Inventing the World. Venice and the transformation of western civilization.

Book Review 

Reading time: 2 minutes 

by Philippa Hadlow 

Inventing the World. Venice and the transformation of western civilization. 
By Meredith F. Small

Pegasus Books, 2020
Rating: 3.43 out of 5 on Goodreads 

Inventing the World is the tale of how one small place had an outsized influence on the development of Western culture: Venice.

It’s a tiny city as similar in geographical façade now as it was centuries ago, in fact, it’s been said that if famous lover Casanova dropped into Venice today for a spot of wooing, he’d have no problem navigating his way from one fair lady to another! 

Venice epitomises a continuity of culture and society that’s quite unique. But who’d have thought that such an isolated and diminutive town could affect the world’s most interesting and important inventions?

Anthropologist Meredith Small happened upon this captivating fact when, studying in Venice, she unsuspectingly overheard a street conversation about its history of incredible creativity. Once tuned in to Venice’s innovative roots, Ms Small was swept up in a maelstrom of discoveries that warranted documentation, and thus Inventing the World. Venice and the transformation of western civilization was born.    

From the year 675 when the Lagoon Islands got together and formed the first government based on a system of checks and balances, through to 1546 when Girolamo Fracastoro identified the germ theory of infectious disease, to 1858 when Luigi di Lucia invented the original digital clock, Venice has been at the forefront of literally thousands of ‘firsts’ that have had a powerful effect on modern civilisation. 

Whether it was boats, money, medicine, or face cream; the opera, forks, sunglasses, or semicolons; tiramisu or child-labour laws; or how we think about community, health care, money, consumerism, and globalization, Venice has been – and still is – a mover and a shaker of Western culture.

Applauded and encouraged by Venetian locals, as well as erudite commentators, Ms Small has put together an intensively researched and cited book that will open your eyes to the charms of Venice’s entrepreneurship and social genius.

“Ms. Small looks at the history of Venice, Italy from the perspective of its peoples’ many innovations and inventions. Entertaining and full of interesting information you cannot find elsewhere in such a well-organized and well-written format.” – Jonathan A. Titus, United States

About the author

Meredith F. Small is a professor of anthropology at Cornell University and the author of several books. She has written for Natural History Magazine, Discover, Scientific American, and is a commentator for National Public Radio’s All Things Considered. 

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