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Books in the “50 Things That Made the Modern Economy” bookshelf created by BBC World Service

BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy5 years ago
'I found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble,' Caesar Augustus apparently boasted. If so, he wasn’t the only person to dismiss the humble brick. They’ve housed us for tens of thousands of years. They are all rather similar – small enough to fit into a human hand, and half as wide as they are long – and they are absolutely everywhere. Why, asks Tim Harford, are bricks still such an important building technology, how has brickmaking changed over the years, and will we ever see a robot bricklayer?
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BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
Tim Harford tells the story of how Honoré Blanc, a gun-maker in 18th-century France, transformed the way the world manufactures things - but couldn't benefit from his own innovations.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
When the US outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages, it inadvertently created one of the most successful black markets in the world. Tim Harford considers how much it costs to make something illegal, and what a failed law reveals about the way criminals make their money.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
How dependent is the world on GPS - and what would happen if it stopped working? Tim Harford explains why it's not just our ability to navigate that would be affected.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
Spectacles have been around for centuries, and have a huge impact on many people's quality of life. So why is it estimated that more than two billion people aren't aware that they need them? Tim Harford considers the difference that seeing clearly makes to the world.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
In theory, stock options should motivate executives to perform better by tying their pay to their company's performance. So why do some argue the practice has just become a way for the highest earners to boost their salaries even further? Tim Harford turns to ancient Greek philosophy and Bill Clinton's presidency in search of the answer.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
Tim Harford goes back to the 1900s to tell the story of how charity fundraising became big business. But in the social media age, what's the most effective way to get people to give?
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
Solar power has been harnessed by civilisations since the days of the ancient Greeks, but it's now on the verge of being more important than ever. Tim Harford examines how much of a challenge it poses to the energy establishment, and what that could mean for the planet's future.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
Developed for the military, dodging bureaucracy and fuelled by venture capital: canned food blazed a trail many of today's biggest tech innovations have followed. Tim Harford reveals the surprising lessons and cautionary tales lurking under the lid.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
How animals make us smarter – we thought you might like to hear our brand new episode. It’s about a robotic arm inspired by an elephant’s trunk.

For more, search for 30 Animals That Made Us Smarter wherever you get your podcasts.

#30Animals
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
In 1881, James Bonsack developed a machine that made it far easier to mass-produce cigarettes. But at the time, other tobacco products were much more popular – so manufacturers had to find new ways of getting people’s attention. Tim Harford explains why the methods they devised are still working on consumers today.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
In 1952, economist William Vickrey devised an innovative system of turnstiles to help solve a major problem on New York’s subway network. It never became a reality, but, as Tim Harford explains, the idea behind it has had a major influence on how companies decide what to charge us for goods and services today.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
From reliable water supplies to large-scale electricity generation, the benefits brought by dams can be huge. But so can the problems. Tim Harford explains how these massive structures have changed the world for many, but led to catastrophe for others.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
Josiah Wedgwood is arguably the best-known name in the history of pottery - but it's not just his pots that made their mark on history. Tim Harford explains how a business model Wedgwood devised in the 18th Century still underpins the modern fashion industry.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
Johannes Gutenberg's printing press changed the course of human history. It created a new way of doing business, drastically reduced the cost and speed of making books, and enabled texts, ideas and arguments to spread further and faster than ever before. So why did he struggle to make money from it?
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
There are more than 36,000 McDonald's restaurants around the world - but if the McDonald brothers had had their way, that might never have happened. Tim Harford tells the story of how milkshake-mixer salesman Ray Kroc turned their burger business into a global giant, and explains the principles that made his franchising model such a success.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward's miniature greenhouses made it far easier to successfully transport plants, spreading them far beyond their native lands. But that led to major consequences that Ward hadn't foreseen. Tim Harford tells the story of how glass boxes became powerful weapons in the hands of British colonisers.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
Arpanet was a computer network developed in the 1960s that paved the way for today's internet. At its heart was the Interface Message Processor: a massive, heavily armoured box containing the technology that made it possible. Tim Harford takes a look inside.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
Are things only worth what people are willing to pay for them? Tim Harford explains why a method of buying and selling that originated in ancient times has endured to the present day, and is now underpinning the success of some of the internet's most powerful brands.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
Why does Father Christmas wear red and white? It's not for the reason you may think. In an updated version of an episode from 2018, Tim Harford tells the story of Christmas and consumerism.
BBC World Serviceadded an audiobook to the bookshelf50 Things That Made the Modern Economy2 years ago
Women's lives were transformed by sewing machines, which made a "never-ending, ever-beginning task" far less arduous and time-consuming. But Isaac Singer, who made his fortune from these devices, was far from a champion of women's rights. Tim Harford tells a story of how self-interest can sometimes be a powerful driver for social change.
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