Any invention - not simply certificate of human quick wits, this explanation that, how our world is arranged, what invisible systems like the global chains of deliveries, ubiquitous information, money surround us. In the book of Tim Харфорда on the example of fifty inventions, such as a paper, штрихкоды, intellectual property, written language et al, the keen details functioning are illuminated world economies and told about that, how new ideas change balance of economic powers and our way of life.Book for those, who is interested in history and economy and wants to understand how our world is arranged.In Russian language published first.