Bad Ideas?: An Arresting History of Our Inventions
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Review
"Robert Winston's Bad Ideas: An Arresting History of Our Inventions is a provocative inversion of traditional histories of scientific ingenuity... by the end I realised that what Winston's own powerful and well-paced narration had opened my eyes to was the importance of the non-scientific being better informed. Stuffed with unusual gems, his history goes some way to achieving that; it also delivers a sober warning to scientists too eager to achieve glittering prizes."
--Christina Hardyment, "The Times
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--Christina Hardyment, "The Times
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Book Description
From the axe to the internet - the hidden dangers of man's impulse to invent
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Erudite and richly informative, this is a brilliantly written book whose arrival couldn't be more welcome and timely.
Ostensibly it is the history of man's technological progress from thousands of years ago to today - R Winston asks whether it really is progress at all: in pursuing better lives for ourselves have we set ourselves on a collective march towards self-annihilation, of our own species and of the rest of the planet? Fairly portentous stuff then. Though don't be mistaken into believing that this book is all doom and gloom or relentless pessimism...in fact much of it is also a celebration of man's inventiveness, creativity, adaptability and versatility - indeed no other animal has come close to what we have achieved in this respect. Plus the book is peppered with regular doses of good humour and humility - refreshingly there are many instances where Winston generously acknowledges and praises fellow doctor's or scientists's achievements (and one wonders whether this is a grace sorely lacking in other scientist's repertoire). By chronicling man's inventions and their unexpected consequences, Winston covers a whole myriad of topics: farming, medicine, weaponry, even writing and communication -but for me as a lay person, the most arresting and interesting chapters were the those about science and the scientific community, and I suspect that will be the case for most people. As a whole, the book is brave, inspiring fascinating and compelling - it encourages us to embrace the ethical challenges of the future and offers us hope in doing so. Above all, it's a really really good read.
Ostensibly it is the history of man's technological progress from thousands of years ago to today - R Winston asks whether it really is progress at all: in pursuing better lives for ourselves have we set ourselves on a collective march towards self-annihilation, of our own species and of the rest of the planet? Fairly portentous stuff then. Though don't be mistaken into believing that this book is all doom and gloom or relentless pessimism...in fact much of it is also a celebration of man's inventiveness, creativity, adaptability and versatility - indeed no other animal has come close to what we have achieved in this respect. Plus the book is peppered with regular doses of good humour and humility - refreshingly there are many instances where Winston generously acknowledges and praises fellow doctor's or scientists's achievements (and one wonders whether this is a grace sorely lacking in other scientist's repertoire). By chronicling man's inventions and their unexpected consequences, Winston covers a whole myriad of topics: farming, medicine, weaponry, even writing and communication -but for me as a lay person, the most arresting and interesting chapters were the those about science and the scientific community, and I suspect that will be the case for most people. As a whole, the book is brave, inspiring fascinating and compelling - it encourages us to embrace the ethical challenges of the future and offers us hope in doing so. Above all, it's a really really good read.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
As a writer and broadcaster, Professor Winston has developed an impressive skill in communicating to the layman the complexities of the subject to which he has devoted much of his life - namely science. Previous books like Human Instinct and the Human Mind explored and explained the riddles of inherited behaviour and the brain, but here Winston goes much further, in what is perhaps his most impressive work. 'Bad Ideas?' is a fascinating take on the history of science, posing the question 'have our inventions really helped us, or have they continually sowed the seeds of our own destruction'.
From the very start the book asks us to really think about the implications of innovation. 2 million years ago, our ancestors began using stones as tools - gradually sharpening them to allow us to hunt, to cut meat, and so on. Winston suggests that human technology, which enabled us to control our own environment - even to the point of modifying the evolution of the species - stemmed essentially from the development of the stone hand axe. But what could be used to hunt for food could also be used to kill other humans. That tool that helped our brains develop through consumption of fat rich meat, also refined murder and enabled war and weaponry. What becomes clear over the many wonderful anecdotes that fill this book is that, from those very first innovations, every scientific progress has its light and dark sides. Which brings us to what seems to be the crux of 'Bad Ideas?'. Although warning that science has brought humankind to perhaps the brink of its own destruction - through nuclear fission, climate change, pandemic threats, even nanotechnology - Winston makes clear that the the key to our future, and the future of science, is communication. The book suggests we must have more dialogue about innovation, more consideration of ethics, and make science as open, accessible and exciting to the general pubic as possible.
The subject that many claim bored them at school is truly key to every aspect of our modern lives. 'Bad Ideas?' is a call to the lay person that science is really ready to talk everyone's language.
From the very start the book asks us to really think about the implications of innovation. 2 million years ago, our ancestors began using stones as tools - gradually sharpening them to allow us to hunt, to cut meat, and so on. Winston suggests that human technology, which enabled us to control our own environment - even to the point of modifying the evolution of the species - stemmed essentially from the development of the stone hand axe. But what could be used to hunt for food could also be used to kill other humans. That tool that helped our brains develop through consumption of fat rich meat, also refined murder and enabled war and weaponry. What becomes clear over the many wonderful anecdotes that fill this book is that, from those very first innovations, every scientific progress has its light and dark sides. Which brings us to what seems to be the crux of 'Bad Ideas?'. Although warning that science has brought humankind to perhaps the brink of its own destruction - through nuclear fission, climate change, pandemic threats, even nanotechnology - Winston makes clear that the the key to our future, and the future of science, is communication. The book suggests we must have more dialogue about innovation, more consideration of ethics, and make science as open, accessible and exciting to the general pubic as possible.
The subject that many claim bored them at school is truly key to every aspect of our modern lives. 'Bad Ideas?' is a call to the lay person that science is really ready to talk everyone's language.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I wasn't too sure what to expect when a friend gave me a copy of this book as a present. For some reason, I thought it was going to be a variation of the Darwin Awards. Instead I found the book a wide-ranging and provoking read giving different views on many commonly used discoveries/inventions. I found the easy style of his writing made the book entertaining while being informative (something I didn't always encounter at school). I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
More Bad Ideas!
A wonderful book that is well worth reading! If you've enjoyed this you might also enjoy "Charcot's Bad Idea" by Simon Overton
Charcot's Bad Idea
Charcot's Bad Idea
Published 6 months ago by Martin Eden
Very good and enjoyable
This makes for a very enjoyable read. It is a brilliant overview of several different areas and it is well written.
Published 11 months ago by Lee
Slow starter....
The book is very slow to get going, after the first 5 chapters things pick up. Personnally I felt it slightly bias towards the Jewish religion. See what you think.
Published 19 months ago by trix018
Powerful review of ideas, science, technologial development and the...
Erudite or what? Robert Winstone has a phenomenal understanding and overview of an amazing number of scientific subjects from the origins of farming, communications, writing, and... Read more
Published on 2 May 2010 by M. Hillmann
Written in a hurry!
Interesting - but reads like a collection of course notes. A good editor could make a book out of this.
Published on 30 Mar 2010 by Mr. R. Dyett
Bad Ideas Are Super
I am reminded of the quote from Pope," and still they marvelled, still the wonder grew,
that one small head could carry all he knew. Read more
that one small head could carry all he knew. Read more
Published on 27 Mar 2010 by Jean S. Sampson
A Good Idea For A Book
Robert Winston has a desire to explain science rather than preach it. In the case of stem cells Winston was the first writer who provided for myself a clear picture of what was... Read more
Published on 26 Mar 2010 by Neutral
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