Wonderland
By Steven Johnson
How Play Made the Modern World. Riverhead Books, 2016.
Summary of Wonderland book by Steven Johnson
A perspective-changing view of technological advancements that have stemmed from the human desire for fun and entertainment, rather than a need for innovation, with clear, relatable examples from our past to our present day.
Chapters in Wonderland book summary
What do you get from this book? How the world’s favorite hobbies, luxuries, and amusements impact technological advancements
A desire for aesthetic beauty sparked innovations in the textile industry, shop windows, and slave labor
Department stores overloaded people’s senses and sparked ideas for new types of shopping malls, including Disney’s EPCOT
Music evolved from a human longing for harmony, spurring the creation of musical instruments and innovations to the textile industry
Player pianos utilized a type of early binary code that gave rise to to military torpedo technology
Spices have played an influential role in everything from the economy to the slave trade
The spice trade ended after nutmeg and vanilla bean plants began growing in France, taking control away from the Dutch
Illusionists across Europe delighted and horrified audiences in Phantasmagoria shows that gave rise to optical illusion devices
Robert Barker created the first panorama, but both art and illusion lost traction with the growing popularity of cinema
Friar Cessolis’ sermon on chess changed the way people thought about social hierarchy and expanded views on intelligence
Games of chance advanced mathematical theories used by Las Vegas gamblers but were eventually overshadowed in popularity by computer games
Taverns and coffeehouses provide leisure while fanning the flames of revolution
The desire for coffeehouses gave way to more natural wonders such as mountains and zoos
Summary of the key insights
Selected critiques in brief
Final word
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Wonderland — Book Summary Snapshot
Who should read Wonderland book
- history buffs
- science aficionados
- anyone with an interest in the evolution of technology
About the author of Wonderland
Steven Johnson
Bestselling author Steven Johnson is the co-creator of the Emmy-winning PBS series How We Got to Now. He has also contributed to The New York Times and Wired magazine and has appeared on influential talk shows such as The Colbert Report. In addition, Johnson served as the Hearst new media professional-in-residence at Columbia Journalism School, where he also obtained his graduate degree.
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