Books by steven johnson

Readers shy about slapping electrodes on their own temples can get a vicarious scientific thrill as the author tries out empathy tests, neurofeedback, and MRI scans. The results paint a distinct picture of the author and uncover general brain secrets at the same time. ...Read More »

In the groundbreaking tradition of "Complexity" and "The Society of Mind, " visionary guru Johnson makes sense of the cutting-edge theory of emergence and demonstrates its relevance in today's--and tomorrow's--world. Illustrations. ...Read More »

Bestselling author Steven Johnson recounts—in dazzling, multidisciplinary fashion—the story of the brilliant man who embodied the relationship between science, religion, and politics for America’s Founding Fathers. The Invention of Air.The Invention of Air is a book of world-changing ideas wrapped around a compelling narrative, a story of genius and violence and friendship in the... ...Read More »

Popular culture is often seen as nothing more than the production of endless entertainment video games, computer games, hand-held games, movies and music on computers. It's common currency to talk about the declining standards of today's culture to say that modern media is dumbing us down. In this complex and tautly written book, Steven Johnson presents a radical alternative: mass culture is makin... ...Read More »

Forget what you thought you knew about yourself and open your mind wide You are part reptile, part mammal, part primate. You are a dopamine fiend. You are a walking assembly of patterns and waves, clusters of neurons firing in sync with one another ' In Mind Wide Open Steven Johnson takes us on a journey to the frontiers of brain science and reveals exactly how we're hardwired to think and feel. ... ...Read More »

As Steven Johnson explains with a rare lucidity in Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities and Software, an individual ant, like an individual neuron, is just about as dumb as can be. Connect enough of them together properly, though, and you get spontaneous intelligence. Starting with the weird behaviour of the semi-colonial organisms we call slime molds, Johnson details the develop... ...Read More »