New technology is intimately associated with increased economic growth. The tools people have and when they acquired them tells us much about cyclical patterns of growth. Those interested in encouraging economic growth would do well to look to the conditions that spur the origins, development, and impact of technology - as well as the circumstances that spur prolific periods of invention, the mother of technology.Despite general recognition of the connection between technology and growth, economists rarely have gotten to the heart of the relationship. Joseph Schumpeter and John Hicks were aware of the role of technology in cyclical variability, but their thoughts were not elaborated upon after they passed from the scene. Nathan Edmonson goes beyond formal theory, reviewing the record of economic growth and the role of technology in this growth.What does the technology future hold? One clue is where past prototype inventions that that have fomented massive technological innovations have come from. Some parts of the private sector, such as Bell Labs, have been important. The government, particularly in its sponsorship of defense related research, has delivered a number of inventions. Universities are very much in the picture in certain fields, such as nanotechnology. The challenges we face at the onset of the twenty-first century are covered in depth and with imagination by Edmonson. The book will spur much rethinking about economic futures.

The overarching theme of this volume is the cyclical nature of technological change, its impact on economic growth, and the limits of government intervention. Technological revolutions are infrequent; there were only three in all of the twentieth century. When they occur, their possibilities are often not immediately apparent. Technology revolutions induce capital investment, not just because they stimulate the need to acquire the new technology, but also because of the need to replace obsolete capacity and new infrastructure.While government has encouraged general economic progress by carrying out highly risky innovations unrelated to fostering economic growth, it seldom succeeds with specific efforts to foster growth. Recent examples of success include the Internet and the global positioning system (GPS), which trace their origins to defense-related research. In contrast, the countercyclical economic stimuli of 2007-2009 have achieved little in the way of general growth. The lack of data about the technology cycle makes formulating appropriate monetary and other policy countercyclical interventions difficult.A technology-founded upswing animated the American economy after 1990, and the 'great recession' of 2007- 2009 reflected the waning of the investment boom that this revolution generated. Edmonson argues that the impact of technology revolutions on general economic growth has never received the attention it deserves. This volume will contribute much to debates on economic policy.

The overarching theme of this volume is the cyclical nature of technological change, its impact on economic growth, and the limits of government intervention. Technological revolutions are infrequent; there were only three in all of the twentieth century. When they occur, their possibilities are often not immediately apparent. Technology revolutions induce capital investment, not just because they stimulate the need to acquire the new technology, but also because of the need to replace obsolete capacity and new infrastructure.

While government has encouraged general economic progress by carrying out highly risky innovations unrelated to fostering economic growth, it seldom succeeds with specific efforts to foster growth. Recent examples of success include the Internet and the global positioning system (GPS), which trace their origins to defense-related research. In contrast, the countercyclical economic stimuli of 2007-2009 have achieved little in the way of general growth. The lack of data about the technology cycle makes formulating appropriate monetary and other policy countercyclical interventions difficult.

A technology-founded upswing animated the American economy after 1990, and the "great recession" of 2007- 2009 reflected the waning of the investment boom that this revolution generated. Edmonson argues that the impact of technology revolutions on general economic growth has never received the attention it deserves. This volume will contribute much to debates on economic policy.

New technology is intimately associated with increased economic growth. The tools people have and when they acquired them tells us much about cyclical patterns of growth. Those interested in encouraging economic growth would do well to look to the conditions that spur the origins, development, and impact of technology--as well as the circumstances that spur prolific periods of invention, the mother of technology.

Despite general recognition of the connection between technology and growth, economists rarely have gotten to the heart of the relationship. Joseph Schumpeter and John Hicks were aware of the role of technology in cyclical variability, but their thoughts were not elaborated upon after they passed from the scene. Nathan Edmonson goes beyond formal theory, reviewing the record of economic growth and the role of technology in this growth.

What does the technology future hold? One clue is where past prototype inventions that that have fomented massive technological innovations have come from. Some parts of the private sector, such as Bell Labs, have been important. The government, particularly in its sponsorship of defense related research, has delivered a number of inventions. Universities are very much in the picture in certain fields, such as nanotechnology. The challenges we face at the onset of the twenty-first century are covered in depth and with imagination by Edmonson. The book will spur much rethinking about economic futures.