Steven Johnson - The Invention of Air

Monday, March 16, 2009

Author and outside.in creator Steven Johnson returned to Providence on March 16th to discuss his latest book "The Invention of Air". Like his recent bestselling work, "The Ghost Map", Johnson uses another little-known historical story to explore themes that have long engaged him: how innovative ideas emerge and spread in a society.

A reflection on religion and science – and how they can co-exist – "The Invention of Air" draws on the fascinating life of the late-18th-century British theologian and political theorist Joseph Priestly, generally credited with discovering oxygen. A protégé of Benjamin Franklin, friend of Thomas Jefferson and radical thinker who played key roles in the invention of ecosystem science as well as the founding of the intellectual development of the United States, Priestly exerted profound influence on the shape and course of America's great experiment in nation-building. Writing for Salon, reviewer Andrew O'Hehir described "The Invention of Air" as "easy and indeed delightful to read. But it aims high. Johnson is a wide-ranging enthusiast with a catholic appetite for intriguing facts and a Marxian appetite for searching for structures that underlie social phenomena."

Related Links

Pay It Forward

Register now for BIF-8 and you will receive a referral code that will reward you 5% for every ticket purchased with it.

Register Now

Exclusive Post-Summit Workshop

Following the BIF-8 Summit, get your hands dirty with Saul Kaplan and Alex Osterwalder, in an exclusive Workshop digging into the challenges and opportunities of business model innovation. Only 100 tickets are available for this exclusive event.

BIF-8 Storytellers

This year will bring us another amazing group of storytellers. Check back often for the latest. Here are some early additions.

Check out all of our past storytellers