How to Invent Everything

What would you do if you found yourself unexpectedly stranded in the past, with your only hope of return being the reconstruction of civilisation from the ground up? How to Invent Everything by Ryan North equips you for just such a scenario. This brilliant guide is not only a compendium of human ingenuity but also an entertaining manual that promises to make you an indispensable traveller through time.

How to Invent Everything opens with an imaginative premise: your time machine has malfunctioned, leaving you stuck in a primitive era. Your mission? To rebuild civilisation quickly and efficiently. Whether you're setting up agricultural systems, revolutionising communication, or innovating healthcare, this book provides you with the essential knowledge to leapfrog humanity out of the primordial darkness into an enlightened future.

Ryan North, an acclaimed author, programmer, and comic book legend, combines wit and wisdom to bring to life the very inventions and discoveries that humanity has painstakingly accumulated over millennia. His detailed blueprint aims to accelerate human progress, thus sparing you from the eons it took for early humans to stumble upon crucial innovations. Through a blend of science, engineering, mathematics, art, music, and philosophy, North offers a crash course in human advancement—all packaged in a delightfully readable format.

Incorporating extensive research and enlivened by North's trademark humour, How to Invent Everything delves into the pivotal technologies that ushered in each epoch of human development. From the invention of writing and the domestication of plants and animals to the humble yet transformative button and the profound impact of birth control, this book is a treasure trove of information. Each chapter unfolds like an enthralling story, making the acquisition of knowledge feel as exhilarating as a great time-travel novel.

How to Invent Everything has rightfully earned a spot among BBC Focus magazine’s top books of 2018, appealing to fans of What If? and The Worst-Case Scenario Handbook. Its combination of historical insight and practical advice makes it a must-read for geeks, history buffs, and curious minds alike.

So if you’ve ever secretly wondered whether you could improve upon the timeline of history, this is the book that lets you find out how. Dive into How to Invent Everything and get ready to make history—on your second try.