Now updated - A comprehensive, 500-year history of technology in society. Historian Thomas J. Misa's sweeping history of the relationship between technology and society over the past 500 years reveals how technological innovations have shaped-and have been shaped by-the cultures in which they arose. Spanning the preindustrial past, the age of scientific, political, and industrial revolutions, as well as the more recent eras of imperialism, modernism, and global security, this compelling work evaluates what Misa calls "the question of technology." In this edition, Misa brings his acclaimed text up to date by drawing on current scholarship while retaining sharply drawn portraits of individual people, artifacts, and systems. Each chapter has been honed to relate to contemporary concerns. Globalization, Misa argues, looks differently considering today's virulent nationalism, cultural chauvinism, and trade wars. A new chapter focuses on the digital age from 1990 to 2016. The book also examines how today's unsustainable energy systems, insecure information networks, and vulnerable global shipping have helped foster geopolitical risks and instability and takes a look at the coronavirus pandemic from the perspective of Wuhan, China's high-tech district. A masterful analysis of how technology and culture have influenced each other over five centuries, Leonardo to the Internet frames a history that illuminates modern-day problems and prospects faced by our technology-dependent world.

One of New York Magazine's best books on Silicon Valley! The true, behind-the-scenes history of the people who built Silicon Valley and shaped Big Tech in America Long before Margaret O'Mara became one of our most consequential historians of the American-led digital revolution, she worked in the White House of Bill Clinton and Al Gore in the earliest days of the commercial Internet. There she saw firsthand how deeply intertwined Silicon Valley was with the federal government--and always had been--and how shallow the common understanding of the secrets of the Valley's success actually was. Now, after almost five years of pioneering research, O'Mara has produced the definitive history of Silicon Valley for our time, the story of mavericks and visionaries, but also of powerful institutions creating the framework for innovation, from the Pentagon to Stanford University. It is also a story of a community that started off remarkably homogeneous and tight-knit and stayed that way, and whose belief in its own mythology has deepened into a collective hubris that has led to astonishing triumphs as well as devastating second-order effects. Deploying a wonderfully rich and diverse cast of protagonists, from the justly famous to the unjustly obscure, across four generations of explosive growth in the Valley, from the forties to the present, O'Mara has wrestled one of the most fateful developments in modern American history into magnificent narrative form. She is on the ground with all of the key tech companies, chronicling the evolution in their offerings through each successive era, and she has a profound fingertip feel for the politics of the sector and its relation to the larger cultural narrative about tech as it has evolved over the years. Perhaps most impressive, O'Mara has penetrated the inner kingdom of tech venture capital firms, the insular and still remarkably old-boy world that became the cockpit of American capitalism and the crucible for bringing technological innovation to market, or not. The transformation of big tech into the engine room of the American economy and the nexus of so many of our hopes and dreams--and, increasingly, our nightmares--can be understood, in Margaret O'Mara's masterful hands, as the story of one California valley. As her majestic history makes clear, its fate is the fate of us all.

Originally a maker of wax anatomical models, William Fothergill Cooke (1806-79) became aware of the new electric telegraph while he studied anatomy in Germany. Hoping initially for a return of perhaps a hundred pounds from the English railway companies, he abandoned his studies and turned his attention to the commercial development of the technology, which, though demonstrable in laboratory conditions, was still little understood. Because the process relied on secrecy and many different clockmakers and engineers, it soon became so fraught that Cooke almost gave up before its completion. However, after receiving the encouragement of Michael Faraday and joining forces with Charles Wheatstone, Cooke finally brought his plans to fruition and eventually set up the Electric Telegraph Company in 1846. First published in 1895, this book includes a selection of his private letters, written as he worked and often movingly uncertain, as well as a short memoir.

Home Fires tells the fascinating story of how changes in home heating over the nineteenth century spurred the growth of networks that helped remake American society. Sean Patrick Adams reconstructs the ways in which the "industrial hearth" appeared in American cities, the methods that entrepreneurs in home heating markets used to convince consumers that their product designs and fuel choices were superior, and how elite, middle-class, and poor Americans responded to these overtures. Adams depicts the problem of dwindling supplies of firewood and the search for alternatives; the hazards of cutting, digging, and drilling in the name of home heating; the trouble and expense of moving materials from place to place; the rise of steam power; the growth of an industrial economy; and questions of economic efficiency, at both the individual household and the regional level. Home Fires makes it clear that debates over energy sources, energy policy, and company profit margins have been around a long time. The challenge of staying warm in the industrializing North becomes a window into the complex world of energy transitions, economic change, and emerging consumerism. Readers will understand the struggles of urban families as they sought to adapt to the ever-changing nineteenth-century industrial landscape. This perspective allows a unique view of the development of an industrial society not just from the ground up but from the hearth up.

This accessible compendium examines a collection of significant technology firms that have helped to shape the field of computing and its impact on society. Each company is introduced with a brief account of its history, followed by a concise account of its key contributions. The selection covers a diverse range of historical and contemporary organizations from pioneers of e-commerce to influential social media companies. Features: presents information on early computer manufacturers; reviews important mainframe and minicomputer companies; examines the contributions to the field of semiconductors made by certain companies; describes companies that have been active in developing home and personal computers; surveys notable research centers; discusses the impact of telecommunications companies and those involved in the area of enterprise software and business computing; considers the achievements of e-commerce companies; provides a review of social media companies.

This book compares the cultural politics of the U.S. space and Antarctic programs during the Cold War. It analyzes how culturally salient terms, especially the nationalist motif of the frontier, were used to garner public support for these strategic initiatives and, more generally, United States internationalism during this period.

Originally published in 1936, this book formed part of The Craftsman Series, which aimed to give secondary school age children an insight into 'the development of constructive activities in the sphere of material things'. The text is comprised of extracts from the complete version of The Din of a Smithy (1932) by J. A. R. Stevenson; these extracts are arranged into short chapters to form a coherent narrative. The narrative gives an account of how the author established his own smithy and became involved in the creation of decorative ironwork. Chapters also provide information on the various tools and processes involved in smithing. This is a highly readable book that will be of value to anyone with an interest in ironwork and books for schools.

Originally published in 1931, this book formed part of The Craftsman Series, which aimed to give secondary school age children an insight into 'the development of constructive activities in the sphere of material things'. The text is comprised of extracts from An Account of the Bell Rock Lighthouse (1824) by Robert Stevenson (1772-1850), a renowned Scottish civil engineer who specialised in the design and construction of lighthouses. Extracts were selected with the intention of providing an absorbing account of Stevenson's most notable project and joined together to form a continuous narrative. The text also contains an editorial introduction, glossary and notes. This is a highly readable book that will be of value to anyone with an interest in civil engineering, lighthouses and books for schools.

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2022 BARBELLION PRIZE As heard on BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week As seen on Sky Arts Book Club with Elizabeth Day and Andi Oliver An eye-opening account of disability, identity and how robotics and AI are altering our understanding of what it means to be human - from the bestselling author of Anatomy of a Soldier Harry Parker's life changed overnight when he lost his legs to an IED in Afghanistan. His rehabilitation took him into an often surprising landscape of a very human kind of hacking, and he wondered - are all humans becoming hybrids? Whether it's putting on contact lenses every day or DIY biohackers tinkering in garages, Parker introduces us to the exhilarating breadth of human invention - and intervention. Grappling with his own new identity and disability, he discovers the latest robotics, tech and implants that might lead us to powerful, liberating possibilities for what a body can be. "I loved Hybrid Humans. It is modest, wise ... and a way of looking at the future without nostalgia for the past" - Jeanette Winterson "This may be a tour of the scientific avant garde, but the focus is always on the human heart and mind" - Observer, Book of the Day "Harry Parker has explored the cutting edge of interaction between humanity, computing and AI ... a captivating and cautionary travel guide to a new world" - Gavin Francis, author of Adventures in Human Being

An archaeology of innovation is the first monograph-length investigation of innovation and the innovation process from an archaeological perspective. It interrogates the idea of innovation that permeates our popular media and our political and scientific discourse, setting this against the long-term perspective that only archaeology can offer. Case studies span the entire breadth of human history, from our earliest hominin ancestors to the contemporary world. The book argues that the present narrow focus on pushing the adoption of technical innovations ignores the complex interplay of social, technological and environmental systems that underlies truly innovative societies; the inherent connections between new technologies, technologists and social structure that give them meaning and make them valuable; and the significance and value of conservative social practices that lead to the frequent rejection of innovations. -- .

Charles Babbage (1791 1871), one of the most original thinkers of the nineteenth century, is best remembered as the pioneer of computing technology, but he also made significant contributions to mathematics, mechanical engineering, philosophy and political economy. This book, first published in 1851, is an example of his active and effective campaigning for the role of scientists and the place of science, technology and technical education in society. Ahead of his time, Babbage was critical of government and the scientific community for not valuing science and technology in education. The work develops these themes, using the Great Exhibition as a backdrop to highlight the political and cultural factors that can impede scientific and technological progress. Britain's industrial supremacy, he argued, disguised the need to develop technical education. As relevant and persuasive today as in 1851, Babbage's arguments emphasise the fundamental importance of technology to the advancement of society.

This engaging volume celebrates the life and work of Theodor Holm "Ted" Nelson, a pioneer and legendary figure from the history of early computing. Presenting contributions from world-renowned computer scientists and figures from the media industry, the book delves into hypertext, the docuverse, Xanadu and other products of Ted Nelson's unique mind. Features: includes a cartoon and a sequence of poems created in Nelson's honor, reflecting his wide-ranging and interdisciplinary intellect; presents peer histories, providing a sense of the milieu that resulted from Nelson's ideas; contains personal accounts revealing what it is like to collaborate directly with Nelson; describes Nelson's legacy from the perspective of his contemporaries from the computing world; provides a contribution from Ted Nelson himself. With a broad appeal spanning computer scientists, science historians and the general reader, this inspiring collection reveals the continuing influence of the original visionary of the World Wide Web.

The end of the Cold War created a golden opportunity for reducing the defense burden and providing taxpayers with a "Peace Dividend." For the United States Air Force, this resulted over the past six years in drastic reductions: 23% in aircraft inventory, 30% in personnel, and 32% in the number of bases and other major installations. Well-known and long-serving aircraft, such as the A-7D/K, the B-52G, the F-4C/D/E, the F-111A/D, the FB-111A and the SR-71, have been withdrawn from active and reserve components, and some states, such as California, have lost nearly half of their Air Force bases.\nIllustrated with over 410 color photos, this new book provides a rich pictorial record of aircraft (including old and new markings) and units which no longer exist, and offers a visual chronicle of organizational changes between 1988-1995.

Exploring how scholars use digital resources to reconstruct the 19th century, this volume probes key issues in the intersection of digital humanities and history. Part I examines the potential of online research tools for literary scholarship while Part II outlines a prehistory of digital virtuality by exploring specific Victorian cultural forms.

As a result of being asked to give public lectures on the subject, the eminent physicist Oliver Lodge (1851 1940) published in 1892 a pioneering study of the protection of buildings, cables and telegraphic instruments from the devastation caused by lightning strikes. This work led him almost immediately to the discovery of electromagnetic wave transmission and ultimately to the development of a version of radio telegraphy. Lodge also saw that many of the current theories about the nature of lightning were seriously in error, and his investigations led to a number of significant changes in the design of lightning conductors and lightning guards. Some of the methods and procedures that Lodge advocated have since become standard practice. They are described with Lodge's characteristic flair and accompanied by a wealth of illustrations that give a fascinating insight into how contemporary scientists and engineers tackled this significant problem.

A political and social reformer, Samuel Smiles (1812-1904) was also a noted biographer in the Victorian period. Following the engineer's death in 1848, Smiles published his highly successful Life of George Stephenson in 1857 (also reissued in this series). His interest in engineering evolved and he began working on biographies of Britain's most notable engineers from the Roman to the Victorian era. Originally published in three volumes between 1861 and 1862, this work contains detailed and lively accounts of the educations, careers and pioneering work of seven of Britain's most accomplished engineers. These volumes stand as a remarkable undertaking, advancing not only the genre, but also the author's belief in what hard work could achieve. Volume 1 charts the engineering of early roads, embankments, bridges, harbours and ferries, as well as the lives of the engineers Sir Hugh Myddelton (c.1560-1631) and James Brindley (1716-72).

A political and social reformer, Samuel Smiles (1812-1904) was also a noted biographer in the Victorian period. Following the engineer's death in 1848, Smiles published his highly successful Life of George Stephenson in 1857 (also reissued in this series). His interest in engineering evolved and he began working on biographies of Britain's most notable engineers from the Roman to the Victorian era. Originally published in three volumes between 1861 and 1862, this work contains detailed and lively accounts of the educations, careers and pioneering work of seven of Britain's most accomplished engineers. These volumes stand as a remarkable undertaking, advancing not only the genre, but also the author's belief in what hard work could achieve. Volume 2 includes accounts of the lives of three important engineers of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries: John Smeaton (1724-92), John Rennie (1761-1821) and Thomas Telford (1757-1834).

A political and social reformer, Samuel Smiles (1812-1904) was also a noted biographer in the Victorian period. Following the engineer's death in 1848, Smiles published his highly successful Life of George Stephenson in 1857 (also reissued in this series). His interest in engineering evolved and he began working on biographies of Britain's most notable engineers from the Roman to the Victorian era. Originally published in three volumes between 1861 and 1862, this work contains detailed and lively accounts of the educations, careers and pioneering work of seven of Britain's most accomplished engineers. These volumes stand as a remarkable undertaking, advancing not only the genre, but also the author's belief in what hard work could achieve. Volume 3 includes a revised version of Smiles's biography of George Stephenson (1781-1848), as well as a biography of his equally famous son, Robert (1803-59).

Sir Charles Tilston Bright (1832 88) was a renowned telegraph engineer, best known for his role in laying the first successful transatlantic cable in 1858, for which he was knighted. Bright later worked on the telegraph networks that would span not only the British Empire but the entire globe. Written by his brother Edward Brailsford Bright (1831 1913) and son Charles (1863 1937), both telegraph engineers who worked alongside him, this two-volume biography, first published in 1898, would do much to cement Bright's reputation as an electrical engineer, providing an insider account of telegraphy's formative years. Volume 1 traces Bright's career as an early employee of the world's first public telegraphy company, the Electric Telegraph Company, and his work on land and submarine cable telegraphy, culminating in the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cables in the mid-nineteenth century.

Sir Charles Tilston Bright (1832 88) was a renowned telegraph engineer, best known for his role in laying the first successful transatlantic cable in 1858, for which he was knighted. Bright later worked on the telegraph networks that would span not only the British Empire but the entire globe. Written by his brother Edward Brailsford Bright (1831 1913) and son Charles (1863 1937), both telegraph engineers who worked alongside him, this two-volume biography, first published in 1898, would do much to cement Bright's reputation as an electrical engineer, providing an insider account of telegraphy's formative years. Volume 2 traces Bright's work on the burgeoning telegraph network, laying imperial cables to the Mediterranean, India, the West Indies, and further afield. Bright's significant contributions to the field of electrical engineering are also acknowledged in these pages, along with his personal qualities and political pursuits.

In 1889, a year after both he and Heinrich Hertz discovered electromagnetic waves and for the first time demonstrated the truth of Maxwell's great theory of the electromagnetic field, physicist Oliver Lodge (1851-1940) published his deepest reflections on the nature and meaning of electricity, how it originates, and its different manifestations. There had been great scientific advances - the work of Faraday and Maxwell, his own experiments and those of Hertz - and a revolution in technology. There were also puzzling questions. What is the connection between electricity and the ether that occupies space? How does electricity manifest itself in matter? Why does it come in fixed units? The discovery of the electron eight years later would offer crucial answers. Always lucid and direct, with a gift for making the difficult seem simple, Lodge engages the reader with his fascination for the subject, much as he did in his famous lectures.

Knowing there was no money in science, Vincenzo Galilei wanted his son to become a cloth-dealer. While the young Galileo was disobeying his father and cultivating an unwholesome interest in geometry, Tycho Brahe was maintaining the impoverished Johannes Kepler and his entire family. Not long after this, a certain Cambridge mathematician noticed a strange phenomenon that became known as 'the precession of the equinoxes', before formulating his law of gravity. In this fascinating collection of lectures, first published in 1893, the eminent Professor of Physics Oliver Lodge (1851 1940) takes the reader on a tour of the history of astronomy. Including biographical notes on landmark astronomers, more than a hundred illustrations, and simple explanations of important concepts, this engaging book's range from the geocentric theory of the universe to the discovery of Neptune and the calculation of tides. It remains highly accessible to the general reader today.

A political and social reformer, Samuel Smiles (1812 1904) was also a noted biographer in the Victorian period, paying particular attention to engineers. His first biography was of George Stephenson (1781 1848), whom he met at the opening of the North Midland Railway in 1840. After Stephenson died, Smiles wrote a memoir of him for Eliza Cook's Journal. With the permission of Stephenson's son, Robert, this evolved into the first full biography of the great engineer, published in 1857 and reissued here in its revised third edition. This detailed and lively account of Stephenson's life, which proved very popular, charts his education and youth, his crucial contribution to the development of Britain's railways, and his relationships with many notables of the Victorian world. It remains of interest to the general reader as well as historians of engineering, transport and business.

By the late nineteenth century, twenty-nine Chinese ports were open for foreign trade. Often run by foreign commissioners and no longer subject to the stringent local laws, these ports levied one of the smallest import taxes in the world, and Chinese commerce therefore exploded. Originally published in 1900, this account by William Barclay Parsons (1859 1932) investigates the ensuing surge of economic and industrial development in the eastern provinces. Including an introduction to China's history and the structure of its civil service, the book analyses the corrupt but ingenious world of customs officials, the importance of American cotton interests, and export statistics which reveal the multimillion-dollar smuggling operations that slipped around official embargoes. Set against a backdrop of electric lights and western labels in even the most closed of cities, this book offers a fascinating glimpse into the early stages of today's global market.