Bad ideas? An arresting history of our inventions

'Bad ideas' traces the fascinating history of 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 of these 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, the reader joins Robert Winston on a thrilling journey from our earliest days to the present. The reader learns about the history of modern science, engineering, IT and more.

The reader meets the individuals who played a key role in their development, and share 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.