Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: from Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic (Hardback)
  • Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: from Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic (Hardback)
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Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: from Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic (Hardback)

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£25.00
Hardback 400 Pages
Published: 27/04/2023
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Waterstones Says

The acclaimed author of Exactly takes the reader on an intricate and spellbinding journey into the history of knowlegde, exploring how humankind has attained, stored, and transmitted information from antiquity to the present day.

From the creation of the first encyclopedia to Wikipedia, from ancient museums to modern kindergarten classes-here is award-winning writer Simon Winchester's brilliant and all-encompassing look at how humans acquire, retain, and pass on information and data, and how technology continues to change our lives and our minds.

With the advent of the internet, any topic we want to know about is instantly available with the touch of a smartphone button. With so much knowledge at our fingertips, what is there left for our brains to do? At a time when we seem to be stripping all value from the idea of knowing things-no need for math, no need for map reading, no need for memorisation-are we risking our ability to think? As we empty our minds, will we one day be incapable of thoughtfulness?

Studded with strange and fascinating details, Knowing What We Know is a deep dive into learning and the human mind. Throughout this fascinating tour, Winchester forces us to ponder what rational humans are becoming. What good is all this knowledge if it leads to lack of thought? What is information without wisdom?

And what will the world be like if no one in it is wise?

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 9780008484385
Number of pages: 400
Weight: 660 g
Dimensions: 240 x 159 x 42 mm


MEDIA REVIEWS

Praise for Simon Winchester's 2021 Book Land

'The intricate vocabulary used to talk about land is one of the many pleasures ... The theme could not be more topical ... It packs in a wealth of ideas and human drama - and gives a fresh view of centuries of social conflict seen through a geographer's lens.' - The Financial Times

'Spend some time with Simon Winchester, and you will sail oceans, survive earthquakes, peer into volcanoes, pore over maps, mine the origins of language and measure the immeasurable world ... Poignant ... Winchester is good ... adding dashes of drama, narrative, indignation and, above all, connection to disparate historical accounts ... There is soul in this book ... A stirring call for communal imperatives, even if its history recounts the constant allure of private ownership.' - The Washington Post

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“'Insert Bookish Joy Here'”

An absolute dream of a book. The polymath and ever a wanderer of intellectual history, Winchester here tackles not one issue but two and three and four. He talks about what is knowledge, how we acquire it and how our... More

Hardback edition
6 similar books recommended
Helpful? Upvote 8
Dave at Hastings

“A rollercoaster of interesting things!”

This constantly surprising, always fascinating journey through the history of knowledge and how it is passed on is a must read for anyone interested in... well, anything!! Winchester manages to weave an incredibly... More

Hardback edition
Helpful? Upvote 4

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