Read Of The Week (May 21 to May 27)

Knowing What We Know

From the creation of the first encyclopaedia to Wikipedia, from ancient museums to
modern kindergarten classes — here is award-winning writer Simon Winchester’s brilliant and all-encompassing look at how humans acquire, retain, and pass on
information and data, and how technology continues to change our lives and our minds.

With the advent of the internet, any topic we want to know about is instantly available with the touch of a smartphone button. With so much knowledge at our fingertips, what is there left for our brains to do? At a time when we seem to be stripping all value from the idea of knowing things — no need for maths, no need for map reading, no need for memorisation — are we risking our ability to think? As we empty our minds, will we one day be incapable of thoughtfulness?

Addressing these questions, Simon Winchester explores how humans have attained, stored and disseminated knowledge. Examining such disciplines as education, journalism, encyclopaedia creation, museum curation, photography and broadcasting, he looks at a whole range of knowledge diffusion.

Simon Winchester is the bestselling author of The Man Who Loved China, A Crack in the Edge of the World and other titles. In 2006, he was awarded the OBE.