History of engineering and technology Books
Cambridge University Press Throwing Fire
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£22.99
Cambridge University Press The Evolution of Technology Cambridge Studies in the History of Science
Book SynopsisThis book presents an evolutionary theory of technological change based upon recent scholarship in the history of technology and upon relevant material drawn from economic history and anthropology. It challenges the popular notion that technology advances by the efforts of a few heroic individuals who produce a series of revolutionary inventions owing little or nothing to the technological past. Therefore, the book's argument is shaped by analogies taken selectively from the theory of organic evolution, and not from the theory and practice of political revolution. Three themes appear, and reappear with variations, throughout the study. The first is diversity: an acknowledgment of the vast numbers of different kinds of made things (artifacts) that have long been available to humanity; the second is necessity: the belief that humans are driven to invent new artifacts in order to meet basic biological requirements such as food, shelter, and defense; and the third is technological evolutioTrade Review"Mr. Basalla argues his case ingeniously and cites a variety of examples...the reader is astonished again and again at the ease with which Mr. Basalla overturns many cherished prejudices and preconceptions about inventors and their creations." New York Times Book Review"George Basalla has done scholars a valuable service...(his)own insights at an intermediate level of analysis may well provide the building blocks for a more rigorous and sophisticated theory of technological change." Science"A thoughtful and thought provoking analysis drawing on a wide range of historical examples that will be of use to scholars and students." - Science, Technology and Society"a refreshing book...a lively and revealing perspective on the history of technology. This book should find its way into undergraduate courses." American Scientist"Both the tech-happy and the tech-wary will find news in this view of technology as an evolutionary system. Fascinating case studies show how society-bending inventions - even 'breakthroughs' - proceed from small, incremental variations upon earlier inventions." Whole Earth CatalogTable of ContentsPreface; 1. Diversity, necessity, and evolution; 2. Continuity and discontinuity; 3. Novelty: psychological and intellectual factors; 4. Novelty: socioeconomic and cultural factors; 5. Selection: economic and military factors; 6. Selection: social and cultural factors; 7. Conclusion: evolution and progress; Bibliography; Sources of questions; Index.
£32.29
Cambridge University Press Fusion
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£115.90
Cambridge University Press An Institute for an Empire
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£36.09
Cambridge University Press Technology and Global Change
Book SynopsisThis is the first book to comprehensibly describe how technology has shaped society and the environment over the last 200 years. It will be useful for researchers, as a textbook for graduate students, for people engaged in long-term policy planning in industry and government, for environmental activists, and for the wider public interested in history, technology, or environmental issues.Trade Review' … [This book] contains some useful information in the assessment of the relationship between technology development and environment'. Environment International'While the topic is complex, and the density of the material daunting, I found the book easy and pleasant to read'. Robert A. Frosch, EnergyTable of ContentsAcknowledgements; 1. Introduction; Part I. What is Technology?: 2. Technology: concepts and definitions; 3. Technology: models; 4. Technology: history; Part II. Technology and the Environment: Natural and Human: 5. Agriculture; 6. Industry; 7. Services; Part III. The Balance of Evidence: 8. Conclusion. 9. Postscript: from data muddles to models; Appendix; References; Index.
£62.54
Cambridge University Press A History of Aerodynamics
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£67.44
Cambridge University Press Creating Abundance Biological Innovation and American Agricultural Development
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£29.44
Cambridge University Press The Triumph of Technology The BBC Reith Lectures 2005
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£18.88
Cambridge University Press Throwing Fire
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£71.25
Cambridge University Press The Grand Designers
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£44.64
Cambridge University Press Creating Abundance Biological Innovation and American Agricultural Development
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£36.10
Cambridge University Press Dictatorship of the Air Aviation Culture and the Fate of Modern Russia Cambridge Centennial of Flight
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£44.65
Cambridge University Press The Triumph of Technology The BBC Reith Lectures 2005
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£71.31
Cambridge University Press The ALMA Telescope
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£37.99
Cambridge University Press The Land of the Hunger Artists
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£24.69
Cambridge University Press Scientific Papers and Addresses of the Hon. Sir Charles A. Parsons
Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1934, this book contains a collection of papers written by Sir Charles Algernon Parsons, inventor of the steam turbine. The papers focus primarily on the steam turbine and Parsons' attempts to manufacture synthetic diamonds, and are prefaced by a memoir of Parsons written by Lord Rayleigh.Table of ContentsPreface G. L. Parsons; Foreword Lady Parsons; Some personal reminiscences of Sir Charles Parsons Lord Rayleigh; Part I: 1. The compound steam turbine and its theory, as applied to the working of dynamo-electric machines; 2. The application of the compound steam turbine to the purpose of marine propulsion; 3. Presidential address to the Institution of Junior Engineers; 4. Motive power - high-speed navigation - steam turbines; 5. The steam turbine and its application to the propulsion of vessels; 6. Presidential address to the engineering section of the British Association, 1904; 7. The steam turbine; 8. The steam turbine on land and sea; 9. The expansive working of steam in steam turbines; 10. The application of the marine steam turbine and mechanical gearing to merchant ships; 11. Experiments on the compression of liquids at high pressures; 12. The steam turbine; 13. The marine steam turbine from 1894 to 1910; 14. Presidential address to the North-East Coast Institution; 15. Presidential address to the British Association, 1919; 16. The rise of motive power and the work of Joule; 17. Presidential address to the institute of physics; 18. Steam turbines; 19. Some investigations into the cause of erosion of the tubes of surface condensers; 20. Recent progress in steam turbine plant; Part II: 21. Experiments on carbon at high temperatures and under great pressures, and in contact with other substances; 22. Some notes on carbon at high temperatures and pressures; 23. Experiments on the artificial production of diamond; Part III: Appendix A. The Parsons auxetophone; Appendix B. Optical glass; Appendix C. List of papers; Index.
£24.99
Cambridge University Press The Craftsman Series The Bell Rock Lighthouse
Book SynopsisOriginally 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 (1772â1850), 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.Table of ContentsEditor's preface; Introduction; Glossary; Part I. The Bell Rock: 1. Situation and character of the Bell Rock. Proposal for a lighthouse to be erected. The floating-light prepared and moored; Part II. Operations of 1807: 2. The Smeaton built and launched. A preliminary trip to the rock. Selection of artificers. The working party sails to the rock; 3. Preparations for the beacon. The smith at work on the rock; 4. The artificiers transfer to the floating-light. The first week-end afloat; 5. The foundation-pit begun. Trial stones landed on the rock; 6. The Smeaton goes adrift. Thirty-two men marooned on the rock. A timely rescue; 7. Rough weather. Riding out the gale on the floating-light. A terrifying experience; 8. Work resumed at the rock. The derrick erected; 9. The principal beams of the beacon are set up. Rough weather delays the work; 10. The forge moved to the beacon. Another gale. Work finished at the rock for the season. Preparations ashore for next year's work; Part III. Operations of 1808: 11. Preparations for landing the stones at the rock. The masons at work ashore. The rock visited. All well after the winter; 12. The season's work begun at the rock. The mortar gallery erected. Busy times at the rock; 13. Appearance of the works. The foundation-stone landed and laid. The foundation-course completed; 14. The second and third courses laid. A seaman is drowned. The laying of the fourth course finishes the work of the season; 15. The third season's building begun. The beacon-house prepared. Eleven men left to the beacon during heavy weather. Their rescue; 16. Bad weather continues for five days. First trip of the Patriot. The mortar-makers. The rope ladder fixed; 17. An accident to the crane. Michael Wishart injured. The building stands above high-water for the first time. The artificers lodge in the beacon-house; 18. Embargo upon shipping. The thirteenth course completed in haste. Special facilities given to Bell Rock shipping. Rough times at the beacon. Laying of twenty-fourth course completes the solid part of the building. Work ended for the season; Part IV. Operations of 1810: 19. The wooden bridge erected. The masons sail for the rock. Condition of the beacon-house after the winter; 20. The balance-crane landed and erected. Rough water delays the work. Prayers read on the lighthouse for the first time. The door lintel landed and laid; 21. Progress ashore. Store-room floor completed. First letter dated from the lighthouse. Heavy seas break on the building. Wet weather; 22. Discontent among the seamen. Two men dismissed the service. Heavy weather damages the beacon. The writer's cabin. Last cargo of stones loaded at Arbroath; 23. The last principal stone loaded at Leith. Completion of the masonry. Condition of the artificers. They leave the rock; 24. The tender goes adrift in a gale. Condition of party left at the rock. More damage to the beacon. A fatal accident; 25. The light-room completed and glazed. A difficult landing. Final inspection of lighthouse and beacon. Light-keepers left at the rock. Apparatus of the light fitted up; Part V. Events of 1811 to 1823: 26. The light exhibited for the first time. Appearance of the lighthouse in a gale. The daily signal. Lightning conductor fixed. The lighthouse painted. Use of carrier pigeons; Index.
£23.99
Cambridge University Press A Short History of Naval and Marine Engineering
Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1938, this book was written to provide an account of the historical development of naval and marine engineering. Technical papers, presidential addresses, journals, textbooks, biographies, official regulations, personal letters, reminiscences and previously unpublished manuscripts were all drawn upon to illustrate the many aspects of the subject.Table of ContentsList of plates; List of figures in the text; Foreword; Preface; 1. The birth of the steam boat; 2. Early progress of steam navigation; 3. Pioneer transatlantic steamships; 4. Steam men-of-war; 5. The introduction of screw propulsion; 6. Naval officers and steam; 7. Iron ships for mercantile purposes; 8. Early iron warships; 9. Low pressure marine boilers; 10. Types of marine engines; 11. Steam and sail from 1860 to 1870; 12. The marine compound engine; 13. Boiler practice and progress; 14. Introduction of auxiliary machinery, I; 15. Introduction of auxiliary machinery, II; 16. Triple-expansion engines and water-tube boilers; 17. Machinery of torpedo craft; 18. The introduction of the Parsons steam turbine; 19. Steam turbines and transmission gear; 20. Steam machinery from 1919 to 1937; 21. The marine internal combustion engine; 22. Marine engineering and the nation; Index.
£34.99
Cambridge University Press Life and Labours of Thomas Brassey 18051870 Cambridge Library Collection Technology
Book SynopsisAn important figure in British business history, the civil engineering contractor Thomas Brassey (1805â70) stood at the forefront of railway construction across the globe in the nineteenth century. He was also instrumental in the development of the Victoria Dock and part of London's sewer system. Originally published in 1872 and reissued here in its 1888 seventh edition, this first biography of Brassey was written by his personal friend, the public servant and author Sir Arthur Helps (1813â75). It describes Brassey's many remarkable achievements as a prolific contractor working in Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas. A brilliant businessman, representing the best of British skill, leadership and organisation, Brassey employed tens of thousands of men around the world at the peak of his career. Having collaborated with prominent engineers such as Joseph Locke and Robert Stephenson, he secured for himself a long-lasting reputation for integrity and dedication.Table of ContentsIntroductory chapter; 1. Mr Brassey as a businessman; 2. Mr Brassey's early career; 3. Contract work; 4. Commencement of foreign work; 5. Labourers of different nations; 6. Mr Brassey's skill in calculations; 7. Work becomes more extensive; 8. Great Northern Railway; 9. Financial management; 10. Financial difficulties; 11. Mr Brassey's wealth; 12. Railway and other contracts; 13. Italian railways; 14. Grand Trunk Railway of Canada; 15. Victoria Bridge; 16. Crimean and other railways; 17. Works in Australia; 18. Argentine railway; 19. Moldavian railways; 20. Indian railways; 21. Recollections of his son; 22. Close of life; 23. Railways and government control; Appendices; Index.
£24.99
Cambridge University Press Samuel F B Morse His Letters And Journals Volume
Book SynopsisThe American inventor Samuel Morse (1791â1872) spent decades fighting to be recognised for his key role in devising the electromagnetic telegraph. While he will always be remembered in the history of telecommunications, and for co-developing the code which bears his name, Morse started out as a painter and also involved himself in matters of politics over the course of his career. Published in 1914, this two-volume collection of personal papers was edited by his son, who provides helpful commentary throughout, illuminating the struggles and successes of a remarkable life. Volume 1 includes observations made in Europe while Morse studied painting. During the Napoleonic wars, he writes letters home describing the rising level of crime and social unrest in London, mentioning that he sleeps with a pistol. He is in London when Spencer Perceval is assassinated and later writes of meeting Turner, 'the best landscape painter living'.Table of ContentsPreface; 1. April 27, 1791–September 8, 1810; 2. October 31, 1810–August 17, 1811; 3. August 24, 1811–December 1, 1811; 4. January 18, 1812–August 6, 1812; 5. September 20, 1812–June 13, 1813; 6. July 10, 1813–April 6, 1814; 7. May 2, 1814–October 11, 1814; 8. November 9, 1814–April 23, 1815; 9. May 3, 1815–October 18, 1815; 10. April 10, 1816–October 5, 1818; 11. November 19, 1818–March 31, 1821; 12. May 23, 1821–December 17, 1824; 13. January 4, 1825–November 18, 1825; 14. January 1, 1826–December 5, 1829; 15. December 6, 1829–February 6, 1830; 16. February 6, 1820–June 15, 1830; 17. June 17, 1830–February 2, 1831; 18. February 10, 1831–September 12, 1831; 19. September 18, 1831–September 21, 1832; 20. End of Volume 1.
£41.79
Cambridge University Press An Introduction to Automatic Digital Computers
Book SynopsisOriginally published in 1960, this textbook is aimed at those without advanced mathematical training and provides a comprehensive introductory account of digital computers, what they are capable of doing and how they are made to do it. Throughout the book the emphasis is on the applications of computers to routine work rather than to advanced research.Table of ContentsList of plates; Preface to the first edition; Preface to the second edition; 1. The elements of programming; 2. Input, storage and output of numbers; 3. The organization of programmes; 4. The solution of engineering problems; References for further reading; Index.
£29.99
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Department of Mad Scientists
Book SynopsisFrom Smithsonian Books, The Department of Mad Scientists is the first trade book ever on DARPA—the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency—the maverick and controversial agency whose futuristic work has had amazing military and civilian application, from the Internet to GPS to driverless cars. Michael Belfiore, author of Rocketeers, visited science research sites across the country to provide this unprecedented look at the people who shape our country’s future technology.
£13.49
Penguin Putnam Inc Thinking Machines The Quest for Artificial
Book SynopsisA fascinating look at Artificial Intelligence, from its humble Cold War beginnings to the dazzling future that is just around the corner.When most of us think about Artificial Intelligence, our minds go straight to cyborgs, robots, and sci-fi thrillers where machines take over the world. But the truth is that Artificial Intelligence is already among us. It exists in our smartphones, fitness trackers, and refrigerators that tell us when the milk will expire. In some ways, the future people dreamed of at the World's Fair in the 1960s is already here. We're teaching our machines how to think like humans, and they're learning at an incredible rate.In Thinking Machines, technology journalist Luke Dormehl takes you through the history of AI and how it makes up the foundations of the machines that think for us today. Furthermore, Dormehl speculates on the incredible--and possibly terrifying--future that's much closer than many would imagine. This remarkable
£14.40
MIT Press Ltd Adjusted Margin Xerography Art and Activism in
Book SynopsisHow xerography became a creative medium and political tool, arming artists and activists on the margins with an accessible means of making their messages public. This is the story of how the xerographic copier, or “Xerox machine,” became a creative medium for artists and activists during the last few decades of the twentieth century. Paper jams, mangled pages, and even fires made early versions of this clunky office machine a source of fear, rage, dread, and disappointment. But eventually, xerography democratized print culture by making it convenient and affordable for renegade publishers, zinesters, artists, punks, anarchists, queers, feminists, street activists, and others to publish their work and to get their messages out on the street. The xerographic copier adjusted the lived and imagined margins of society, Eichhorn argues, by supporting artistic and political expression and mobilizing subcultural movements. Eichhorn describes early efforts to use xe
£16.19
MIT Press Ltd Spaceflight
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£15.29
MIT Press Ltd Fertility Technology
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£14.39
MIT Press Ltd Human Frontiers
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£16.96
MIT Press Ltd Artificial Intelligence
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£23.96
WW Norton & Co The Human Age The World Shaped by Us
Book SynopsisAs Diane Ackerman writes in her brilliant new book, The Human Age, our relationship with nature has changed radically, irreversibly, but by no means all for the bad. Our new epoch is laced with invention. Our mistakes are legion, but our talent is immeasurable.Trade Review"An ode to the planet we’ve created for ourselves… Rarely grim, and the overwhelming spirit is one of relentless optimism." -- Nathanial Rich - New York Times"[Ackerman] raises the bar for her peers…her penetrating insight is a joy to behold." -- Publishers Weekly, Starred review"Ackerman has established herself over the last quarter of a century as one of our most adventurous, charismatic, and engrossing public science writers…she has demonstrated a rare versatility, a contagious curiosity, and a gift for painting quick, memorable tableaus drawn from research across a panoply of disciplines. The Human Age displays all of these alluring qualities…The Human Age is a dazzling achievement: immensely readable, lively, polymathic, audacious." -- Rob Nixon - New York Times Book Review"Diane Ackerman’s vivid writing, inexhaustible stock of insights, and unquenchable optimism have established her as a national treasure, and as one of our great authors. You’re now about to become addicted to Diane Ackerman." -- Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel and The World Until Yesterday"In this amazingly illuminating book, Diane Ackerman explains our future with her typically intoxicating blend of scholarship, wisdom, grace and humor." -- Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies"Diane Ackerman writes with brilliance, zest, and high style. In a difficult time, we need to hear this voice of human affirmation. It's important. It matters. I read The Human Age and thought, Yes! This is the way to look ahead." -- Jonathan Weiner, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Beak of the Finch and Long for this World"The Human Age allows us to consider whether or not we will accept destruction or restoration as our legacy. I cannot imagine a richer text of image and insight, rendered with grace, intelligence and stamina." -- Terry Tempest Williams, author of When Women Were Birds"With this stirringly vivid, darkbright manifesto, Diane Ackerman summons us to the wager of sheer possibility: life against death, delight still (if only just barely) trouncing despair." -- Lawrence Weschler, author of Everything that Rises, Pulitzer Prize finalist"A book to dip around in—skimming some parts and perusing others with care—as your interest guides you, enjoying Ackerman’s profound sense of mind play as you go." -- Ben Dickinson - Elle"A hard look at the impact that humans have had on Earth… thought provoking." -- Kyle Anderson - Entertainment Weekly"Fascinating… Ackerman offers a cross-cultural tour of human ingenuity … Her words invite us to feel the hope she feels." -- Barbara J. King - Washington Post"Part immersion memoir and part journalism… The Human Age is also many parts poetry." -- Beth Kephart - Chicago Tribune"[A] thought-provoking analysis of our connection to the earth… A lens that magnifies and clarifies the fascinating, far-reaching effects humans have had on our planet and ourselves." -- Lee E. Cart - Shelf Awareness"Ackerman is a gorgeous writer and perceptive observer. Here she writes with great empathy about the human plight." -- Kate Tuttle - Boston Globe"A humdinger of a book… Ackerman is optimistic, even exhilarated, and frequently giddy about the future of humanity." -- Jon Christensen - San Francisco Chronicle"Exquisite and startling." -- Tim Flannery - Harper's Magazine
£20.89
WW Norton & Co A Dominant Character
Book SynopsisOne of the Wall Street Journal's 10 Best Books of 2020 One of the New York Times's 100 Notable Books of 2020 A biography of J. B. S. Haldane, the brilliant and eccentric British scientist whose innovative predictions inspired Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.Trade Review"Fascinating.... A Dominant Character is the best Haldane biography yet. With science so politicized in this country and abroad, the book could be an allegory for every scientist who wants to take a stand." -- Jonathan Weiner - New York Times Book Review"Samanth Subramanian is a crisp, elegant writer who has produced a compelling biography of this dazzling man. A Dominant Character is perfectly paced.... It can be read with the utmost pleasure by everyone who likes to admire a fine intellect in action and to see respect paid to outstanding intelligence." -- Richard Davenport-Hines - Wall Street Journal"Balanced and modern ... [A Dominant Character] should prove engaging to readers interested in the birth of genetics and in the intersection of science and political belief." -- P. William Hughes - Science"Astute and sympathetic." -- The Economist"Superb.... Subramanian does a masterly job of summarising a rich and rough life.... Haldane deserves a biographer who is eloquent, intelligent, fair, but unsparing and as good at explaining science as politics. Not an easy combination, but he has got one." -- Times [UK]"Excellent.... Full of insight and felicitous writing." -- David Brown - American Scholar"A wholly delightful, even brilliant, exploration of the scientific mind. Subramanian brings alive J. B. S. Haldane’s rollicking, unbelievable life journey from privileged English childhood to Indian asylum. He writes with grace and confidence about both the science and the man, a ‘Darwinian preacher’ whose life explains why scientists in our age of artificial intelligence and revolutionary genetics need to think politically. A Dominant Character is a captivating story of prickly genius, sexual scandal, and radical politics." -- Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and director of the Leon Levy Center for Biography"The twentieth-century British geneticist J. B. S. Haldane remains one of the most influential scientists of modern times. And this remarkable biography by Samanth Subramanian, which brings to life Haldane at his brilliant, unpredictable, outspoken, visionary best, will make you see exactly why his light still shines so brightly today." -- Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Poison Squad: One Chemist’s Single-Minded Crusade for Food Safety at the Turn of the Twentieth Century"A wonderful book about one of the most important, brilliant, and flawed scientists of the 20th century—that explains much not only about J. B. S. Haldane but about the complex times he lived in." -- Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads"A marvelous, comprehensive, and entertaining biography of J. B. S. Haldane, who made major contributions to many fields. His biggest impact was on evolutionary biology, as a major founder of the theory of population genetics. Subramanian has done impressive research on Haldane’s background, scientific contributions, and political controversies—this will be the definitive work on his life from now on." -- Joe Felsenstein, professor emeritus of genome sciences and of biology, University of Washington
£28.79
Penguin Putnam Inc Spycraft
Book Synopsis
£18.70
Basic Books Consider the Fork
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Reading [Consider the Fork] is like having a long dinner table discussion with a fascinating friend... Leisurely but lively...a pure joy to read." --Los Angeles Times "Delightful... [An] ebulliently written and unobtrusively learned survey." --Harper's Magazine "[A] sparkling...fascinating and entertaining book." --The Sunday Times (London) "One part science, one part history, and a generous dash of fun." --Good Housekeeping "Wilson's insouciant scholarship and companionable voice convince you she would be great fun to spend time with in the kitchen... [She is] a congenial kitchen oracle." --New York Times Book Review "Fluid yet engaging, just like a good conversation over a pan of sizzling vegetables." --New Republic "A delightfully informative history of cooking and eating." --ELLE Magazine "Wilson is a good tour guide... [A] dizzying, entertaining ride." --Wall Street Journal "A book to savour... You will never look at a kitchen knife in the same way again." --The Independent (London)
£18.04
Penguin Putnam Inc Power Failure
Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERThe New Yorker Best Books of 2022 • Financial Times Best Books of 2022 • The Economist Best Books of 2022The dramatic rise—and unimaginable fall—of America''s most iconic corporation by New York Times bestselling author and pre-eminent financial journalist William D. CohanNo company embodied American ingenuity, innovation, and industrial power more spectacularly and more consistently than the General Electric Company. GE once developed and manufactured many of the inventions we take for granted today, nearly everything from the lightbulb to the jet engine. GE also built a cult of financial and leadership success envied across the globe and became the world’s most valuable and most admired company. But even at the height of its prestige and influence, cracks were forming in its formidable foundation.In a masterful re-appraisal of a company that on
£32.00
John Wiley and Sons Ltd Sonic Wind
Book SynopsisThe untold story of an eccentric, scientific visionary whose death-defying research has saved millions of lives.Trade Review"A beautifully presented and admiring portrait of Stapp…. Mr. Ryan demonstrates a gift for making the complex science of Stapp’s experiments understandable, and he is equally skilled at capturing the spirit of his subject." -- Patrick Cooke - Wall Street Journal"Compelling and compulsively readable…a curious but charming tale, the story of a man who courted danger—and death—in the ultimate pursuit of safety. Sonic Wind is an engrossing read, and Ryan brings his unlikely hero to life, deftly describing Stapp’s missionary zeal—inherited, presumably, from his parents—for safety." -- Emily Anthes - Washington Post"A fine, groundbreaking biography of one of aeromedical sciences’ more legendary figures." -- John Carver Edwards - Library Journal, Starred review"[The] remarkable, almost-forgotten story of an aerospace pioneer. …Ryan's full-length biography uncovers the private man, Stapp's offbeat sense of humor, his awkward love life, his passion for classical music, and his friendships with daring test pilots Chuck Yeager and Joe Kittinger, fellow trailblazers whose fame has persisted. A consistently fine appreciation of the medical maverick who, as much as any other, helped make the Space Age possible." -- Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review"Remarkable…[an] intriguing book about this unusual and mostly intriguing man." -- Michael Merschel - Dallas Morning News
£12.99
Arcadia Publishing Huntsville Air and Space Images of Aviation
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£21.24
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Gabby
Book SynopsisIf ever a man has earned his place in the annals of military history, that man is Francis Gabby Gabreski. His exploits as a fighter pilot in World War II and Korea are legendary; his rise from humble beginnings to success in military and business careers is inspiring. This is the full story of Gabby Gabreski, told in his own words. Gabreski's life is a classic American success story. Born to Polish immigrant parents in 1919, he nearly washed out of Notre Dame and then flight school. He was down to his last chance, and he made the most of it. A witness to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Gabby had his own first taste of air combat flying with a Polish RAF squadron. Shortly thereafter he joined the 56th Fighter Group of the U.S. 8th Air Force, and in seventeen months he shot down twenty-eight German planes, the highest total of any 8th Air Force pilot in Europe. He became a hero whose name was splashed across newspaper headlines from coast to coast. And then, on the very day he was t
£36.89
Schiffer Publishing Ltd MECHANICAL TYPEWRITERS Their History Value and
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£46.74
Schiffer Publishing Ltd Break Out
Book SynopsisTrade Review"David Craddock's deep dive into the origins behind some of the most important Apple II games will keep you riveted as you learn the wondrous stories of how these games came to be and how the industry started." -- John Romero, co-founder of id Software, co-designer of Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake"Thanks to this excellent and thoroughly researched book, we can relive the genesis of several seminal [Apple II] games and fully appreciate the legacy this revolutionary machine had. As aptly said by Craddock in the Introduction, whatever we can think of today, 'The Apple II already did it.'" -- Dr. Roberto Dillon, Author of The Golden Age of Video Games"By going straight to the source, Craddock has shed new light on such iconic titles as Zork, The Oregon Trail, and Wizardry. Break Out is a must-own for anyone interested in the history of computers and computer games." -- Brett Weiss, author of The 100 Greatest Console Video Games: 1977-1987Break Out covers a deeply important era in game creation, marketing, and distribution that is often overlooked by even the most avid historians. Everyone who loves video games should devour this one cover-to-cover. -- Patrick Scott Patterson, video game advocate
£28.79
Johns Hopkins University Press World Trade Since 1431
Book SynopsisMoreover, he argues, major changes in transportation and communication technologies actually constituted the moments of transformation from one world economy to another.Trade ReviewA magnificent work, Braudelian in its conception, scope, and attention to detail... A delight. Progress in Human Geography. A first-rate historical study in the genre of world history... Combines geography with the social sciences in skillful fashion. It is lucidly written and will appeal to the specialist and general reader. Virginia Quarterly Review Hugill provides a refreshingly long historical sweep in arguing that transportation technologies have been the key to success in world trade... A wealth of historical and technicaldetail. Geonomics.Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsList of TablesPreface AcknowledgmentsChapter 1. Geographic Reality in the Development of CapitalismChapter 2. Technology and Geography in the Elaboration of CapitalismChapter 3. The Triumph of the ShipChapter 4. The Problem of Overland Transportation: Canals, Rivers, and RailroadsChapter 5. The Return to Overland Route Flexibility: Bicycles, Cars, Trucks, and Busses Chapter 6. Aviation and the First Global SystemChapter 7. World System Theory and Geographic RealityReferencesWorld MapsGeneral IndexIndex of Proper Names
£37.55
Johns Hopkins University Press Papermaking in EighteenthCentury France
Book SynopsisThis case study of the Montgolfier mill, adding details about technological innovation and shopfloor relations during a time of social unrest, enriches the current debate about the nature and impact of capitalism in France during the years leading up to the French Revolution.Trade ReviewA richly textured account... The benefit to Rosenband's approach is its nuance and richness of detail that allows readers to enter into the world of papermaking and to follow the peculiar logic of the culture and institutional arrangements of this industry. Those who want to experience one segment of an evolving artisanal world of work from the ground up will find much to savor. -- Gail Bossenga Journal of Interdisciplinary History While Leonard N. Rosenband's monograph is primarily a study of one mill and its enterprising owners, it can serve as an English-language introduction to the whole subject of artisanal papermaking. -- David Longfellow American Historical Review Elegantly written and well researched. -- Michael Huberman EH.Net A significant contribution to an almost unknown economic sector, papermaking... As interesting for the historian of Modern France before the Revolution as it is for the historian of the nineteenth-century economy. Both will find in Rosenband's work reliable information, deep knowledge and reflection. -- Marc de Ferriere Le Vayer Business History Papermaking in Eighteenth-Century France provides a fresh model for historians... This book poses a fundamental challange to many orthodox methods and conventional approaches in economic history and the history of technology. It raises an many questions as it answers... With any luck, it will motivate others to tend this rich and, until now, relatively unculitvated ground. -- Andre Wakefield Technology and Culture Many will profit from Rosenband's long study and clear narrative. -- James E. May Eighteenth Century: Current BibliographyTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsMoney, Weights, and MeasuresPart I: An Old IndustryChapter 1. French Industry in the Eighteenth CenturyChapter 2. Making PaperChapter 3. The Montgolfiers and Their CraftChapter 4. Rags, Regulation, and Government StimulationPart II: The "Modes" and the Lockout of 1781Chapter 5. Building the Beaters and the Journeymen's CustomChapter 6. The LockoutPart III: Managing to Rule Chapter 7. The New RegimeChapter 8. Hiring and FiringChapter 9. PaternalismChapter 10. WagesChapter 11. DisciplinePart IV: Measuring ChangeChapter 12. Technological TransferChapter 13. PersistenceChapter 14. AttitudesChapter 15. ProductivityChapter 16. The Hierarchy of VatsPart V: The End of Hand PapermakingChapter 17. The French Revolution and the Papermaking MachineConclusionAppendix: Tables and GraphNotesNote on SourcesIndexIllustrations Appear on Pages 16-21
£50.00
Johns Hopkins University Press Building Gotham Civic Culture and Public Policy
Book SynopsisBuilding Gotham thus demonstrates how a group of ambitious professionals overcame the limits of traditional means of decision-making and developed the city-building practices that enabled New York to become America's first mega-city.Trade ReviewAbsolutely essential reading for anyone trying to appreciate the achievements of Progressive reform-and its inadvertent consequences... A richly insightful book that will be read by anyone concerned about New York, public life, and the present state of American liberalism. -- Joel Schwartz Journal of American History An enjoyable, highly readable, and very detailed account... An excellent text for students and researchers to better understand the often unique and always complex set of issues and actors that initiated, implemented, or thwarted urban planning efforts in New York City. -- Susan Turner Meiklejohn Journal of Planning Education and Research Building Gotham documents with an insightful and unbiased eye the roles played by businesses and government in erecting the modern city's buildings, tunnels, sewers, transportation system, and the like. -- Harry Siegel New York Sun 2003 This well informed book... examines the origins of the various forms of planning New York City... [A] very exciting technical account... thorough and interesting. -- Peter Eley Urban Design Quarterly 2004 Revell, a professor of public administration, pays particular attention to the army of experts-from engineers and architects to lawyers and financiers-who solved the enormous problems that initially had the 'ambitious experiment in collective living' teetering on the brink of disaster... the message distilled by Revell from his study of bygone New York-that 'outdated notions of individualism and local autonomy' can be detrimental to solving shared problems-is sure to strike a responsive chord. Civil Engineering 2003 Deeply researched, clearly written and argued... required reading for scholars of early twentieth-century New York City. -- Angela M. Blake Urban History 2005Table of ContentsContents: Preface and Acknowledgements Introduction: Conceiving the New Metropolis: Expertise, Public Policy, and the Problem of Civis Culture in New York CityPART 1: Private Infrastructure and Public Policy 1 "The Public Be Pleased": Railroad Planning, Engineering Culture, and the Promise of Quasi-scientific Voluntarism 2 Beyond Voluntarism: The Interstate Commerce Commission, the Railroads, and Freight Planning for New York Harbor PART 2: Public Infrastructure, Local Autonomy, and Private Wealth3 Buccaneer Bureaucrats, Physical Interdependence, and Free Riders: Building the Underground City 4 Taxing, Spending, and Borrowing: Expanding Public Claims on Private Wealth PART 3: Urban Planning, Private Rights, and Public Power 5 City Planning versus the Law: Zoning the New Metropolis 6 "They shall splash at a ten-league canvas with brushes of comets' hair": Regional Planning and the Metropolitan DilemmaConclusion: "An almost mystical unity": Interdependence and the Public Interest in the Modern Metropolis Appendix Notes Index
£43.00
Johns Hopkins University Press Driving Women Fiction and Automobile Culture in
Book SynopsisBy investigating how cars can function as female space, reflect female identity, and reshape female agency, this engaging study opens up new angles from which to approach fiction by and about women and traces new directions in the intersection of literature, technology, and gender.Trade ReviewBy bringing her expertise in literature and women's studies to bear on automobility, Clarke adds to our understanding of both the lived and the imaginary potential of the automobile in women's lives. -- Kathleen Franz Technology and Culture 2008 Important work. -- Kris Lackey Studies in American Fiction 2008 Astute and thoroughly researched study. -- Laura L. Behling Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature 2008Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Writing and Automobility1. Women on Wheels: "A threat at yesterday's order of things"2. Modernism: Racing and Gendering Automobility3. My Mother the Car? Auto Bodies and Maternity4. Getaway Cars: Women's Road Trips5. Mobile Homelessness: Cars and the Restructuring of Home6. Automotive Citizenship: Car as OriginEpilogue: Writing behind the WheelNotesWorks CitedIndex
£45.00
Johns Hopkins University Press Atmospheric Science at NASA A History New Series
Book SynopsisAtmospheric Science at NASA critically examines this politically controversial science, dissecting the often convoluted roles, motives, and relationships of the various institutional actors involved-among them NASA, congressional appropriation committees, government weather and climate bureaus, and the military.Trade ReviewComprehensive history... recommended. Choice As one of the latest books in the New Series in NASA History, Conway's project introduces a new aspect of space science that will be of interest to scholars of this field. -- Kristine C. Harper American Historical Review Excellent. -- Roger D. Launius QuestTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsIntroduction1. Establishing the Meteorology Program2. Developing Satellite Meteorology3. Constructing a Global Meteorology4. Planetary Atmospheres5. NASA Atmospheric Research in Transition6. Atmospheric Chemistry7. The Quest for a Climate Observing System8. Missions to Planet Earth: Architectural Warfare9. Atmospheric Science in the Mission to Planet EarthConclusionEpilogueNotesIndex
£51.50
Johns Hopkins University Press Pursuing Power and Light Technology and Physics
Book SynopsisHunt translates his often-demanding material into engaging and accessible language suitable for undergraduate students of the history of science and technology.Trade ReviewHighly recommended. Choice 2010 Pursuing Power and Light is the best and most up-to-date treatment, especially for undergraduates, of the key concepts and figures of 19th-century physics. -- Robert Friedel Physics Today 2011 Essential reading both for students in engineering and the sciences and for those in HPS departments... enjoyable and very interesting reading. -- Stathis Arapostathis Metascience 2011Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: A World Transformed1. Steam and Work2. Energy and Entropy3. The Kinetic Theory: Chaos and Order4. Electricity: Currents and Networks5. Electromagnetism: Ether and Field6. Electric Power and Light7. Into a New CenturyEpilogue: Einstein at the Patent OfficeSuggested Further ReadingIndex
£41.50
Johns Hopkins University Press Early FM Radio
Book SynopsisHistorians of technology, communication, and media will welcome this important reexamination of the canonic story of early FM radio.Trade ReviewEarly FM Radio is the first serious biography to benefit from the newer documents... a valuable addition to the history of electronics, not least because it relieves Armstrong and Sarnoff of their mythological status as angel and devil and considers them instead as differently gifted practitioners. -- Michael Riezenman IEEE Spectrum Magazine 2010 Frost's unique-I am tempted to write groundbreaking-book now becomes one whose ideas all future historians of FM must absorb. -- David W. Kraeuter AWA Journal 2010 Frost examines the extensive Armstrong archives to paint a more nuanced picture of the complex and tumultuous relationship between Armstrong and RCA, while tracing the 'pre-history' of FM going back to about 1900. Choice 2010Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsIntroduction: What Do We Know about FM Radio?1. AM and FM Radio before 19202. Congestion and Frequency-Modulation Research, 1913–19333. RCA, Armstrong, and the Acceleration of FM Research, 1926–19334. The Serendipitous Discovery of Staticless Radio, 1915–19355. FM Pioneers, RCA, and the Reshaping of Wideband FM Radio, 1935–1940ConclusionAppendix: FM-Related Patents, 1902-1953NotesGlossaryEssay on SourcesIndex
£54.00
Johns Hopkins University Press Midnight Ride Industrial Dawn Paul Revere and the
Book SynopsisOriginal and well told, this account argues that the greatest patriotic contribution of America's Midnight Rider was his work in helping the nation develop from a craft to an industrial economy.Trade ReviewMartello succeeds superbly in using Paul Revere as a lens to view the social, economic, and technological landscape of early America... Revere's adept transitions are matched only by Martello's adept retelling of them. Highly recommended. Choice 2011 Revere sensed that he was living in a time of unprecedented opportunity, and unlike some contemporaries who returned to small shops, he moved quickly from artisan to manager, from craftsman to industrialist. As Martello demonstrates in this fascinating study, the transition was not easy. Times Literary Supplement 2011 Martello's account of Revere's life is a welcome addition to the literature on American industry and on the founding fathers. -- Lawrence A. Peskin Common-Place 2011Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1. Artisan, Silversmith, and Businessman (1754–1775) Chapter 2. Patriot, Soldier, and Handyman of the Revolution (1775–1783)Chapter 3. Mercantile Ambitions and a New Look at Silver (1783–1789)Chapter 4. To Run a "Furnass": The Iron Years (1788–1792)Chapter 5. Bells, Cannon, and Malleable Copper (1792–1801)Chapter 6. Paul Revere's Last Ride: The Road to Rolling Copper (1798–1801) Chapter 7. The Onset of Industrial Capitalism: Managerial and Labor Adaptations (1802–1811)Chapter 8. Becoming Industrial: Technological Innovations and Environmental Implications (1802–1811) Conclusion Acknowledgments Appendixes1. Major Events in the Narratives of Paul Revere and America 2. Four Proto-industrial Production Factors and Major Linkages 3. Prevalent Craft and Industrial Practices in the Proto-industrial Period 4. Selected Revere Engravings 5. Furnace Startup Expenses for 1787–1788 6. April 1796 Payments to Faxon 7. Revere's Second Letter to Benjamin Stoddert, February 26, 1800 8. Employee Salaries, 1802–1806 9. Typical Stages in the Growth of a Large Technological System Notes Index
£34.44
WW Norton & Co Maker of Patterns
Book SynopsisBoth recalling his life story and recounting many of the major advances in twentieth-century science, a renowned physicist shares his autobiography through letters.Trade Review"[The letters] cover a remarkable range of scientific interests, acquaintances, opinions and adventures… He says what you wouldn’t expect; if Dyson has a pattern, perhaps it is contrariety… The one Dysonian pattern for which the letters hold unequivocal evidence is delight. He uses the word often and invokes it even more…Maybe with some people, you don’t look for patterns. You just enjoy their multivariate company." -- Ann Finkbeiner, Nature"There is much in the letters collected here to enjoy; Mr. Dyson writes wonderfully well." -- Ray Monk, The Wall Street Journal"A firsthand account of one of the greatest periods of scientific discovery…. A historic account of modern science and some of its most influential thinkers… An informative collection." -- Library Journal"Who but Dyson formulates revolutionary physics while riding on a Greyhound bus through Iowa cornfields? In other episodes in this remarkable epistolary autobiography, readers join Dyson as he assesses with Gödel equations for a rotating version of Einstein’s universe, as he defends Feynman’s quantum theorems against Oppenheimer’s doubts, and as he explores with Bohr the prospects for a nuclear spaceship. Readers will naturally value what Dyson reveals about how he built his towering reputation as a scientist. But Dyson draws the substance of his narrative from letters he sent his parents between 1940 and 1980, letters in which he discloses quite unscientific aspects of his life—including the joys of romance, marriage, and fatherhood, as well as the trauma of divorce…. Dyson never lets readers forget that, for all of their exceptional intellectual gifts, scientists live human lives defined more by family ties and friendships than by laboratory results." -- Booklist [Starred Review]"Advocates of science will find in Dyson an admirable model. Why go to Mars when we could irrigate the Sahara, he asks. The science of space travel may be 10 times the benefit in the end, he writes, but 'the main purpose is a general enlargement of human horizons.' A pleasure for science students and particularly of science humanely practiced." -- Kirkus Reviews
£20.89
Bluewood Books,U.S. Technology in the Twentieth Century
Book Synopsis
£9.50
