Bad Ideas?: An Arresting History of Our Inventions

by Robert Winston

We are born with the instinct to create and invent. Indeed our ability to do so is what separates we humans from the rest of the animal world. The moment man first converted a stone to a useful tool set him on a relentless path toward greater power over his environment. But have our creative ideas always produced desirable results in line with their original good intention? Have they really served us well? "Bad Ideas?" traces the fascinating history of our attempts at self-improvement but also questions their value. The dubious consequences of the development of weaponry, for example, is self-evident. But what of apparently more innocuous inventions such as farming, writing or medicine? All started off for the greater good but have since produced unforeseen fallout that continues to this day. What are their undesirable side-effects, when did they emerge and where will they take us in the future? Written against a huge historical canvas, we join Robert Winston on a thrilling journey from our earliest days to the present. We learn about the history of modern science, engineering, IT and much more. We meet the individuals who played a key role in their development, and share quirky anecdotes about their lives and brainwaves. Inspiring, unusual, and at times controversial, "Bad Ideas?" assesses the past and also looks forward to the opportunities and ethical challenges of the future. In so doing it celebrates man's extraordinary capacity for achievement whilst warning us that his good intentions can sometimes end up as thoroughly bad ideas.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, History, Audiobook

432 pages, Hardcover

First published February 24, 2009

About the author

The Right Honourable Professor The Lord Robert Maurice Lipson Winston

Reviews

[Steve Haywood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't generally read popular science books, or didn't before reading this book - I preferred history and the occasional travel book. Now, I'm looking for more good science books to read.

The basic premise of the book is that mankind's inventions and scientific discoveries, haven't all necessarily been a good thing, and they all have bad and unfortunately consequences which were not even thought of when the discoveries were made. This neatly chimes with my own thinking, which is a good starting point (and one of the main reasons why I picked up the book). Robert Winston picked several big scientific advancements to talk about: agriculture, writing, fuel/energy and medicine being the main ones. I thought writing and its follow up, digital communication, a bit weak, it seemed this was the area the author was least confident on. Obviously given his background as a doctor, medicine was the strongest area, but I found the section on agriculture particularly good as well. Winston charts the history of progress in each area, then talks about the issues/problems that are already arising, as well as looking to the future.

I found this a fascinating, eye-opening book. It was very readable, it had a real page turning quality and the science was pitched at the right level, not being too technical but not being too lightweight either. A really good book, highly recommended!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging and informative look at human innovations and their consequences. Leaves you despairing for the human race and the house of cards we live on.

[JustEvan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing book. There are a few pluses, so not a total loss.
More or less it goes, "Here's something wonderful that mankind worked out. And here's why it's horrible."
Also disappointed in his blind acceptance of Carson's Silent Spring, even though there is no scientific basis for anything she wrote and it was excoriated by scientists who found no corroboration for any of her claims.
Plus for supporting nuclear energy and showing how horrible communism is.

[Robert Bagnall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Expected something like a mirror image of James Burke’s ‘Connections’ - if A hadn’t invented B, C wouldn’t have done something that eventually resulted in Donald Trump or Hitler or Facebook - but, instead, we get a fairly directionless brain dump. Not bad, and maybe two stars is a bit harsh, but I can’t help thinking how much more elegant and engaging, say, Bill Bryson would have handled the material.

[Lukasz Lukomski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Utter chaos. After seeing some of Winston's tv programmes I thought I knew what this book would be about. Got quite a bit of a disappointment. Instead of a history of human inventions (I know, right?) we get a string of facts, events, people and dates. They are rarely connected, sometimes just skimmed over, there's no leading thought throughout the book.

[Rose Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. Didn't agree with everything but that's science for you ; )

[M.G. Mason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two problems with this book:
- It is too basic for an avid popular science reader like me
- The text sometimes rambles on and lacks coherence

[Chalky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started off loving this book, but got a little tired towards the 2nd half.

Well-researched and well written with loads of "insider" insights on the history of scientific, cultural, agricultural and industrial development the format of "this is so great ... But on the other hand the consequences of it maybe aren't" got to wear a bit thin.

I've loved the two TV series of this author that I've seen, but this is a book maybe to read slowly, a chapter a week or by someone with more patience than me.

A good book. A very good reference book. A great read?

[Jason Keenan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title and cover caught my eye, and the idea of a history of inventions got me curious. Turns out to be a balanced and thoughtful look at the role of science in society -- the good, the bad, the worrying, and the inspirational. I'm also worried that there will be too much political spin when it comes to looking at science, but Winston avoids this. He strives at truth rather than a partisan message. Well worth a read.

[Vineet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly gripping read... Not sure whether I would classify it as a science text or historical, or a history of science, but frankly the classification is irrelevant.

Meticulously researched and objectively presented though fairly opinionated (so how is that even possible?), this is a cautionary tale of the flip side of our inventiveness as a species.

[Tharmaraj Rajandran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a rather long time to finish this book dus to a busy schedule and the fact that I took my own time to digest all the knowledge this book contained. Very informative and eye-opening. From the story of the Golem to the aphorisms of science that made me look through researchers' eyes, this book was a wonderful learning experience.

[Ginnz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book filled with thought provoking statements about how technology has improved our lives while also introducing more issues. The chapters on Medicine, Power and Genetics are must reads for anyone!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an interesting book - charting man's intellectual achievements and opening the question -was it worth it to us in the long run? Can't fault this book as it is written engagingly and a fascinating subject.

[Vicky P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm afraid I just didn't really enjoy this book. Perhaps the clue was in the title but it was a rather depressing and terribly negative read. I only really pushed through to the end if it because it was my first library ebook.

[Chris Cousins · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and well-researched book by an author who knows his science. The unintended bad effects of some of mankind's greatest inventions are investigated.

The bad effects of things like fire, farming crops and animals, oil and the medical profession are covered.

A recommended read.

[Science For The People]

Recommended on Skeptically Speaking show #90 on December 17, 2010. http://skepticallyspeaking.ca/episode...

[Damien Ayers · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting history of human development and invention.

Somewhat of a depressing read.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read.

[E. Kahn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lost me in Chapter 1. The stuff about the Piraha "tribe" isn't remotely true.

[Johanna Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So interesting!