Publisher's Synopsis
What do the Hubble Telescope, Buffalo Bill, and the Spanish Inquisition have in common, and how is the answer found in a certain fast food chain? How do margarine's strange origins tie in to plankton shells, receding stars, hot chocolate, and the first solo Atlantic flight? Continuing the fascinating journey he began in THE PINBALL EFFECT, James Burke shows how seemingly unrelated ideas and innovations bounce off each other, spinning a vast web of knowledge. Burke explains how the Internet is responsible for bringing these connections to light and claims this new awareness of our interdependence, with each other and with the past, will change our lives. Taking Burke's webbed approach to knowledge is one way that we can manage our information overload as we approach the ever-more-complex world that awaits us in the Twenty-First Century. Only by understanding the interrelated nature of the modern world can we hope to identify complex patterns of change and direct the process of innovation to the common good.
