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From the bestselling author of The Knowledge
Web come fifty mesmerizing journeys into the history of
technology, each following a chain of consequential events
that ends precisely where it began. Whether exploring electromagnetic
fields, the origin of hot chocolate, or DNA fingerprinting,
these essays -- which originally appeared in James Burke's
popular Scientific American column -- all illustrate
the serendipitous and surprisingly circular nature of change.
In "Room with (Half) a View,"
for instance, Burke muses about the partly obscured railway
bridge outside his home on the Thames. Thinking of the bridge
engineer, who also built the steamship that laid the first
transatlantic telegraph cable, causes him to recall Samuel
Morse; which, in turn, conjures up Morse's neighbor, firearms
inventor Sam Colt, and his rival, Remington. One dizzying
connection after another leads to Karl Marx's daughter,
who attended Socialist meetings with a trombonist named
Gustav Holst, who once lived in the very house that blocks
Burke's view of the bridge on the Thames. Burke's essays
all evoke this organic manner, highlighting the interconnectedness
of seemingly unrelated events and innovations. Romantic
poetry leads to brandy distillation; tonic water connects
through Leibniz to the first explorers to reach the North
Pole.
Witty, instructive, and endlessly entertaining,
Circles expands on the trademark style that has captivated
James Burke fans for years. This unique collection is sure
to stimulate and delight history buffs, technophiles, and
anyone else with a healthy intellectual curiosity.
James Burke's books include the bestselling
Connections, The Pinball Effect, The Day
the Universe Changed, and The Knowledge Web. He
contributes a monthly column to Scientific American
and serves as director, writer, and host of the television
series Connections 3, which airs on the Learning
Channel. He lives in London, England.
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