Steven Berlin Johnson
Author, The Invention of Air. Creator, outside.in.

Steven Johnson is the best-selling author of six books on the intersection of science,
technology and personal experience. His writings have influenced everything from
the way political campaigns use the Internet, to cutting-edge ideas in urban planning,
to the battle against 21st-century terrorism.
Steven's most recent book The Invention of Air tells the story of Joseph Priestly,
the Founding Fathers, and how innovative ideas emerge and spread in society and
drive historical change. Like his award-winning previous book, The Ghost Map, The
Invention of Air uses a surprising historical and biographical narrative to discuss
ideas that have profoundly shaped our modern world.
Steven has also co-created three influential web sites: the pioneering online magazine
FEED, the Webby-Award-winning community site, Plastic.com, and most recently the
hyperlocal media site outside.in.
Both social critic and technologist, Steven has a genius for mapping the future—for
predicting and explaining the real-world impact of cutting-edge developments in
science, technology and media.
Steven is a contributing editor to Wired magazine. He lectures widely on technological,
scientific, and cultural issues. Steven has also written for The New York Times,
The Wall Street Journal, The Nation, and many other periodicals. He's appeared on
many high-profile television programs, including The Charlie Rose Show, The Daily
Show with Jon Stewart, and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. He blogs at stevenberlinjohnson.com.
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