The Birth of Now

In 1870, more than 4,000 years after it was built, the Great Pyramid at Giza in Egypt was still the world's tallest man-made structure. By 2010, only 140 years later, there were more than 10,000 buildings taller than the Great Pyramid. This book is about what caused this change and what will change next. Why did change take so long to happen? Why did it start in North West Europe?

The Birth of Now looks at what made the Industrial Revolution – and the financial, transport, agricultural and political revolutions – all happen at the same time. Previous ideas are reviewed – empire, geography, politics, coal or inventions – with remarkable new findings, until the 'smoking gun' is found and we know what started it all, what triggered the Birth of Now. Once it started, we see the astonishing rate of transformation in the Victorian age and, in the last part of the book, see how our view of the future is changed.

The Birth of Now follows Jamie Cawley's previous break-through book, Beliefs, in transforming our understanding of the world. This book will allow readers to see the world in a new way, that will make them think and understand better what happened then and what is happening now. Ideal for anyone looking for a new perspective on the modern world, The Birth of Now is a fascinating read that will appeal to those interested in 20th century history.