The Wonder Box

Resumen del libro

What three millennia of human history can tell us about how to live today? A Renaissance Wunderkammer, to which the title refers, was a curiosity cabinet full of fascinating objects, each with a story behind it: perhaps a miniature Turkish abacus or a Japanese netsuke. The Wonderbox is the same: full of stories and ideas from many cultures and periods, it makes fascinating connections between past and present, to give practical advice about rethinking how we live. Cultural historian Roman Krznaric looks at what the Greeks have to say about being a good lover; what the pin factories of the industrial revolution can tell us about work, and how an encounter with Ming dynasty China might change our views on bringing up our children, or taking care of our parents. From love and creativity to money and travel, Krznaric unearths the customs and beliefs from ancient and modern history that are most relevant to the decisions we make today.