![]() ![]() Johnson also shows the darker sides of colonial empires built on spices and of the shopping mall, which catered to consumption while threatening the inner city. He tells of the social revolutions that were hatched in taverns and coffeehouses, public spaces distinctly different from those where one worked, lived, or worshipped, and he suggests that commerce and consumption were not byproducts of the Industrial Revolution but driving forces. In an entertaining and accessible style, he takes tangents that arrive at sometimes startling conclusions, like a magician practicing misdirection * Publishers Weekly * Johnson entertainingly shows how appetites for spices led to international exploration and colonial empires and how the ornamentation of fashion and jewelry spurred technological innovation and industry. Johnson is a master storyteller, weaving disparate elements together into a rich and seamless tapestry of technology and human history * Booklist (starred review) * In this charming study, Johnson (How We Got to Now) examines how the seemingly frivolous and unproductive aspects of society - the things people do for fun, pleasure, and entertainment - have influenced, defined, and created the world. ![]()
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