{"product_id":"knowing-what-we-know-the-transmission-of-knowledge-from-ancient-wisdom-to-modern-magic-9780063142893","title":"Knowing What We Know: The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFrom 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.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith 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?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Studded with strange and fascinating details, \u003cem\u003eKnowing What We Know\u003c\/em\u003e 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 \u003cem\u003eCogito, ergo sum\u003c\/em\u003e--\"I think therefore I am,\" the foundation for human knowledge widely accepted since the Enlightenment--still hold?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e And what will the world be like if no one in it is wise?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Simon Winchester\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Harper Perennial\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/23\/2024\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 432\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.69lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.96h x 5.31w x 1.01d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780063142893\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWinchester, Simon:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSimon Winchester\u003c\/strong\u003e is the acclaimed author of many books, including \u003cem\u003eThe Professor and the Madman, The Men Who United the States, The Map That Changed the World, The Man Who Loved China, A Crack in the Edge of the World, \u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eKrakatoa, \u003c\/em\u003e all of which were \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestsellers and appeared on numerous best and notable lists. In 2006, Winchester was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty the Queen. He resides in western Massachusetts.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43778237005939,"sku":"9.78006E+12","price":24.89,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/9255\/0515\/files\/img_f1bad580-4772-44ce-b1c2-411b7ef04db8.jpg?v=1757506905","url":"https:\/\/bookstorenmore.com\/products\/knowing-what-we-know-the-transmission-of-knowledge-from-ancient-wisdom-to-modern-magic-9780063142893","provider":"Bookstore N More","version":"1.0","type":"link"}