Description
Book SynopsisA history of the relationship between technology and society over the past 500 years. Spanning the preindustrial past, the age of scientific, political, and industrial revolutions, as well as the more recent eras of imperialism, modernism, and global security, it evaluates what the author calls the question of technology.
Trade Review"Closely reasoned, reflective, and written with insight, grace, and wit, Misa's book takes us on a personal tour of technology and history, seeking to define and analyze paradigmatic techno-cultural eras." (Technology and Culture) "Follows [Thomas] Hughes's model of combining an engaging historical narrative with deeper lessons about technology." (American Scholar) "His case studies, such as that of Italian futurism or the localizations of the global McDonalds, provide good starting points for thought and discussion." (Journal of Interdisciplinary History) "This review cannot do justice to the precision and grace with which Misa analyzes technologies in their social contexts. He convincingly demonstrates the usefulness of his conceptual model." (History and Technology)"
Table of ContentsList of Figures and Tables
Preface
Acknowledgments
1. Technologies of the Court, 1450-1600
2. Techniques of Commerce, 1588-1740
3. Geographies of Industry, 1740-1851
4. Instruments of Empire, 1840-1914
5. Science and Systems, 1870-1930
6. Materials of Modernism, 1900-1950
7. The Means of Destruction, 1936-1990
8. Toward Global Culture, 1970-2001
9. Paths to Insecurity, 2001–2010
10. The Question of Technology
Notes
Notes on Sources
Index
