From teabags to television, emails to electricity and the jiffy bag to the jet engine, discover what inspired the world’s greatest inventions with The Observer Book of Invention.

In this book we talk to renowned inventors, patent experts, futurologists, academics and neuroscientists to get to the bottom of our inventive drive.  Along the way we tell stories of some of the most inventive men and women in history and explain how some of the everyday items we now take for granted came into existence.

Plus discover the coincidences behind those famous ‘Eureka’ moments, explore the great invention labs of history and maybe learn a thing or two for discovering your own invention.