Description
Book SynopsisSix historical case studies-two from Britain, one each from France and Germany, and two from the United States-illustrate the concept's fascinating development and provide context for the meanings of, and uses for, efficiency today and in the future.
Trade ReviewThis concise, scholarly study will not only encourage reflective analysis of historical events but also offer insight into potential future applications and change... Recommended. Choice 2008 Alexander skillfully interprets a broad spectrum of sources spanning three centuries, three languages, and several academic disciplines. She packs a wealth of information into a slim and readable volume, carefully exploring the nuances of each case without straying too far from the central focus on efficiency's intellectual heritage. -- Eric S. Hintz Enterprise and Society 2009 A thought provoking study... Widens our understanding of how ideas of efficiency began, how efficiency has been experienced in different historical circumstances. -- Peter Sutton Reviews in History 2009 A very provocative book. -- Larry Stewart American Historical Review 2009 An ambitious book that... largely succeeds. -- William J. Ashworth Canadian Journal of History 2009
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: The Varieties of Efficiency
1. Static and Dynamic Efficiency: The Waterwheels of Smeaton and the Franklin Institute
2. The Effects of Control: Gérard-Joseph Christian and Perfected Machines
3. Economy of Nature: Darwin, Marshall, and the Costs of Efficiency
4. Balance and Transformation: Technical and Popular Efficiency in the Progressive Era United States
5. An Island of Mechanical Predictability: Efficient Worker Seating in Late Weimar Germany
6. Pride in Efficiency: The Dispute over Time on the Cross
7. Global Efficiency: An Enduring Industrial Value in a Postindustrial World
Conclusion: The Future of Efficiency
Notes
Bibliographic Essay
Index
