5.0
Stranger Than We Can Imagine An Alternative History of the 20th Century
by John Higgs
The extraordinary story of the 20th century, as told from the furthest fringes of science, art and culture. For readers of Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything.
Before 1900, history was an account of great discoveries that actually made sense. People understand innovations like the steam engine, agriculture, or electricity. The twentieth century, by contrast, gave us quantum entanglement, cubism, relativity, psychedelics, postmodernism, chaos maths, and the Somme.
This is the story of that confusing century as told through the ideas produced at the furthest fringes of our sciences, arts, and culture. Its cast includes well-known geniuses such as Albert Einstein, Francis Crick, and Pablo Picasso, lesser known geniuses like Edward Lorenz, Sergey Korolyov, or Shigeru Miyamoto, and infamous but influential ne'er-do-wells like Timothy Leary, Aleister Crowley and Keith Richards. In this company we take a tour through ideas as strange as general relativity, DNA, the subconscious, Gaia theory, and Dada.
In this brilliantly written and original book, John Higgs explores, with great clarity and wit, the extremes of twentieth century thought, and in doing so shows how a world of empires became a world of individuals. You will never see the twentieth century in the same way again.
Before 1900, history was an account of great discoveries that actually made sense. People understand innovations like the steam engine, agriculture, or electricity. The twentieth century, by contrast, gave us quantum entanglement, cubism, relativity, psychedelics, postmodernism, chaos maths, and the Somme.
This is the story of that confusing century as told through the ideas produced at the furthest fringes of our sciences, arts, and culture. Its cast includes well-known geniuses such as Albert Einstein, Francis Crick, and Pablo Picasso, lesser known geniuses like Edward Lorenz, Sergey Korolyov, or Shigeru Miyamoto, and infamous but influential ne'er-do-wells like Timothy Leary, Aleister Crowley and Keith Richards. In this company we take a tour through ideas as strange as general relativity, DNA, the subconscious, Gaia theory, and Dada.
In this brilliantly written and original book, John Higgs explores, with great clarity and wit, the extremes of twentieth century thought, and in doing so shows how a world of empires became a world of individuals. You will never see the twentieth century in the same way again.
HistoryModern20th Century
RELEASED2015
PUBLISHERMcClelland & Stewart
LENGTH352
LANGUAGEEN
John Higgs is a British author who explores overlooked narratives in history and culture, often challenging conventional perspectives. His work frequently delves into countercultural figures and movements that exist outside mainstream viewpoints. Among his most recognized books is The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band Who Burned a Million Pounds, which examines the intersection of pop music and radical art, and Stranger Than We Can Imagine: Making Sense of the Twentieth Century, which offers an alternative perspective on the complexities of the 20th century. His latest book, William Blake vs The World, investigates Blake’s visionary ideas while linking them to contemporary discussions in neurobiology, quantum physics, and comparative religion. Beyond writing, Higgs is an active public speaker, having appeared at events hosted by institutions such as Tate Britain and the British Library. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked in television animation, created a BBC Radio 4 quiz show, and was involved in video game production.
5.0
Stranger Than We Can Imagine An Alternative History of the 20th Century
by John Higgs
The extraordinary story of the 20th century, as told from the furthest fringes of science, art and culture. For readers of Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything.
Before 1900, history was an account of great discoveries that actually made sense. People understand innovations like the steam engine, agriculture, or electricity. The twentieth century, by contrast, gave us quantum entanglement, cubism, relativity, psychedelics, postmodernism, chaos maths, and the Somme.
This is the story of that confusing century as told through the ideas produced at the furthest fringes of our sciences, arts, and culture. Its cast includes well-known geniuses such as Albert Einstein, Francis Crick, and Pablo Picasso, lesser known geniuses like Edward Lorenz, Sergey Korolyov, or Shigeru Miyamoto, and infamous but influential ne'er-do-wells like Timothy Leary, Aleister Crowley and Keith Richards. In this company we take a tour through ideas as strange as general relativity, DNA, the subconscious, Gaia theory, and Dada.
In this brilliantly written and original book, John Higgs explores, with great clarity and wit, the extremes of twentieth century thought, and in doing so shows how a world of empires became a world of individuals. You will never see the twentieth century in the same way again.
Before 1900, history was an account of great discoveries that actually made sense. People understand innovations like the steam engine, agriculture, or electricity. The twentieth century, by contrast, gave us quantum entanglement, cubism, relativity, psychedelics, postmodernism, chaos maths, and the Somme.
This is the story of that confusing century as told through the ideas produced at the furthest fringes of our sciences, arts, and culture. Its cast includes well-known geniuses such as Albert Einstein, Francis Crick, and Pablo Picasso, lesser known geniuses like Edward Lorenz, Sergey Korolyov, or Shigeru Miyamoto, and infamous but influential ne'er-do-wells like Timothy Leary, Aleister Crowley and Keith Richards. In this company we take a tour through ideas as strange as general relativity, DNA, the subconscious, Gaia theory, and Dada.
In this brilliantly written and original book, John Higgs explores, with great clarity and wit, the extremes of twentieth century thought, and in doing so shows how a world of empires became a world of individuals. You will never see the twentieth century in the same way again.
HistoryModern20th Century
RELEASED2015
PUBLISHERMcClelland & Stewart
LENGTH352
LANGUAGEEN
John Higgs is a British author who explores overlooked narratives in history and culture, often challenging conventional perspectives. His work frequently delves into countercultural figures and movements that exist outside mainstream viewpoints. Among his most recognized books is The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band Who Burned a Million Pounds, which examines the intersection of pop music and radical art, and Stranger Than We Can Imagine: Making Sense of the Twentieth Century, which offers an alternative perspective on the complexities of the 20th century. His latest book, William Blake vs The World, investigates Blake’s visionary ideas while linking them to contemporary discussions in neurobiology, quantum physics, and comparative religion. Beyond writing, Higgs is an active public speaker, having appeared at events hosted by institutions such as Tate Britain and the British Library. Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked in television animation, created a BBC Radio 4 quiz show, and was involved in video game production.
