This Is for Everyone

The most influential inventor of the modern world, Sir Tim Berners-Lee is a different kind of visionary. Born in the same year as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, Berners-Lee famously distributed his invention, the World Wide Web, for no commercial reward. Its widespread adoption changed everything – transforming humanity into the first digital species. Through the web, we live, work, dream and connect.

In this intimate memoir, Berners-Lee tells the story of his iconic invention, exploring how it launched a new era of creativity and collaboration, while unleashing a commercial race that today imperils democracies and polarizes public debate. Filled with his characteristic optimism, technical insight and wry humour, this is a book about the power of technology – both to fuel our worst instincts and to profoundly shape our lives for the better.

As the rapid development of artificial intelligence heralds a new era of innovation, Berners-Lee is the perfect guide to the crucial decisions ahead – and provides a gripping, in-the-room account of the rise of the online world. Peppered with rich anecdote and amusing reflections, This is For Everyone is an essential read for understanding our times, and a bold manifesto for advancing humanity’s future.