I find the above commentary by author Steven Berlin Johnson to be pretty thought provoking. Recently, I’ve started to drink decaffeinated tea during the day in replace of coffee. The main reason I decided to do this is because the caffeine overload coming from my 5 cup a day addiction was starting to wreck my productivity during the afternoon at work and my sleep at night. Instead of combating my low energy with Red Bull or my lack of sleep with a drug like Lunesta, I decided to just cut back on coffee. Plain and simple. It worked. Now I have more energy during the day and I sleep better on most nights.
Should I consider that simple decision to be a small step toward the progress of all mankind? Was it a minuscule form of modern evolution? Maybe. Or maybe it was just common sense. Regardless, I like the thinking behind all of this. The idea that a seemingly small decision made at one point in history, amplified over time can effect an entire civilization for decades.
Keep reading for more information on Steven Johnson, a link to a full version of the video above and his latest book, The Invention of Air.
Below is the description of the above video on YouTube:
Author Steven Johnson links the rise of coffee house culture to the Age of Enlightenment. Before coffee replaced beer as the daytime drink of choice, says Johnson, “the entire culture basically was drunk all day long.”
Steven Johnson is the author of the US bestsellers Mind Wide Open and Emergence. His most recent book is The Invention of Air. Johnson’s writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, The Guardian, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He also writes for Discover magazine and Wired.com, and was co-founder of the award-winning websites FEED and Plastic.com. He teaches at New York University’s Interactive Telecommunications Program and also hosts a weblog at www.stevenberlinjohnson.com.
Steven Johnson’s full video -> http://fora.tv/
Steven Johnson’s latest book -> The Invention of Air
