From the creation of the first encyclopedia to Wikipedia, from
ancient museums to modern kindergarten classes--this 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 memorization--are we risking our ability
to think? As we empty our minds, will we one day be incapable of
thoughtfulness? Addressing these questions, Simon Winchester
explores how humans have attained, stored, and disseminated
knowledge. Examining such disciplines as education, journalism,
encyclopedia creation, museum curation, photography, and
broadcasting, he looks at a whole range of knowledge
diffusion--from the cuneiform writings of Babylon to the
machine-made genius of artificial intelligence, by way of
Gutenberg, Google, and Wikipedia to the huge Victorian assemblage
of the Mundanaeum, the collection of everything ever known,
currently stored in a damp basement in northern Belgium. 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? Does Rene
Descartes's Cogito, ergo sum--"I think therefore I am," the
foundation for human knowledge widely accepted since the
Enlightenment--still hold? And what will the world be like if no
one in it is wise?
General
| Imprint: |
Collins
|
| Country of origin: |
United States |
| Release date: |
April 2024 |
| Authors: |
Simon Winchester
|
| Dimensions: |
203 x 135mm (L x W) |
| Pages: |
464 |
| ISBN-13: |
978-0-06-314289-3 |
| Categories: |
Books
Promotions
|
| LSN: |
0-06-314289-9 |
| Barcode: |
9780063142893 |
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