrait of the sordid, hidden world behind the dazzling artwork of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, and more
Renowned as a period of cultural rebirth and artistic innovation, the Renaissance is cloaked in a unique aura of beauty and brilliance. Its very name conjures up awe-inspiring images of an age of lofty ideals in which life imitated the fantastic artworks for which it has become famous. But behind the vast explosion of new art and culture lurked a seamy, vicious world of power politics, perversity, and corruption that has more in common with the present day than anyone dares to admit.
In this illustrated volume, Steven Johnson explores the history of innovation over centuries, tracing facets of modern life (refrigeration, clocks, and eyeglass lenses, to name a few) from their creation by hobbyists, amateurs, and entrepreneurs to their unintended historical consequences. Filled with surprising stories of accidental genius and brilliant mistakes—from the French publisher who invented the phonograph before Edison but forgot to include playback, to the Hollywood movie star who helped invent the technology behind Wi-Fi and Bluetooth—How We Got to Now investigates the secret history behind the everyday objects of contemporary life.
Students retain geography and history information better when they experience living images of world cultures. These programs about some of the world’s major countries help students understand other peoples’ environments, values...
After countless rulers, seven decades of Communism, and domination of Eastern Europe as the power behind the former USSR, Russia fascinates as do few other countries. Viewers will witness Moscow's importance, as well as major cities such as Volgograd and St. Petersburg.
The days of the Empire are numbered. On the Imperial world of Trantor, Cleon II rules over a multitude of worlds slowly descending into anarchy. Two individuals' destinies intertwine in the fight against chaos - Hari Seldon, and Eto Demerzel, a robot and the real power behind Cleon's throne.
Two guys. 19 experiments. Five continents. 91,000 miles. And a book that will forever change the way you think about humor. Part road-trip comedy and part social science experiment, a scientist and a journalist detail their epic quest to discover the secret behind what makes things funny. Dr. Peter McGraw, founder of the Humor Research Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder, teamed up with journalist Joel Warner on a far-reaching search for the secret behind humor. Their journey spanned the globe, from New York to Japan, from Palestine to the Amazon. Meanwhile, the duo conducted their own humor experiments along the way—to wince-worthy, hilarious, and illuminating results.
