History of engineering and technology Books

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this eagerly anticipated book, renowned space historian and author David Baker turns his attention to the Saturn I and IB rockets. Although considered as merely a ''stepping stone'' from the Mercury and Gemini programmes to the mighty Saturn V and the Apollo missions that put the first humans on the Moon, the Saturn I and IB rockets actually played a far more significant role in NASA''s manned space effort.As the first American ''heavy lift'' rocket , Wernher von Braun''s Saturn I traced its lineage right back to his WWII V2 rocket, through Redstone to the Jupiter and Juno projects that lead to the Saturn vehicles. In describing this often-overlooked historical background, the story of the transition of the space programme from the US Army to the (then) newly-formed NASA, and the evolution from launching men and satellites on modified missiles, to flying purpose-built space rockets, is also uncovered.The first Saturn I flew in 1961 and it remained in service until 1975, flying the first manned Apollo mission, testing stages for the Moon flights and launching ''Skylab'' astronauts amongst other accomplishments. Illustrated throughout with NASA technical drawings and photographs, many previously unpublished, this absorbing book also includes a description of each mission flown by the Saturn I and IB.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGeorge Dyson''s fascinating account of the early years of computers: Turing''s Cathedral is the story behind how the PC, ipod, smartphone and almost every aspect of modern life came into being.In 1945 a small group of brilliant engineers and mathematicians gathered at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, determined to build a computer that would make Alan Turing''s theory of a ''universal machine'' reality. Led by the polymath émigré John von Neumann, they created the numerical framework that underpins almost all modern computing - and ensured that the world would never be the same again.George Dyson is a historian of technology whose interests include the development (and redevelopment) of the Aleut kayak. He is the author of Baidarka; Project Orion; and Darwin Among the Machines.''Unusual, wonderful, visionary'' Francis Spufford, Guardian''Fascinating . . . the story Dyson tells is intensely human . . . a grippiTrade ReviewRiveting . . . conveys the electrifying sense of possibility that the first computers unleashed . . . a page-turner * New Scientist *Brings to life a myriad cast of extraordinary characters, each of whom contributed to ushering in today's digital age * Daily Telegraph *An engrossing and well-researched book that recounts an important chapter in the history of 20th-century computing -- Evgeny Morozov * Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Repair Shop''s Dominic Chinea takes you on an exploration of 100 essential machines found in the workshops and studios of the world''s finest artisans and heritage craftspeople. Filled with stunning illustrations and lively, engaging text, The Repair Shop''s Dom Chinea guides readers through this celebration of the history and uses of 100 machines that have allowed artisans to create beautiful items for centuries.Fans of prime-time TV series The Repair Shop and Make It at Market will not want to miss Dom's insightful and complete appraisal of history's most game-changing mechanisms, with commentary that allows readers to get under the hood of inventions that have defined modern life as we know it.Immerse yourself in the visual history of the world's most remarkable machines: The sequel to 2022's Tools: A Visual History. Explores inventions from the potter''s wheel and grain mill to the sewing machine, printing press, wheel maker and plenty more. Each machine is creatively profiled and deconstructed in pinpoint detail, with Dom Chinea's trademark insight and commentary. Striking illustrations by award-winning artist Lee John Philips highlight the beauty of each tool. A beautiful gift book with a vintage design. Each machine has a fascinating history and story to tell that highlights its contribution to artisanal crafts. And with every machine accompanied by beautifully ornate illustrations by Lee John Philips, Machines: A Visual History is certain to be a treasured volume for all creators, craftspeople and those who like to delve into how things work.

Read more less

Book SynopsisProfusely illustrated throughout, a worthy addition to the Veloce Pictorial History series. Each BMW model (1945-2013) has been painstakingly researched detailing body derivatives, production changes, technical information and hundreds of period photos and diagrams, plus how the ever-changing advertising was used to promote each model.

Read more less

Book Synopsis** Featured as a Guardian Long Read **'[A] fast-paced, myth busting exposé' Max Blumenthal, author of The Management of Savagery'Contentious... forceful... salutary' The New YorkerEVERYTHING WE HAVE BEEN TOLD ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC NATURE OF THE INTERNET IS A MARKETING PLOY.As the Cambridge Analytica scandal has shown, private corporations consider it their right to use our data (and by extension, us) which ever way they see fit. Tempted by their appealing organisational and diagnostic tools, we have allowed private internet corporations access to the most intimate corners of our lives.But the internet was developed, from the outset, as a weapon.Looking at the hidden origins of many internet corporations and platforms, Levine shows that this is a function, not a bug of the online experience. Conceived as a surveillance tool by ARPA to control insurgents in the Vietnam War, the internet is now essential to our lives. This book investigates the troubling and unavoidable truth of its history and the unfathomable power of the corporations who now more or less own it.Without this book, your picture of contemporary society will be missing an essential piece of the puzzle.'A masterful job of research and reporting about the military origins of the 'world wide web' and how its essential nature has not changed in the years since its creation during the Cold War.' - Tim Shorrock, author of Spies For HireTrade ReviewContentious... forceful... salutary * The New Yorker *'Surveillance Valley is perhaps one of the most deeply disturbing books of the year. It leaves no illusions intact ...' -- Scroll.inGripping and hugely readable, Surveillance Valley is an essential book which painstakingly pieces together the complex origins, and current role, of a technology that has become so ingrained in our lives -- All About History

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis The international bestselling author of How Things Work and The Elements Trilogy turns his focus to a visual exploration of the inner workings and functionality of the marvelous machines that run our world—from the first steam engines to giant turbines to today's tiny electrical engines. In Engines, the always entertaining and informative Theodore Gray explores the glorious guts and intricate innards of dozens of impressive machines. Through his engaging and unexpected stories and Nick Mann’s trademark gorgeous photography, Gray takes us on a journey from ancient Greek steam engines to our most sophisticated twenty-first-century machinery. We take time to appreciate the detailed functionality of the internal combustion engine, the connection between magnetism and electric motors, as well as hydraulics, robotics, and more. Each chapter builds on the previous, illuminating the evolution of engines and revealing the ingenuity brought to bear as humans invented and perfected these marvelous mechanical systems. Along the way, Gray regales us with tales of his own experiences working with and collecting these machines. For fans of how things are made and how they work, Engines is a loving tribute to the mechanical world.    

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisA stunning visual celebration of cars over a century of progress!Introducing The Story of the Car - a historical and visual exploration of awe-inspiring automobiles over a period of one hundred years, from the first horseless carriage to driverless vehicles, this all-encompassing car book takes you on a journey to explore the ways in which this once rare and luxurious status symbol has become a fundamental part of everyday life. So get in gear and drive straight in to discover: -Fact-filled narrative spreads, profiles, and features offer readers an unrivalled range and breadth of information-Packed with colour photographs and artworks, fascinating facts, and biographies that bring every aspect of motoring to life-Covers cutting-edge advances in car technology providing the very latest information -Features specially commissioned photography, alongside evocative and rarely seen archive imagesTaking you on a technical jo

Read more less

Book SynopsisA preeminent geneticist, winner of the 2022 Nobel Prize in medicine, hunts the Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes to answer the biggest question of them all: how did our ancestors become human?Neanderthal Man tells the riveting personal and scientific story of the quest to use ancient DNA to unlock the secrets of human evolution. Beginning with the study of DNA in Egyptian mummies in the early 1980s and culminating in the sequencing of the Neanderthal genome in 2010, Neanderthal Man describes the events, intrigues, failures, and triumphs of these scientifically rich years through the lens of the pioneer and inventor of the field of ancient DNA, Svante Pääbo. We learn that Neanderthal genes offer a unique window into the lives of our ancient relatives and may hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of where language came from as well as why humans survived while Neanderthals went extinct. Pääbo redrew our family tree and permanently changed the way we think about who we are and how we got here. For readers of Richard Dawkins, David Reich, and Hope Jahren, Neanderthal Man is the must-read account of how he did it.Trade Review"Neanderthal Man opens with this episode [when Paabo and his team first sequenced Neanderthal DNA], and it's a nice touch by Paabo, bringing us straight to the moment when his long, painstaking effort to tease ancient DNA out of hominin fossils yielded its first dramatic results." --David Quammen, Harper's "Paabo has provided us with a fabulous account of three decade of research into ancient DNA, culminating in 2010 with the publication of the Neanderthal genome... Paabo's book has to be compared to The Double Helix (1968), James Watson's brilliant but controversial account of how the structure of DNA was discovered. When taken together they provide an insight into how bio-molecular science has both changed and remained much the same during the last half-century. Both are strong personal accounts of scientific discovery, exposing how science is driven as much by passion, ambition, and competition as by rational thought and the sharing of knowledge. In both books the reader is gripped by life stories of far greater interest than those in may novels before being plunged into passages of near-unintelligible science (despite much simplification) that are nevertheless strangely enthralling." --Steven Mithen, New York Review of Books "I came for the cavemen, but I stayed for the geeky nail-biter of a story about doing historic science in a climate of fierce international competition and rapid technological innovation... Truth be told, DNA sequencing is pretty wonky stuff, but perhaps it's Paabo's own passionate investment in the undertaking that makes his story so exciting to read about; Neanderthal Man does for paleogenetics something like what Steven Spielberg did for the legislative process in Lincoln... [T]his book is a vibrant testimonial to what might be the greatest creation of modern humans: the scientific method." --Laura Miller, Salon "Much of Paabo's book is devoted to the details of the difficulties [of extracting DNA from ancient bones], and how they were overcome by an awesome combination of technology, ingenuity and persistence. It's a story of how modern high-concept science is done, shot through with the crackle of problem-solving and the hum of project tension, with occasional riffs of annoyance about major scientific journals and people who want dinosaur DNA." --The Independent (UK) "If Paabo weren't such a good storyteller, the book might have bogged down with descriptions of things like the different techniques of polymerase chain reaction, and all it takes to build a clean lab. But he's a clever enough writer to keep the reader's attention with a fast-paced story and wonderful details." --23andMe blog "This is a fascinating story of how modern science and especially computer technology is opening vistas onto our prehistoric history." --The Explorers Journal "Paabo provides a fascinating look at how his personal life intersected with the founding of a scientific field that has revolutionized evolution." --Science News "In Neanderthal Man, Svante Paabo offers readers a front-row seat to the still-unfolding understanding of this enigmatic human ancestor by recounting his own years of work... Paabo quite candidly relays the doubts and challenges that accompanied more than a decade of discovery--a labor that elevated Neanderthals from troglodyte brutes inhabiting a dead-end branch of the human family tree to a complex species that interbred with other hominins, including Homo sapiens. Never one to shy away from provocative statements or even-more-provocative research, Paabo gives what appears to be an honest and open account of his pioneering studies of Neanderthal genetics." --The Scientist "Evolutionary biologists are, general, pretty interesting people to talk to, but rarely would you describe their lives as thrilling. The notion of combining an autobiography with a popular science book may therefore not seem especially compelling. However, in this case both the author and the science are quite extraordinary, and inextricably linked." --Evening Standard (UK) "Paabo's tale describes a process approaching the Platonic Idea of contemporary science: a lot of very smart people collaboratively working their butts off, persisting through mistakes and failures and numbingly repetitive but essential tasks and political machinations and technological inadequacies because they believe the Truth is Out There. And finally finding it. Others have not yet weighed in, and this being top-level and therefore monumentally competitive science, contrarians may well emerge. But if the Neanderthal genome project was anything like what Paabo describes, we are damn lucky." --Tabitha Powledge, Genetic Literacy Project "Paabo passionately chronicles his personal story, from graduate school through the culmination of the Neanderthal project 30 years later, and the scientific implications of this exciting research... In accessible prose, Paabo presents the science so that laypersons will understand the nature and import of his work. But it's his discussion of the scientific process that steals the show... He discusses what it took to build a case tight enough to convince even the most skeptical of colleagues and he goes on to demonstrate that scientific knowledge is cumulative and ever-evolving." --Publishers Weekly, starred review "Svante Paabo's Neanderthal Man is the incredible personal story of one man's quest for our human origins using the latest genome sequence tools. Paabo takes us through his exciting journey to first extract DNA from ancient bones then sequence it to give us the first real glance at our human ancestors, and showing ultimately that early humans and Neanderthals interbred to produce modern humans. This is science at its best and reinforces that contained in each of our genomes is the history of humanity." --J. Craig Venter, Chairman and President, J. Craig Venter Institute "Svante Paabo, a major architect in the study of paleo-DNA, has written a personal, insightful and sometimes very frank book about his relentless quest to understand the human family tree. The first scholar to extract genetic material from Neanderthals, Paabo writes candidly about the seemingly insurmountable trials and tribulations he had to overcome to give us intriguing new insights into human origins." --Donald Johanson, Founding Director of the Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, and author of Lucy: The Beginnings of Humankind "This is the fascinating account of Svante Paabo's efforts to sequence Neanderthal nuclear DNA... [H]is personal story, from graduate to world-renowned scientist, make this a very enjoyable book... The study of Neanderthals has kept palaeontologists occupied for more than a century, but Paabo convinces us that decoding their DNA will provide insights into how different we are from them and what makes us so unique." --BBC Focus "[An] engaging book... Neanderthal Man is devoted--and devoted is definitely the word--to the years-long ancient DNA project to sequence the Neanderthal genome. Paabo and his far-flung team did that to an accuracy that exceeds most of the contemporary genomes being sequenced today... Before I read Neanderthal Man, I thought I knew something about contamination of ancient DNA. In fact, though, I had no clue. No matter how well informed you are about genetics, Svante Paabo will teach you things." --Tabitha Powledge, PLOS Blogs / On Science Blogs "[A] revealing glimpse into the inner workings of scientific research... Since Neanderthals are our closest evolutionary relatives, the author's work in decoding Neanderthal DNA gives scientists a way to understand how we differ genetically from them and offers the opportunity to learn what genetic changes have made humans unique on this planet." --Kirkus Reviews "The tale Paabo tells is largely one of technological improvement enabling the elimination of contamination and speeding up the sequencing process. Secondarily, it's about creating scientific foundations and multinational scientific cooperation to pursue the promises of research into ancient DNA, including that of nonhuman species as well as hominins." --Booklist "It is a rare thing to read about an important development in science by its principal innovator, written in the spirit and style in which the research unfolded. Neanderthal Man is a dispatch from the front, and if you want to learn how real science is really done, I suggest you read it." --Edward O. Wilson, University Research Professor, Emeritus, Harvard University "[A]n excellent glimpse into how modern science proceeds as a global, social activity... Paabo has to navigate through collaborators and competitors (including people who spend time in both categories), guardians of the bones he wants to grind into dust, touchy issues of nationalism, and more. In the process, he helps found a new research institute and builds a team dedicated to studying ancient DNA. If anyone doubts that science is a social activity, the doubt won't survive reading this book... Paabo paints a picture of how a major scientific advance rose out of a mix of politics, persuasion, careful management, and struggles with technology and technique. For that alone, it's valuable." --Ars Technica "If there is one name associated with ancient DNA, it is Svante Paabo... Paabo pioneered and has largely led the field for the past three decades. His book, Neanderthal Man, is perfectly timed, beautifully written and required reading--it is a window onto the genesis of a whole new way of thinking." --Nature

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Speckled with anecdotes, insights and surprises. It is great fun - and utterly timely' Sunday Times 'Standage writes with a masterly clarity' New York Times 'The product of deep research, great intelligence and burnished prose . . . It is rare that I encounter a non-fiction author whose prose is so elegant that it is worth reading for itself. Standage is a writer of this class' Wall Street Journal Beginning around 3,500 BC with the wheel, and moving through the eras of horsepower, trains and bicycles, Tom Standage puts the rise of the car – and the future of urban transport – into a broader historical context. Our society has been shaped by the car in innumerable ways, many of which are so familiar that we no longer notice them. Why does red mean stop and green mean go? Why do some countries drive on the left, and some on the right? How did cars, introduced only a little over a century ago, change the way the world was administered, laid out and policed, along with experiences like eating and shopping? And what might travel in a post-car world look like? As social transformations from ride-sharing to the global pandemic force us to critically re-examine our relationship with personal transportation, A Brief History of Motion is an essential contribution to our understanding of how the modern world came to be.Trade ReviewSpeckled with anecdotes, insights and surprises . . . It is great fun – and utterly timely * Sunday Times *Eminently readable . . . Standage writes with a masterly clarity * New York Times Book Review *The product of deep research, great intelligence and burnished prose . . . An unusually astute futurist, Mr. Standage offers observations about where we are now and where we might be heading that should be taken seriously . . . It is rare that I encounter a nonfiction author whose prose is so elegant that it is worth reading for itself. Mr. Standage is a writer of this class * Wall Street Journal *There was a gap in the market for an accessible book that tied together the technology and politics of cars, and Standage has filled it beautifully. Pithy anecdotes make the book readable; the central question – that of what comes next – makes it worth reading * Financial Times *Richly rewarding . . . [Standage] starts at the beginning, with the advent of the wheel (probably in Eastern Europe in around 3500 BC), and then traces its astonishing impact on human history . . . Contains a great deal to fascinate -- Book of the Week * The Week *Informative and utterly entertaining, it should serve as a helpful manual for negotiating our future * The Herald *Tom Standage has a gift for explaining how our modern world came to be and might evolve. In A Brief History of Motion, his skills as a historian and his trademark insight and wit shine in a way that will make your mind whir every time you hop on a bike or get behind the wheel of a car. This book is full of surprises and an absolute delight -- Ashlee Vance, New York Times bestselling author of Elon MuskPerceptive, pragmatic, but never pedestrian, this is an irrepressible survey of how we’ve travelled through the ages, and it zips along like the most pleasurable of journeys -- Simon Garfield, New York Times-bestselling author of Just My Type and On the MapOn the past, present, and future of transportation, Tom Standage has crafted the book to read, full of anecdote and keen observation, and seamlessly written -- Tyler Cowen, Professor of Economics, George Mason University, and New York Times-bestselling author of The Great Stagnation and Average Is OverTom Standage takes us on a quick spin, from no wheels for anybody to nobody at the wheel—much of it over back roads that were entirely new to me -- George Dyson, author of Turing’s Cathedral and AnalogiaThere aren’t many books this entertaining that also provide a cogent crash course in ancient, classical and modern history * Los Angeles Times on 'A History of the World in Six Glasses' *An extraordinary and well-told story on a much neglected dimension of history * Financial Times on 'An Edible History of Humanity' *

Read more less

Book Synopsis'It's rare for a book to make you see the world differently, but this ... does exactly that on almost every page' Guardian Standard histories of technology give tired accounts of the usual inventions, inventors, and dates, framing technology as the inevitable march of progress. They split history into ages - electrification, motorisation, and computerisation - and rarely ask whether anyone bothered to use these inventions at the time. Shock of the Old is not one of those histories. I Letters exist alongside emails and outlasted telegrams; we still make physical books and magazines despite the rise of the Internet - a belated rise considering that the technologies that made it possible was invented in 1965, and bookshops thrive despite Amazon. More horses were used in the Second World War than any other war in history and propeller planes continue to take off from the same runways as jets. Shock of the Old forces us to reassess the significance of old inventions such as corrugated iron and sewing machines and rethink the relative importance we place on the invention of something new, its application, and its widespread adoption. It challenges the idea that we live in an era of ever increasing change and, interweaving political, economic and cultural history, teaches us to think critically about technology.Trade Reviewhe eviscerates our obsession with novelty... * The Sunday Times *newfangled things are sexy, but how significant are they?...Edgerton provides a corrective by emphasising some of the overlooked technologies that affect the lives of many. * Newsweek *David Edgerton's The Shock of the Old is a book I can use. I can take it in two hands and bash it over the heads of every techno-nerd, computer geek and neophiliac futurologist I meet. -- Simon Jenkins * Guardian *...iconoclastic and thought-provoking book...he makes a strong case that accords with what Virgil identified around 25BC as a definitive human characteristic. Our lives consist of semper cedentia retro: always going forwards backwards. * The Times *It's rare for a book to make you see the world differently, but this alternative history does exactly that on almost every page. * Guardian *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe contribution of this book lies in the historical comparison of infrastructural systems that normally are dealt with separately. The synthesis has been achieved mainly by an extensive literature review of research from a wide range of various fields and by using prime sources to some extent. The comparative and long-term perspective allows similarities and differences to be discovered in the development of arrangements around streets, water, and sanitation. By using the analytical lens of publicness, the author challenges the common belief that these three areas have always been public concerns or obligations. An assumption that relies on the fact that presently they indeed are public infrastructural systems. Furthermore, it is shown that the evolution of municipal streets, water, and sanitation has left a historical legacy which is still affecting the way these infrastructural systems are managed today.Table of ContentsAbout the author Foreword Acknowledgments Abstract Chapter 1 Starting points 1.1 Investigating Publicness 1.2 The Alluring Legacy of Rome 1.3 Public and Private Goods 1.4 Purpose and Theoretical Inspiration 1.5 Methods used and Layout of the Book Chapter 2 General contextual factors in the history of municipal infrastructure 2.1 Local and Municipal Self-Governance 2.2 Urbanization, Demography, and Industrialization 2.3 The Municipal Reform of 1862 Chapter 3 Pre-modern and modern roads and streets 3.1 Public Roads 3.2 Civic Roads 3.3 Municipal Streets 3.4 Path Dependence in Roads and Streets 3.5 The Road and Street System Today Chapter 4 Carriers of technology and publicness in roads and streets 4.1 System Builders and Technical Development 4.2 Systems Culture Chapter 5 Pre-modern water and sanitation 5.1 Pre-Modern Drinking Water 5.2 Pre-Modern Sanitation Chapter 6 Specific contextual factors in modern water and sanitation 6.1 The Divide Between the Private and the Public 6.2 The Social Issue 6.3 Health and Sickness 6.4 The Sanitary Movement and the Health Act of 1874 Chapter 7 Modern water and sanitation 7.1 Latrine Collection and Street Cleaning in the Early Nineteenth Century 7.2 Water Legislation Excepting Drinking Water 7.3 The Era of Building Piped Water Systems 7.4 The Motives in Leijonancker’s Plan of 1853 7.5 Financing, Managing, and Ownership 7.6 Did Health Improve with the Introduction of Piped Water? . 7.7 Introducing Piped Sewage Chapter 8 Water and sanitation in the twentieth century 8.1 Two New Contextual Factors 8.2 WSS on a National Scale 8.3 Path Dependence in WSS 8.4 Pre-Modern and Off-Grid Never Disappeared 8.5 The WSS Today Chapter 9 Carriers of technology and publicness in water and sanitation 9.1 System Builders and Technical Development 9.2 Systems Culture Chapter 10 Comparing publicness in municipal infrastructure 10.1 Pre-Modern Arrangements before 1800 . 10.2 Systemization and Infrastructure Building 1800–1920 10.3 Maturing Infrasystems 1920–1980 10.4 Ownership and Financing . 10.5 Municipal Infrastructure and Global Warming 10.6 Publicness and Municipal Capabilities 10.7 Elaborating the ‘Piped Paradigm’ 10.8 Publicness and Systemic Characteristics 10.9 Proud System and Community Builders References

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis lavish photographic history of the most beautiful and historic railway stations in London tells a story of power, progress and innovation, from the beginning of steam age to the teeming commuter hubs of today. London has more mainline railway stations than any other city in the world and many of them are amongst its grandest architectural monuments. Its earliest terminals opened in the late 1830s when lines between the capital and the regions were built in the first railway boom. The original station at London Bridge, the capital’s first passenger terminus, was opened in December 1836, six months before Queen Victoria came to the throne. The last main line to London, the Great Central Railway to Marylebone, was opened in March 1899, two years before Victoria died. Ever since they originally opened, these stations have been at heart of London life and activity and have dominated the architectural landscape. Many are now in tTable of ContentsForeword Introduction: Capital Tracks Map Paddington Marylebone Euston St Pancras King’s Cross Liverpool Street Fenchurch Street London Bridge Cannon Street Blackfriars Charing Cross Waterloo Victoria Index Further reading Picture credits Acknowledgements

Read more less

Book SynopsisTo solve their design problems, engineers draw on a vast body of knowledge about how things work. Examining previously unstudied historical cases, this author shows how engineering knowledge is obtained and presents a model to help explain the growth of such knowledge.Trade Review'Must' reading for all thoughtful engineers and historians of technology, and even for those physical scientists who wonder why engineers frequently act and think differently than do basic scientists. American Scientist The biggest contribution of Vincenti's splendidly crafted book may well be that it offers us a believably human image of the engineer. Technology Review The biggest contribution of Vincenti's splendidly crafted book may well be that it offers us a believably human image of the engineer. Techology Review

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn I Know You Got Soul, Jeremy Clarkson writes about the machines that he believes have ''soul''. It will come as no surprise to anyone that Jeremy Clarkson loves machines. But it''s not just any old bucket of blots, cogs and bearings that rings his bell. In fact, he''s scoured the length and breadth of the land, plunged into the oceans and taken to the skies in search of machines with that elusive certain something.And along the way he''s discovered:*The safest place to be in the event of nuclear war*Who would win if Superman, James Bond and The Terminator had a fight*The stupidest person he''s ever met*What an old Cornish institution called Arthur has to do with 0898chat lines*And how Jean Claude Van Damme might get eaten by a lion . . .In I Know You Got Soul, Jeremy Clarkson tells stories of the geniuses, innovators and crackpots who put the ghost in the machine. From Brunel''s SS Great Britain to the awesomTrade ReviewBrilliant...laugh-out-loud * Daily Telegraph *Outrageously funny...will have you in stitches * Time Out *Very funny...I cracked up laughing on the tube * Evening Standard *

Read more less

Book Synopsis*Longlisted for the William MB Berger Prize for British Art History, 2022*A spectacular biography of the great designer, entrepreneur, abolitionist and beacon of the Industrial Revolution, from acclaimed historian and Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tristram HuntJosiah Wedgwood, perhaps the greatest English potter who ever lived, epitomized the best of his age. From his kilns and workshops in Stoke-on-Trent, he revolutionized the production of ceramics in Georgian Britain by marrying technology with design, manufacturing efficiency and retail flair. He transformed the luxury markets not only of London, Liverpool, Bath and Dublin but of America and the world, and helping to usher in a mass consumer society. Tristram Hunt calls him ''the Steve Jobs of the eighteenth century''.But Wedgwood was radical in his mind and politics as well as in his designs. He campaigned for free trade and religious toleration, read pioneering papers to the Royal Society and was a member of the celebrated Lunar Society of Birmingham. Most significantly, he created the ceramic ''Emancipation Badge'', depicting a slave in chains and inscribed ''Am I Not a Man and a Brother?'' that became the symbol of the abolitionist movement.Tristram Hunt''s hugely enjoyable new biography, strongly based on Wedgwood''s notebooks, letters and the words of his contemporaries, brilliantly captures the energy and originality of Wedgwood and his extraordinary contribution to the transformation of eighteenth-century Britain.Trade ReviewThis is a remarkable and impassioned book. Josiah Wedgwood innovated across boundaries of technology and art and taste, commerce and scientific enquiry, and Tristram Hunt makes the powerful case for rediscovering his humane entrepreneurial spirit. The Radical Potter brings Wedgwood's protean energy alive for a new generation and I loved it. -- Edmund de Waalimpassioned, wide-ranging ... Hunt's sympathetic, engaged and finely written biography makes it clear that [Wedgwood] was a one-off, and a genius. -- David Horspool * Spectator *fabulously unputdownable ... In parts it reads like a thriller. -- Judith Woods * Telegraph *Wedgwood's remarkable story has been told in many biographies over the years. The great contribution of The Radical Potter, Tristram Hunt's new book, is to place him in the context of the rapid economic and social changes during his lifetime that helped make his success possible. -- Richard Lambert * Financial Times *this brisk and highly readable biography ... places Wedgwood in a dissenting tradition that goes back to the civil wars ... It is a timely tale. -- Paul Lay * The Times *engrossing ... Hunt, as director of the Victoria and Albert Museum and MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central from 2010 to 2017, is uniquely fitted to write this book. -- John Carey * Sunday Times *superb ... this delicious, meticulously researched, wide-ranging but never long-winded book made me admire Tristram Hunt as well as Josiah Wedgwood. -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail *Hunt is exquisitely alive to all the contradictions in Wedgwood's achievements ... a rich portrait of the charismatic but contradictory man who made Georgian Britain the most stylish country in the world -- Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday *One of the achievements of Tristram Hunt's biography... is too bring into view the commercial and moral instincts of the man behind the powerhouse ... Wedgwood emerges from this books as a man of voracious interest in the world. Canny and determined, he had both strong beliefs and the adaptability that marks any great innovator. Hunt ... is as interested in what the man can tell us about the times as the times meant for the man. -- Sarah Watling * Literary Review *Tristram Hunt, one of our finest historians, has done a magnificent job in The Radical Potter. Every chapter made me cheer and halloo. -- A. N. Wilson * Spectator Books of the Year *this attractively packaged ... splendid... biography of ceramics impresario Josiah Wedgwood ... reminds us not only of what has been lost in terms of manufacturing, but what can be regained. -- Jacqueline Riding * Country Life *Hunt performs the important task of telling the great potter's story clearly and accessibly ... Wedgwood the man should be as famous as Wedgwood the brand. That he is not might be due to his business - there are more heroic and glamorous trades than making pots - and to the national tendency to undervalue manufacturing. Hunt's book should help to correct that imbalance. -- Rowan Moore * The Observer *The Radical Potter sees Tristram Hunt argue that Wedgwood was epicentral to the transformation of Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries ... This is a remarkable book from a historian at the top of his game. -- Andrew Roberts * BBC History *Confident ... Hunt makes sure Wedgwood's pots stay at the heart of his biography -- Tanya Harrod * Prospect *easily the best account of that multi-faceted genius -- A. N. Wilson * The Times *The indefatigable one-legged artist and abolitionist Josiah Wedgwood personified the optimism of Georgian Britain. Hunt brings him brilliantly to life. -- Iona McLaren * Daily Telegraph Books of the Year *Josiah Wedgwood was "the Steve Jobs" of the 18th century, according to Tristram Hunt, the historian and V&A director. Wedgwood, of modest background but expansive inventive genius, turned a Staffordshire pottery firm into a global company, one that showed that Britain could make high-quality porcelain, a high-demand product in the new age of tea drinking. Not bad for a man who couldn't turn a wheel because childhood disease disabled one of his legs. He was nicknamed "Owd Wooden Leg" by his workers - and referred to the day he lost his limb as "Saint Amputation Day". -- Robbie Millen * The Times Books of the Year *Tristram Hunt, in The Radical Potter, underlines brilliantly the consumerism and politics of the age in the character of Josiah Wedgwood, in whom we can see all the energy of the era - the campaign for abolition, the birth of international trade, the stirrings of the industrial revolution, the combination of mass production and aesthetic sense. -- Catherine Ostler * Aspects of History Books of the Year *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1450, all Europe''s books were handcopied and amounted to only a few thousand. By 1500 they were printed, and numbered in their millions. The invention of one man - Johann Gutenberg - had caused a revolution. Printing by movable type was a discovery waiting to happen.Born in 1400 in Mainz, Germany, Gutenberg struggled against a background of plague and religious upheaval to bring his remarkable invention to light. His story is full of paradox: his ambition was to reunite all Christendom, but his invention shattered it; he aimed to make a fortune, but was cruelly denied the fruits of his life''s work. Yet history remembers him as a visionary; his discovery marks the beginning of the modern world.Trade ReviewThe Gutenberg Revolution is the best book about the origin of books you could read. It is clear, engaging, fast-paced and authoritative. * Stephen Fry *Extremely erudite and enormously enthusiastic * Guardian *Vivid . . . engaging, detailed and highly readable . . . a window on an extraordinary display of consummate skill and creative genius * New Scientist *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1959, the first Mini was produced on an assembly line at Cowley, near Oxford. It would take a team of supremely talented designers, engineers and production-line workers to build a car that was unique in appearance and construction. They would clash over an uncomfortable and unsafe prototype, and the public had to be convinced to buy a car that let in water when it rained. But somehow the Mini became an icon. Designed for austerity and efficiency, the car came to represent individuality and classlessness.Today, the car is still produced at Cowley - it is now owned by BMW and called the MINI. A great British manufacturing story, it is more popular throughout the world than it has ever been, a symbol of the age that created it. But who makes these things, and what do they think about their work? By meeting the people behind the MINI, Simon Garfield uncovers a fascinating story of endeavour, ingenuity and masterful marketing. The modern MINI has come a long way from the leak

Read more less

Book SynopsisIt’s time to stop thinking in straight lines…Trade Review'This is a wonderfully fascinating book with answers to so many everyday questions you never knew you needed to know. The explanations are lucid and so clear that the one thing it doesn’t do is cause your head to spin.' -- Mark Miodownik, author of Stuff Matters‘More than a few authors have found success with books that look at a broad swath of history, ideas or science through the lens of a single topic… Roland Ennos elevates this approach to dizzying heights in The Science of Spin… The physics are fascinating.’ -- Wall Street Journal'An original and highly engaging insight into how our universe works, encompassing black holes, the cotton mills of the industrial revolution, the biomechanics of walking and more!' -- Paul Sen, author of Einstein's Fridge‘The Science of Spin is a delightful book, equally entertaining and enlightening. Read it and you will come away with a better understanding of our world and how it works.’ -- Ricochet

Read more less

Book SynopsisFirst book to include the role of women in civil aviation's 100-year history. The first book to include all aspects of civial aviation in a single volume.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA brilliantly original exploration of humanity's intimate relationship with technology, from the emergence of our species to the emergence of AI and beyond.

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘Superb coffee table book’ – Nintendo Life‘A fun read’ – Retro Gamer Take a trip down memory lane with Retro Gaming, and relive the glory days (and not so glory days) of your old retro tech favourites.Published in paperback to tie-in with 50 years of console gaming, Retro Gaming is packed with all the characters, games, consoles and franchises you used to love – and probably still do. This is a compact, conversational compendium of all-time highs – alongside just a handful of humorous (in hindsight) lows – from decades of arcade, computer, console and handheld hits.From Atari’s early arcade classics and home games consoles of the 1970s, through to classics that keep on giving, such as Halo and Tomb Raider, this book summarizes the significant releases, research and revolutions that have made video games a £100 billion (and rising) industry.Evergreen favourites from Nintendo, SEGA and Sony are present and correct – no collection would be complete without entries for Mario and Sonic, Tetris and Crash Bandicoot. But we also give credit to the less-celebrated but utterly vital titles, characters, controllers and systems that have helped the world of gaming expand and evolve.A guide, a companion and a window onto a joyous past, Retro Gaming is a perfect book to dip in and out of, as mood and your current gaming habits dictate.Trade ReviewA fun read that offers a brief snapshot into some of the biggest games and systems from that period. * Retro Gamer *Superb coffee table book. Packed with enlightening nuggets of info and loads of lovely images. The ideal way to quickly get yourself (or a loved one) up to speed on decades of games, systems and much, much more. * Nintendo Life *

Read more less

Book SynopsisEminent physicist and economist, Robert Ayres, examines the history of technology as a change agent in society, focusing on societal roots rather than technology as an autonomous, self-perpetuating phenomenon. With rare exceptions, technology is developed in response to societal needs that have evolutionary roots and causes. In our genus Homo, language evolved in response to a need for our ancestors to communicate, both in the moment, and to posterity. A band of hunters had no chance in competition with predators that were larger and faster without this type of organization, which eventually gave birth to writing and music. The steam engine did not leap fully formed from the brain of James Watt. It evolved from a need to pump water out of coal mines, driven by a need to burn coal instead of firewood, in turn due to deforestation. Later, the steam engine made machines and mechanization possible. Even quite simple machines increased human productivity by a factor of hundreds, if not thousands. That was the Industrial Revolution. If we count electricity and the automobile as a second industrial revolution, and the digital computer as the beginning of a third, the world is now on the cusp of a fourth revolution led by microbiology. These industrial revolutions have benefited many in the short term, but devastated the Earth’s ecosystems. Can technology save the human race from the catastrophic consequences of its past success? That is the question this book will try to answer.Table of ContentsChapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. Fire and water: technologies extending nature.- Chapter 3. Extensions of the body.- Chapter 4. Words and music.- Chapter 5. Printing, movable type and books.- Chapter 6. The Enlightenment: the rise of science.- Chapter 7. The first stage of industrialization: coking and canals (1712- 1820).- Chapter 8. Machine tools and mechanization.- Chapter 9. The triumph of steam and steel (1820-1876).- Chapter 10. Petroleum and petrochemicals.- Chapter 11. Anesthesia, surgery, and modern medicine.- Chapter 12. Mobility: From rails to roads to space travel.- Chapter 13. Electricity and electrification of factories and homes.- Chapter 14. Communications: From carrier pigeons to telephones and radio (1876-1976).- Chapter 15. The history of artifiicial light.- Chapter 16. Electronic broadcast media: radio and TV.- Chapter 17. Photography and movies.- Chapter 18. The transistor transition: 1945-1969.- Chapter 19. Machine computation and digitization.- Chapter 20. The Internet and the Worldwide Web.- Chapter 21. The Eco-footprint of material wealth: pollution, climate change and epidemics.- Chapter 22. Nuclear power.- Chapter 23. Solar Power and renewables.- Chapter 24. Scarce elements and scarce metals.- Chapter 25. Food and agriculture.- Chapter 26. Biotechnology and Human Health.- Chapter 27. Can technology save Homo Sapiens from Extinction? Utopia 2120.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSuperlatives tend to fail in describing Joan Blaeu’s Atlas Maior—that being said, it stands as one of the most extravagant feats in the history of mapmaking. The original Latin edition, completed in 1665, was the largest and most expensive book to be published during the 17th century. Its 594 maps appearing across 11 volumes spanned Arctica, Africa, Asia, Europe, and America. Ambitious in scale and artistry, it is included in the Canon of Dutch History, an official survey of 50 individuals, creations, or events that chart the most important historical developments of the Netherlands. TASCHEN’s meticulous reprint brings this luxurious Baroque wonder into the hands of modern readers. In an age of digitized cartography and global connectivity, it celebrates the steadfast beauty of quality printing and restores the wonder of an exploratory age, in which Blaeu’s native Amsterdam was a center of international trade and discovery.This edition is based on the Austrian National Library’s complete colored and gold-heightened copy of Atlas Maior, assuring the finest detail and quality. University of Amsterdam’s Peter van der Krogt introduces the historical and cultural significance of the atlas while providing detailed descriptions for individual maps, revealing the full scale and ambition of Blaeu’s masterwork.Trade Review“There can be few books out there more jaw-droppingly gorgeous than this extraordinary Atlas.” * TNT Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis fascinating story charts the career of Max Hoffman, the US car dealer who represented Jaguar, Porsche, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Fiat, Lancia, BMW, and many other European car brands during the decades following WWII. He pushed for distinguished now-classics like the Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing, Porsche Speedster, BMW 507, and Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider. Hoffman built a reputation as an effective middleman, but as the car companies he represented became more successful under his watch, the less they needed their go-between. When it was inevitably time to say goodbye to Maxie, he showed his teeth with everything from lawsuits against his suppliers, to threatening executives with a mob hit. However, Hoffman also had a very good reason to be defensive. He understood the American market, and he pushed manufacturers specifically for cars that would strike a chord and make everybody involved richer. Sometimes the hero, sometimes the villain, but more often than not, Max Hoffman was the unseen puppet master behind some of today’s best classics.Table of Contents1. Early life, start in cars, and WWII 2. An expensive address (this describes his first showroom in Manhattan and the marques he sold, including Aston Martin, Dalahaye, and Jowett. 3.Jaguar. 4.Volkswagen 5. Mercedes 6. Porsche 7. The Italians (Fiat, Lancia, Alfa Romeo) 8. BMW 9. Frank Lloyd Wright and other architecture 10. How significant Hoffman’s cars are today and a lasting legacy

Read more less

Book Synopsis*SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2023**AS HEARD ON RADIO 4 START THE WEEK, OFF AIR WITH FI AND JANE AND 99% INVISIBLE*'Delightful' TIM HARFORD, FINANCIAL TIMES'Appeals to the nerdy side of just about all of us... a great book to give' JANE GARVEY'A splendid book: clearly written, elegantly structured and full of facts you are unlikely to chance on anywhere else' DAILY MAILSmartphones, skyscrapers, spacecraft. Modern technology seems mind-bogglingly complex. But beneath the surface, it can be beautifully simple.In Nuts and Bolts, award-winning Shard engineer and broadcaster Roma Agrawal deconstructs our most complex feats of engineering into seven fundamental inventions: the nail, spring, wheel, lens, magnet, string and pump. Each of these objects is itself a wonder of design, the result of many iterations and refinements. Together, they have enabled humanity to see the invisible, build the spectacular, communicate across vast distances, and even escape our planet.Tracing the surprising journeys of each invention through the millennia, Roma reveals how handmade Roman nails led to modern skyscrapers, how the potter's wheel enabled space exploration, and how humble lenses helped her conceive a child against the odds.She invites us to marvel at these small but perfectly formed inventions, sharing the stories of the remarkable, and often unknown, scientists and engineers who made them possible. The nuts and bolts that make up our world may be tiny, and are often hidden, but they've changed our lives in dramatic ways.'A wonderful book' MARK MIODOWNIK'A masterclass in storytelling' JESS WADE'A riveting love letter to the small, wonderful, and mundane things that make the modern world.' ROMAN MARS

Read more less

Book Synopsis'The most important book to read about the AI boom' (Wired): The 'gripping' (New Yorker) true story of the first time machines came for human jobs—and how the Luddite uprising explains the power, threat, and toll of big tech and AI today Named one of the best books of the year by The New Yorker, Wired, and the Financial Times • A Next Big Idea Book Club 'Must-Read' The most urgent story in modern tech begins not in Silicon Valley but two hundred years ago in rural England, when workers known as the Luddites rose up rather than starve at the hands of factory owners who were using automated machines to erase their livelihoods. The Luddites organized guerrilla raids to smash those machines—on punishment of death—and won the support of Lord Byron, enraged the Prince Regent, and inspired the birth of science fiction. This all-but-forgotten class struggle brought ninetee

Read more less

Book SynopsisL. T. C. Rolt was born at Chester in 1910. After his education at Cheltenham College he embarked on am engineering career, until he decided to turn to writing. Among his many publications were biographies of Thomas Telford and George and Robert Stevenson (both published by Penguin). Mr Rolt died in 1974.

Read more less

Book SynopsisEffective Technical Communication is designed to serve as a practical guide and useful resource for scientists, engineers, and researchers. It addresses the need of practitioners engaged in the exchange of techincal information to effectively share their ideas with, and make impact on, their peers.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDrawing upon art, science, philosophy, and the history of culture, this title explains the origin of the machine age and traces its social results, asserting that the development of modern technology had its roots in the Middle Ages rather than the Industrial Revolution.Trade Review"The questions posed in the first paragraph of Technics and Civilization still deserve our attention, nearly three-quarters of a century after they were written." - Technology and Culture "A brilliant historical and critical account of the effect of the artificial environment on man and of man on the environment, a necessary account, one for which we have waited too long in English." - New York Times"

Read more less

Book SynopsisJames May's idiosyncratic look at the great inventions of our timeTrade Review'James May is the best thing ever to come out of Top Gear' * Radio Times *'Smart, sharply written' * Guardian *'The most loveable of the Top Gear presenting trio . . . there's a sharp and interesting mind under the corduroy. Fascinating.' * Nottingham Evening Post *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA fascinating exploration of the magnificent bridges crossing the River Thames from source to estuary.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Norton writes with wit and a fine eye for the poetry in the scientific world...funny and gripping.' The GuardianTrade ReviewIn his whistle-stop tour of inventions large and small, the scientist Trevor Norton shares the Gershwins' view that invention is fundamentally comic... Some of the most amusing bits of Norton's book - whose short chapters encourage you to dip in at random rather than read sequentially - concern those inventions that didn't quite make the grade... Another source of comedy in Norton's history of invention is our changing sense of what matters. * The Sunday Times *In Norton's breezy telling of man's progress, it is not necessity that is the mother of invention, but other inventors. * Mail on Sunday *A new book tells the remarkable stories behind our everyday lives. * Daily Express *He tells these tales of super-human determination with a sharp twinkle in his eye and an unerring instinct for the absurd. * Daily Mail *Norton humanises honest science and sincere endeavour with humour and respect. * The Times *Most such histories concentrate either on the Eureka moments or try to convey the mix of inspiration and perspiration that leads to great discoveries. Norton's hugely entertaining romp does both of those, with a large dose of butterscotch ripple provided by the less talented rivals to Archimedes and Edison... For thanks to diligent research Norton has traced the hilarious failures that came before the Eureka moments. Crackpot ideas and great inventions have rarely been combined before to give such a complete and utter picture of the process of inventiveness at its least and most successful... all these and many other necessary failures are lovingly documented by Norton in his all-too-true story of invention. * Daily Express *Norton tells engaging stories in a very readable manner. * Financial Times *This fascinating compendium of pioneering progress gives the background to these and many other technological and medical advances... Trevor Norton didn't invent the concept of a great read - but with this wry, entertaining look at the brains behind the breakthroughs, he has definitely delivered on. * Daily Record *It's a great mix of the history of crackpot ideas and outstanding inventions that demonstrates the process of inventiveness both at its best and worst. * Bournemouth Daily Echo *Norton takes us on an informative dash through the inventors who have changed our lives with their creations. From tiny transistors to Brunel's great iron ships, their stories spring from this book's pages with good humour and wit. This sympathetic look at the trials of pioneering something revolutionary offers glimpses into the history of invention, explaining how these remarkable men became the pathfinders of modern commercial and domestic life. * The Lady *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMore than any other technology, cars have transformed our culture. Cars have created vast wealth as well as novel dreams of freedom and mobility. They have transformed our sense of distance and made the world infinitely more available to our eyes and our imaginations. They have inspired cinema, music and literature; they have, by their need for roads, bridges, filling stations, huge factories and global supply chains, re-engineered the world. Almost everything we now need, want, imagine or aspire to assumes the existence of cars in all their limitless power and their complex systems of meanings.This book celebrates the immense drama and beauty of the car, of the genius embodied in the Ford Model T, of the glory of the brilliant-red Mercedes Benz S-Class made by workers for Nelson Mandela on his release from prison, of Kanye West''s ''chopped'' Maybach, of the salvation of the Volkswagen Beetle by Major Ivan Hirst, of Elvis Presley''s 100 Cadillacs, of the Rolls-Royce Silver Trade ReviewThe car has totally changed our society. Bryan Appleyard is just the writer to get to the heart of this phenomenon. * Melvyn Bragg *As cars undergo their latest electro-smart evolution, Bryan Appleyard's extraordinary cultural history of them explains how they changed our everyday experience. This is a brilliantly written and thoughtful account of the machines which made our lives recognisably modern. * Michael Burleigh *An entertaining and superbly researched story about the industrial age's most astonishing and enchanting creation. * Gavin Green, Car Magazine *Very few people could do justice to this extraordinary story - and with this book Bryan Appleyard sets the bar impossibly high for anyone else. * Rory Sutherland *An exhilarating spin through the history of the machine that transformed our culture from its earliest incarnation to its imminent demise. * Saga Magazine *The prose is sharp, well organised and well researched. * Country Life *Bryan Appleyard is well known to readers as a thoughtful interpreter of our frets and anxieties... a thinking man's Clarkson. * Spectator *This engaging history of the motor car is full of rich anecdotes and detail. * Sunday Times *This fond look at the history, development and significance of the automobile is supercharged by wonderful writing... As sharply as he draws portraits of the key players, Appleyard, one of the liveliest minds in journalism, is at his most acute when musing on the cultural effects of the car. * Observer *Appleyard, an unashamed petrol-head, rightly celebrates the pleasures of driving and the freedoms that the automobile has brought us... immensely readable. -- Nick Rennison * Daily Mail *[Audio edition review] An enjoyable ride through the history of the automobile ... This is a romp of a book. After a provocative introduction on the social significance of the automobile, Bryan Appleyard takes us through a motorcade of inventors ... John Sackville has one of the most taking voices in the audio industry, sounding enthusiastic and endlessly interested in a way that makes it impossible not to keep listening. -- Christina Hardyment * THE TIMES *Appleyard draws upon a vast knowledge of science, mechanics and cultural lore as he successfully supports his thesis that the car didn't merely influence the modern world - it created it. -- Jonathan Kellerman * The New York Times *An encyclopedic retrospective of how the car came to be, how it has evolved over the past century and how, as the subtitle suggests, it has shaped the world we live in. -- Mark Yost * The Wall Street Journal *

Read more less

Book SynopsisLearn about the rarest muscle cars ever produced with this new book. In the world of muscle cars, many were produced and sold in large enough quantities that they would be considered special but not particularly rare at the time of production. The Boss 429 and Plymouth Superbird were produced for racing homologation reasons, and since they were very expensive to produce, the manufacturers ensured that they would be rare. However, there is rare, and then there is rare. Prototypes and special factory builds, factory production cars, and super car tuners and builders are all covered in this new book by muscle-car historian Wes Eisenschenk. Some are single examples, some are very close to being the last remaining example, and all are extremely rare. Some have no surviving example known to exist. Featured cars include a Boss 429 Cougar, a 1971 Pontiac Ventura II Sprint 455, a 1965 Chevelle 300 COPO car with the L78 option, and a 1970 FK5 Deep Burnt Orange Metallic Superbird. Dealer promotional specials include a 1968 AMC AMX Von Piranha, a 1970 Dick Harrell LS6 454 Camaro, and a 1973 Nickey Chevrolet 427 Nova. These are cars that you will read about but likely never see. For a fun ride through muscle-car history and great stories of the rarest muscle cars ever produced, add this book to your automotive library today.

Read more less

Book SynopsisPresenting papers from two International Lychnological Association (ILA) Round Tables, this volume provides an extensive look at the technological development of lighting and lighting devices during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages in Western Europe and Byzantium. A time of major economic, geopolitical and social changes, there were also radical modifications in lighting devices, as terracotta mold-made lamps, very common throughout the earlier days of the Roman Empire, were replaced by devices that used glass containers to hold oil, candles made of beeswax, and metals to create a wide variety of holders for the newer glass lamp vessels and candles. Discussions included such diverse subjects as lighting devices used in medieval times in Scandinavian mines, the Byzantine use of light for long-distance signaling, castle illumination, polykandela designs and the spiritual significance of light. The scholars used as their source material not only artifacts from museums and excavated contexts, but also written sources and depictions of lighting devices on mosaics, frescos, icons, textiles and manuscripts to help complete their notions about lighting in these eras. The majority of the twenty-nine papers published in this volume were presented at the third International Round Table under the title ‘Dark Ages? History and archaeology of lighting devices in Continental Europe, from late Antiquity to late Medieval Ages’ in Olten, Switzerland in September 2007 and at the fourth International Round Table under the title ‘Lighting in Byzantium’ in Thessaloniki, Greece in October 2011. In many cases the length of each paper is a clear reflection of how little or well-studied the presented topic is. A few discussions on some artifacts dated after 1500 AD are included because they represent and reflect the technological evolution of lighting related to the Middle Ages. Both ILA Round Tables considered the use of lighting devices in everyday and ecclesiastical life and discussed their many aspects, including their terminology, typology, chronology, manufacturing techniques, and symbolic functions. The great breadth of lighting technologies available in those ‘Dark Ages’ becomes apparent through the diversity of the discussions, which reflect the great variety of materials used to create lighting devices.Table of ContentsKaren S. Garnett, Ioannis Motsianos - Light and Lighting in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages in Western Europe and Byzantium: An Introduction; Habil Laurent Chrzanovski - A Highly Important ‘Half-volume’ as Acta of two Pioneer Congresses: some Explanations; Arja Karivieri - Acknowledgments; Verena Perko with collaboration of Vesna Tratnik - An Overview of Late-Antique Oil-Lamps and Lighting Devices from Slovenia; Thomas Bitterli - A Light is on in the Hut. Light and Lighting Equipment in Medieval Everyday Life; Svetlana Avdusina - Medieval Lighting Devices from the Collection of the State Historical Museum of Russia; Catherine Vincent - Lumière et luminaires dans la vie religieuse en Occident au Moyen ge; Arja Karivieri - Olaus Magnus the Goth on Fire, Light and Lighting Devices of the Northern People; Lena Berg Nilsson - Mines Illuminated – Reflections upon Lighting in Medieval Mining; Yvonne Seidel - Lighthouses in the Tabula Peutingeriana and their Importance in Late Antiquity; Ioannis Motsianos - Lighting Devices in Byzantium: Comparisons in Time and Space; Sofia Akrivopoulou, Periklis Slampeas, Paraskevi Leventeli - Lamps from the Excavation at 45 Basileus Heracleiou Street, Thessaloniki; Evangelia Angelkou, Maria Cheimonopoulou - Lighting Artifacts from the Episcopal Complex at Louloudies Pierias; Karen S. Garnett - Bottoms Up! Bases and Handles on Attic KY Shop Lamps from Corinth's Fountain of the Lamps; Arja Karivieri - Athenian Lamps in the Early Byzantine period– Export, Import and Imitation; Renate Rosenthal-Heginbottom - Aspects of typology, chronology and iconography in the regional lamp production in the area of present-day Israel (4th - 7th centuries AD); Lambrini Koutoussaki - Argos and its Lamps from the late 4th to 7th Century AD; Anastassios Ch. Antonaras - A Three-handled, Calyx-shaped glass lamp from Thessaloniki and its Archaeological Context; Anastasia G. Yangaki - Some Remarks on a Category of Wheel-Made Lamps:A ‘Koinè’ in the 6th and the 7th Centuries AD?; Christopher S. Lightfoot - Lighting Devices found at Byzantine Amorium (Turkey); Stanislav Ryzhov, Tatyana Yashaeva - Church Lighting Devices in Byzantine Cherson; Mara Verykokou - Problems of Methodology in the Dating of Byzantine Polykandela: The Benaki Museum Examples; Paschalis Androudis, Ioannis Motsianos - Byzantine metal support fittings for a candlestick from the Monastery of Chilandar on Mount Athos; Mariela Inkova - Once again on the ‘Byzantine-Mediterranean Limoges’?; Georgios Velenis, Stavros Zachariadis - Considerations on the Function and Usage of Pottery Lamps Inspired by Finds from the Forum of Thessaloniki; Ioannis Motsianos - Difficulties and Preconditions for the Utilitization of Glass in Lighting in Byzantium; Naama Sukenik, Yotam Tepper - A Linen Wick from the Northern Church at Shivta, Israel; Ioannis Motsianos - Some thoughts about the use and the making of beeswax candles in Byzantium; Pelli Mastora - The Virtual Lighting of the Rotunda’s Mosaics; Dr Ioannis Iliades - Light and Lighting Devices in Wall Paintings of Byzantine Churches in Thessaloniki; Efterpi Marki - A beacon from the castle of Kitros, Pieria, Greece; Prof. Dr. Habil Laurent Chrzanovski - Lessons of Modernity from the Past: some Amazing Parallels drawn from Antique and Medieval Lychnological Economics

Read more less

Book SynopsisA comprehensive pictorial history of all MG cars that were produced from 1930 up to those in production in 2006 when the Rover group collapsed. This is the 'go-to' reference book if you want to compare your Magnettes, MGAs, Midgets or Maestros!

Read more less

Book SynopsisA comprehensive pictorial history of all Bentley cars produced between 1933 and 2020.A model-by-model guide to this classic marque, giving details of design history, model specs, colour variations and styling features. Comprehensively illustrated, the book includes original photographs of all models, together with interior detail. It is an invaluable resource for anyone wishing to identify or compare Bentley models.This book is a must-have for any automotive bookshelf, for the Bentley aficionado or those interested in British motoring heritage. James Taylor is an experienced automotive historian and author, who has written many titles for Veloce, this one being another addition to Veloce''s hugely successful A Pictorial History series.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe relatively short period during which BOAC existed, 1940 to 1974, coincided with what is sometimes known as the Golden Age of Flying. Not so much a history of BOAC, although history obviously comes into it, more a celebration of an era which will never return. In our times air travel has become much safer, much cheaper, but infinitely less glamorous. This book recalls the days when flying was thought to be so exotic that major Hollywood movies were set entirely in airport departure lounges. Trade Review"Fantastic book... Highly recommended!" Captain Thomas Scott Cooper, United Airlines, Temecula. -- Captain Thomas Scott Cooper, United Airlines, Temecula."A complete description of my memories of BOAC from my adolescence in Constellations, Stratocruisers, and DC7Cs, and then in my teen years being allowed to sit in the flight deck jump seat for landings in VC10s, 707s, and finally 757s. I was so fortunate to have experienced the golden era of flight travel." Thomas Hilditch, Phoenix -- Thomas Hilditch, PhoenixTable of Contents1 FLYING'S GOLDEN AGE 2 IN THE BEGINNING 3 IMPERIAL AIRWAYS AND THE FLYING BOAT ERA 4 THE SPEEDBIRD 5 THE BIRTH OF BOAC 6 THE DH-98 MOSQUITO 7 AFTER THE WAR 8 THE PILOTS 9 ROYALTY 10 THE JET AGE 11 THE SIXTIES 12 THE JUMBO JET 13 THE END OF THE GOLDEN AGE 14 THE MERGER

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book introduces the basic knowledge, concepts, terms and development process of high-speed rail (HSR) and summarizes its main achievements at this stage. It mainly expounds the connotation of high-speed rail to readers from two different aspects of theory and technology. The book explains the development process of high-speed rail in terms of time: yesterday's wheel rail high-speed rail, today's maglev high-speed rail and tomorrow's super high-speed rail; and also spatially, making a comparative analysis of the development around the world.This book can be used as a reading material for scientific researchers, engineering technicians, management workers, teachers and students of colleges and universities as well as high-speed railfans.Table of ContentsChapter 1. INTRODUCTION.- Chapter 2. CONCEPTUAL TERMINOLOGY OF HSR.- Chapter 3. ATTRIBUTE CHARACTERISTICS OF HSR.- Chapter 4. Wheel High-speed Rail(WHSR).- Chapter 5. Magnetic High-speed Rail (MHSR).- Chapter 6. SUPER-SPEED RAIL (SSR).- Chapter 7. GLOBAL VILLAGE IN HIGH-SPEED RAIL ENVIRONMENT.- Chapter 8. Reference.

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Celebrates human cognitive diversity, and is rich with empathy and psychological insight'' Steven Pinker ''Bold, intriguing, profound'' Jay Elwes, Spectator Why can humans alone invent? In this book, psychologist and world renowned autism expert Simon Baron-Cohen puts forward a bold new theory: because we can identify patterns, specifically if-and-then patterns. Baron-Cohen argues that the genes for this unique ability overlap with the genes for autism and have driven human progress for 70,000 years. From the first musical instruments to the agricultural, industrial, and digital revolutions, Pattern Seekers links one of our greatest human strengths with a condition that is so often misunderstood and challenges us to think differently about those who think differently.Trade ReviewAmbitious and provocative...goes beyond the usual discussion of 'special gifts' in autism to propose that the diversity of human operating systems has accelerated the advancement of human civilization and culture in ways we can barely imagine. -- Steve Silberman, author of NeuroTribesIt's rare to come across a surprising new idea that explains important phenomena, but Simon Baron-Cohen's exploration of abstract pattern-seeking in human affairs is one of them. This book sheds light on one of humanity's most distinctive traits, celebrates human cognitive diversity, and is rich with empathy and psychological insight. -- Steven Pinker, author of How the Mind WorksA game-changing book, a passport into exploring the world of innovation and creativity. Most importantly, it celebrates autistic people and is a call for action, to welcome neurodiversity. -- David Joseph, Chairman and CEO Universal Music UKA fascinating account of the mechanisms underlying the related capacities of both autistic individuals and innovators. -- Brian Josephson, winner of the Nobel Prize in physicsErudite, illuminating...His bold new idea, that the genes for autism drove the evolution of human invention, places this disability centre stage in the story of humans. -- Jools HollandBased on massive research, Simon Baron-Cohen argues that most of us are specialized in how we perceive the world around us. There are those who focus on people and those who focus on things. The author makes a compelling case that the second kind of mind-the pattern seeker-is at the root of modern human civilization. -- Frans de Waal, author of The Age of EmpathyDestined to become a classic...In an age of increasing specialization, Baron-Cohen's book comes as a breath of fresh air. -- VS Ramachandran * author of the Tell Tale Brain *Bold, intriguing, profound. -- Jay Elwes * Spectator *A wonderful, lyrical celebration of the autistic mind. -- Alice Thomson * Times *

Read more less