The Idea Machine

Joel J. Miller is a former publishing executive with a twenty-year career in writing and editorial work. Today Miller is the chief product officer of Full Focus (FullFocus.co) which produces books, podcasts, courses, and the widely acclaimed Full Focus Planner. First launched in 2017, the Full Focus Planner has now sold over 1 million copies and has been featured in the New York Times, Real Simple, Los Angeles Times, Fast Company, Forbes, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Businessweek, and other outlets. Miller also publishes Millers Book Review (MillersBookReview.com) a popular Substack celebrating literary culture and all things bookish. Miller is the author of The Revolutionary Paul Revere and Lifted by Angels, among others, and his writing has appeared in Reason, The Washington Post, American Spectator, and National Review. Miller lives outside Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, kids, dogs, and more books than space.

Introduction

Marginalia: Ideas Across Time



Basics

1. Socrates, Technophobe?

Marginalia: The Genesis of Writing

1. Upgrading the Mind

Marginalia: Notes to Self

1. Tools for Thinking

Marginalia: Cicero’s Analog AI

1. Clarity at Scale, Almost

Marginalia: By the Book

1. No Books for You

Marginalia: St. Augustine’s Tome



Developments

1. Turning a New Page

Marginalia: Rethinking the Book

1. What the Monks Did

Marginalia: Upping the Data Game

1. God’s Mom and Books for All

Marginalia: One Language to Another

1. Hit Refresh

Marginalia: Paper Pushers

1. Too Many Books?

Marginalia: Readers Unleashed



Applications

1. Reading Nature

Marginalia: The Third Variable

1. Founded on Books

Marginalia: Uncommon Impact

1. Literacy for Liberation

Marginalia: Malcolm X’s Alma Mater

1. Seeing with Other Eyes

Marginalia: The Color of Controversy

1. The Universal Library

Marginalia: Back to the Beginning



Reflections

1. Engines of Change

Thanks

Notes

Image Credits

Index

“As an avid book lover, I feel like this is the book about books I’ve been waiting for my whole life—and didn’t even know it. The Idea Machine is history, literary criticism, philosophy, and bibliophilia all in one—one fascinating, illuminating, and delightful read.” —Karen Swallow Prior, author of On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life in Great Books

~Karen Swallow Prior, author of On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life in Great Books, “As an avid book lover, I feel like this is the book about books I’ve been waiting for my whole life—and didn’t even know it. The Idea Machine is history, litera

As an avid book lover, I feel like this is the book about books I’ve been waiting for my whole life—and didn’t even know it. The Idea Machine is history, literary criticism, philosophy, and bibliophilia all in one—one fascinating, illuminating, and delightful read. 

~William J. Bennett, New York Times bestselling author, former U.S. Secretary of Education, “Joel J. Miller shows that books are more than containers of ideas and vessels for words—they are engines of civilization and moral formation. The Idea Machine

"From the invention of books to the beginnings of AI, Joel Miller has turned the story of books into a truly informative and fun read.” —Armand D’Angour, Professor of Classics, Oxford University

~Armand D’Angour, Professor of Classics, Oxford University, "From the invention of books to the beginnings of AI, Joel Miller has turned the story of books into a truly informative and fun read.”

“A love letter and a revelation about the power of books. Compelling and fascinating history written as an adventure story with the book as hero!” —Gregg Hecimovich, prize-winning historian, author of The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts

~Gregg Hecimovich, prize-winning historian, author of The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts, “A love letter and a revelation about the power of books. Compelling and fascinating history written as an adventure story with the book as hero!”

“A captivating journey through the history of books, libraries, and the written word, and a tribute to the book as one of humanity’s most enduring inventions. This is a celebration of how long-form writing and reading has shaped us—and a warning against leaving it behind.” —Martin Puchner, professor of English and Comparative Literature, Harvard University

~Martin Puchner, professor of English and Comparative Literature, Harvard University, “A captivating journey through the history of books, libraries, and the written word, and a tribute to the book as one of humanity’s most enduring inventions. This is

“A compelling and meticulously researched exploration. Miller argues that books are dynamic ‘idea machines’ that have upgraded our cognitive abilities, shaped societal structures, and powered cultural evolution. In the AI era, understanding this history is necessary and urgent.” —Hollis Robbins, professor of English, University of Utah

~Hollis Robbins, professor of English, University of Utah, “A compelling and meticulously researched exploration. Miller argues that books are dynamic ‘idea machines’ that have upgraded our cognitive abilities, shaped societal structures, and powere

“With a scope that extends from ancient times to the present, The Idea Machine is a rich, compelling and important investigation of the book as a technology and an instrument of humanism. Miller’s conclusions, including on the importance of books and the futility of banning them, are acutely relevant to today.” —Stuart Kells, prize-winning historian, author of The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders and Shakespeare’s Library

~Stuart Kells, prize-winning historian, author of The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders and Shakespeare’s Library, “With a scope that extends from ancient times to the present, The Idea Machine is a rich, compelling and important investigation of the b