{"product_id":"31-inventions-that-built-our-world-9781035432769","title":"31 Inventions that Built Our World","description":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eA FASCINATING DELVE INTO THE HISTORY OF THE CITY, BY THE SUNDAY TIMES #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF \u003ci\u003eA HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN 47 BORDERS\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Charming and outstandingly nerdish'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eROBERT WEBB\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'I love Jonn Elledge; I love the way he looks at the world'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMARINA HYDE\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e_________\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor over 10,000 years, we humans have been busy altering our environment and embracing 'progress', evolving seamlessly from hunter gatherers to the modern urban sophisticates we see ourselves as today.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut what are the ideas and inventions that enabled humanity to become, by the early 21st century, a majority urban species for the first time? How did the essential infrastructure of modern life - the innovations that we barely even notice, but without which our world would fall apart - actually come to be?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith his characteristic wit and boundless curiosity, Jonn Elledge invites us to join him on a fascinating and often surprising tour of the ideas and technologies that made modernity possible. From elevators to electric lighting, parks to pedestrian crossings, he guides us through the history of civilisation itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e-----\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e***\u003ci\u003eA History of the World in 47 Borders \u003c\/i\u003ewas \u003ci\u003eThe Sunday Times\u003c\/i\u003e No 1 Bestseller April 2025***\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e-----\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMORE PRAISE FOR \u003ci\u003e31 INVENTIONS THAT BUILT OUR WORLD\u003c\/i\u003e . . . \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Would you like to learn some supremely nerdy facts about the history of tram, canal, rail and power networks? Door numbering systems? Windows and doors, sewers and shopping? Lifts and escalators? Go on, of course you do. Jonn has emptied his extraordinary brain and created a magnificent, unobvious tour through the underappreciated systems which form the backdrop to our lives.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTIM DUNN, presenter of \u003ci\u003eSecrets of the London Underground\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'31 Inventions is an accessible history of civilisation told through the things around us we mostly take for granted but someone - usually someone quite odd - thought up in the past. Elledge's writing style is warm, witty and erudite, reminiscent of the late, great Douglas Adams. You will not be able to stop quoting facts from this book at everyone you meet, and they will be as amused and intrigued as you are.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLEWIS BASTON, author of \u003ci\u003eBorderlines\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Fantastic stuff! Jonn has a real gift for making the stories of everyday objects thrilling and unputdownable.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJAY FOREMAN, co-author of\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eMap Men\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Jonn Elledge brings an infectious enthusiasm and a joie de vivre to this masterly story of the building blocks of modern life. I loved it. Read this book to truly understand the world around you, building by building, street by street, city by city.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJACK CORNISH, author of \u003ci\u003eLondon Never Ends\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A smart, funny and endlessly fascinating book. Elledge has a wonderful ability to take something seemingly mundane and, with great charm, use it to transform the way you see the wider world.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRHIANNON GARTH JONES, author of \u003ci\u003eAll Roads Lead to Rome\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Massively entertaining ... Equal parts history, science and farce - but never dull.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJIM WATERSON, \u003ci\u003eLondonCentric\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Fascinating and funny - it'll have you geeking out over the most everyday things!'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eJAGO HAZZARD, YouTuber\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Far funnier than any book about infrastructure has any right to be.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDANIEL KNOWLES, author of \u003ci\u003eCarmageddon\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Jonn Elledge is a natural raconteur with encyclopaedic knowledge at his fingertips. 31 Inventions that Built our World is a new kind of history book for the modern age.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eGABRIELLA BENNETT, author of \u003ci\u003eHow to Build a City\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Knowledgeable and interesting, but never patronising nor highfalutin . . . slips down like a cool drink on a warm day.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eARTS DESK\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Informative, often funny . . . Mr Elledge's fondness for obscure trivia is among this book's many delights.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eECONOMIST\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Jonn Elledge","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56452652400982,"sku":"9781035432769","price":28.68,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0886\/3206\/6390\/files\/9781035432769.jpg?v=1793655708","url":"https:\/\/www.englishbook.fi\/products\/31-inventions-that-built-our-world-9781035432769","provider":"Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}