What's the big idea? Well, it certainly isn't love and marriage

Some might call the task impossible or downright silly, but writer John Farndon set out to do it anyway. A distinguished panel of experts, from scientists to linguists, anthropologists to historians, mathematicians to professors of literature was called together to consider and agree on a list of 50 ideas that have shaped the development of the world.

Internet users were then invited to vote for the idea they considered most important, and the top 50 was collated according to that poll.

The top 10 says something about the demographic of those who took part: the internet took 11 per cent of the poll, followed by writing, contraception, music, use of fire, abolition of slavery, evolution by natural selection, the scientific method, sewerage and computer programming. Lounging around in the middle of the field were the ideas of banking (38th), the steam engine (37th), wine (34th), refrigeration (33rd), the laws of motion (31st), refrigeration (28th), Marxism (27th) and bread (18th).

Bottom of the heap were the welfare state, capitalism, epic poetry, the stirrup, weaving and knitting, and – yes, the "worst" of the 50 – marriage, which did not attract one vote of the 2,000 cast.

Beyond the gimmick of the poll, which forms the basis of the book The World's Greatest Idea, its author says he is keen to stimulate debate about ideas and feed the appetite of the armchair intellectual.

Whatever you think of the number given to each idea, it is given its own chapter providing a potted exploration – nourishing in itself, but also providing some readers with just enough to want another portion by reading further.

Farndon, who has previously written many books on contemporary issues says that at first he resisted the notion of a "league table" approach to the world's big ideas.

"My initial reaction was that it was rather pretentious. But the more I thought about it, the more I reckoned that we glibly mention concepts such as capitalism, Marxism and romance without necessarily always understanding their importance. When I mentioned the project to friends, they all got excited and started suggesting their favourite ideas and inventions. Of the 50 ideas we have in the book the one I feel I could not live without is the abolition of slavery. Without that I don't think the world would be a place I'd want to live in".

He says he was shocked that marriage came 50th in the poll, especially – as the book explains in its fascinating sweep through the history of the institution – because most people still want the big commitment of a formal marriage, and in the UK are willing to spend an average of 25,000 on it.

"I think the poll did possibly attract a high number of younger men, and this influenced the voting. The truth is, though, that getting married is still seen as such a high point in life that most people will do it again within a few years of getting divorced. The number of young men taking part also explains the number of votes for the internet and its triumph.

"I was surprised, too, that capitalism and banking came so far down the list. I think many people perhaps don't even think of the importance of capitalism in their own lives; nor do they challenge it or see its flaws."

Farndon sees the "bite-size but serious" treatment of big ideas as a valid way of getting people talking about things that matter. "It's very difficult to say which idea is the cleverest or which has had the most impact, because all are so ingenious and important. Take sewerage: the big modern city would have been impossible if someone had not, in the late 19th century, dreamed up a way to get beyond the cess pit whose contents eventually bubbled up through the house or street."

He feels the ends justify the means. "I don't think you always have to talk about serious ideas in an earnest and humourless way. The style of the book is light, but the contents are still serious and correctly explained. Yes, it would be nice if people were always interested without the need for the gimmick, but these days we're all fighting for readers' attention."

The World's Greatest Idea by John Farndon is published by Icon, 12.99. To order from the Yorkshire Post Bookshop call 0800 0153232 or go to www.yorkshirepostbookshop.co.uk Postage costs 2.75.