Steven Johnson‘s latest piece of essential writing appears in this coming weekend’s New York Times Magazine. “The Brilliant Inventor Who Made Two of History’s Biggest Mistakes” is Steven’s fascinating take on inventor Thomas Midgley Jr., who was responsible for two phenomenally destructive innovations – leaded gasoline and commercial chlorofluorocarbons.

Like everything Steven writes, this article is a fascinating historical telling of innovation that leads directly to our current moment. In this case, he makes clear the connections between development of life-changing innovations of almost 100 years ago and unforeseen consequences of contemporary technological advancements.

Steven’s 13 books all look at invention, history, science, and ideas in similarly new and important ways. Some of our favorites: Extra Life, How We Got to Now, Far Sighted, and Where Good Ideas Come From. If you’re not already familiar with Steven’s work, the online version of Sunday’s article is a great place to start – it contains everything that makes his writing great.

Check out Steven’s webpage for more, including summaries of all his books. Find him on Twitter, and register for his newsletter, Adjacent Possible, a recurring source of wonder and insight delivered right to your inbox.

Find “The Brilliant Inventor Who Made Two of History’s Biggest Mistakes” here, right now – before Sunday’s New York Times hits the front door.

Find “The Brilliant Inventor Who Made Two of History’s Biggest Mistakes” here now – days before Sunday’s New York Times hits the front door.