The celebrated scientist and author of Why Information Grows reveals how knowledge moves
drives progress and shapes the world We all understand that knowledge shapes the fate of
business and the growth of nations but few of us are aware of the principles that govern its
movement. In The Infinite Alphabet César A. Hidalgo world-renowned for his work on economic
complexity unravels the laws describing the growth and diffusion of knowledge. To understand
it he shows we must accept that it is not a single thing but an ever-growing tapestry of
unique ideas experiences and received wisdom: an infinite alphabet that we are only beginning
to fathom. Hidalgo walks you through the 'three laws' that predict how knowledge grows moves
and decays. Through dozens of stories he takes the reader from a failed attempt to build a
city of knowledge in Ecuador to the growth of China's innovation economy explaining why
aircraft manufacturers in Italy began manufacturing scooters after the Second World War and how
migrants like Samuel Slater shaped the industrial fabric of the United States. By the end of
this journey you will understand everything from why knowledge grows exponentially in the
electronics industry to what mechanisms allow knowledge to cross geographic borders social
networks and professional boundaries. These principles will teach you how knowledge shapes
the world.
