Moiya McTier – författare

A rollicking, enlightening examination of humanity's changing relationship to creativity, written from the perspectives of the Greek Muses. The thing that sets humans apart from other animals is our ability to create, to imagine how one thing could become something else. For millennia, art and science, fueled by creativity, have driven the advancement of civilization. From Socrates to Galileo to Ella Fitzgerald, so-called geniuses have left indelible marks on culture, but the creative's role in society is shifting. The artists and scientists who were once seen as bastions of innovation and enlightenment have been reduced to mere entertainment in the age of media and celebrity. This degradation of art is as harmful as it is boring, putting undue pressure on fallible individuals and eroding the magic of true creative expression. But if you know how to look for them, the powerful and (mostly) benevolent Greek Muses can be seen uplifting creativity as they inspire humanity's major inventions throughout history.In Mothers of Invention, the Greek Muses reveal how they meddled in mortal manners, from using astronomy to make sense of the universe to harnessing electricity to transform life on earth-and Olympus. They show the healing power of art through jazz, the equalizing power of science through healthcare, and the communing power of creativity when we broadcast our stories to the world. In sharing their perspectives on human history, the Muses offer insights into the origins of religion, democracy, and physics, providing a decidedly mythical birds-eye view of these monumental developments. The result is a compelling call to creative action, recognizing the power of collaboration and reframing what it really means when inspiration strikes.

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2022 BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLYAfter a few billion years of bearing witness to life on Earth, of watching one hundred billion humans go about their day-to-day lives, of feeling unbelievably lonely, and of hearing its own story told by others, The Milky Way would like a chance to speak for itself. All one hundred billion stars and fifty undecillion tons of gas of it.It all began some thirteen billion years ago, when clouds of gas scattered through the universe's primordial plasma just could not keep their metaphorical hands off each other. They succumbed to their gravitational attraction, and the galaxy we know as the Milky Way was born. Since then, the galaxy has watched as dark energy pushed away its first friends, as humans mythologized its name and purpose, and as galactic archaeologists have worked to determine its true age (rude). The Milky Way has absorbed supermassive (an actual technical term) black holes, made enemies of a few galactic neighbors, and mourned the deaths of countless stars. Our home galaxy has even fallen in love.After all this time, the Milky Way finally feels that it's amassed enough experience for the juicy tell-all we've all been waiting for. Its fascinating autobiography recounts the history and future of the universe in accessible but scientific detail, presenting a summary of human astronomical knowledge thus far that is unquestionably out of this world.

After a few billion years of bearing witness to life on Earth, of watching one hundred billion humans go about their day-to-day lives, of feeling unbelievably lonely, and of hearing its own story told by others, The Milky Way would like a chance to speak for itself. All one hundred billion stars and fifty undecillion tons of gas of it.It all began some thirteen billion years ago, when clouds of gas scattered through the universe's primordial plasma just could not keep their metaphorical hands off each other. They succumbed to their gravitational attraction, and the galaxy we know as the Milky Way was born. Since then, the galaxy has watched as dark energy pushed away its first friends, as humans mythologized its name and purpose, and as galactic archaeologists have worked to determine its true age (rude). The Milky Way has absorbed supermassive (an actual technical term) black holes, made enemies of a few galactic neighbors, and mourned the deaths of countless stars. Our home galaxy has even fallen in love.After all this time, the Milky Way finally feels that it's amassed enough experience for the juicy tell-all we've all been waiting for. Its fascinating autobiography recounts the history and future of the universe in accessible but scientific detail, presenting a summary of human astronomical knowledge thus far that is unquestionably out of this world.NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2022 BY PUBLISHERS WEEKLY AND SCIENCENETNAMED A BEST AUDIOBOOK OF 2022 BY BOOKPAGE