The Knowledge: How To Rebuild Our World From Scratch (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
First thing first. If you are looking for a survival guide, preppers handbook, or anything of the sort, then this book is not for you. This is actually a combination of a history book and science textbook. It teaches the reader about the progression of technology and science throughout history, from our first cities and agriculture, to the scientific method and electronics. It uses the end of our civilization as a framing device and, starting from scratch, explains how each new idea and invention from our history lead to the next, discusses the history behind them and the impact they had on society, and how to build everything from plows to radios using simple tools or the products of technology it has already covered.This is a very good book, and you will learn a lot from it. The format makes it very easy to read and by explaining advanced modern (and old) technology and theory as a slow and gradual progression of tools being used to make more advanced tools (and showing you how to make them yourself) it becomes very accessible. This book should not be used as a handbook (despite the name). This is instead one of the most accessible and practical books you can find about technology throughout history and how they work. One of those books which makes me read interesting facts out loud to other people (which I'm sure must be deeply irritating). I generally enjoyed it, although at times I felt it got too bogged down in unnecessary detail. Not sure I needed to know all the advanced chemistry or radio technology. I also felt that the author was concentrating a little too much on getting back to today's technology, rather than thinking about trying to avoid recreating existing, problematic tech such as the use of chemical fertilisers.I got the feeling that I was being told "Science is really neat!" without any reflection on other important aspects of human development. Like social justice and environmental stewardship.There's also the problem of the particular apocalyptic scenario the book is based on. This knowledge is all fine if we have a plague which only some of the human race survive, but what do we need to know if the apocalypse is caused instead by a meteor strike, or massive volcanic eruption?
What do You think about The Knowledge: How To Rebuild Our World From Scratch (2014)?
Kind of interesting...but, not enough so and I eventually lost interest in lieu of other books...
—Serrot
Heavy on the chemistry. The diversity of topics covered is broad and interesting
—Kissa
Good information. It made me realize how weak my chemistry education is.
—Sharon
Fascinating but very dense. One to pop back into every now and then.
—ericcampoy
