Customer Reviews

Connections

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The point of James Burke's Connections is that material inventions and environmental conditions (not ideas) are the driving force behind the way that societal interaction is structured. As such, Burke reopens the centuries-old Marx-Hegel debate about whether or not our world is structured by the ideas of prominent thinkers (ie: Martin Luther) or the invention of certain objects (ie: the deep plow) and other material conditions (ie: the Black Plauge).

While you may or may not agree with Burke, on all levels, he does a great job of supporting his central argument. From the claim that the first cities were formed as the result of the receding ice age to the idea that romance became viewed by society as a "private" thing with the invention of the fireplace, he is consistent in his thinking. And while, the gaping hole in his argument is his failure to acknowledge that it was the *ideas* of certain "gifted" persons (ie: Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers) to put available materials together in a useful way, he still reaffims my conviction that social relations are a function of the material world around us. Bottom line is that we don't structure our world as much as we like to think.

Sadly, I found the lack of illustrations in the abridged audio edition had the overall effect of weakening his argument to some degree. I'm really not big on illustrations in texts, but I think to thoughroughly appreciate James Burke's ideas, you have to "see them". For instance, it's very distracting to try to visualize "Volta's Electric Pile" in your head and keep track of what Burke is talking about. I suppose that's why the Mini-series and the book did so well. (5 stars for the now unavailable book, by the way)

On the other hand, I take strong exception to the reviewer who claims that Burke "...goes off on tangents..." in Connections. His attention to fine detail is much appreciated as both thoughtful commentary and, more importantly, substatiative evidence to his claims. Reviewers who do not see the value of such introspection perhaps lack the attention-span that is required to read (or listen to, as the case may be) Burke's treatise.

In sum, I deduct one star for the audio edition for its lack of illustrations.

James Burke stunned PBS viewers with his 10 part series on the
integrating factors of culture,ideas,necessity and science. Integrated by an individual who produced a new, unique 'invention.'and credited as the'Inventor'. The inventions lead directly to todays technologies. Yet each invention, as Burke see's it, was a collaborative effort. The fellow who puts the pieces together becomes the Father Inventor of the 'Whats-It'.
Burke leads us to the realization that a complex of existing knowledge provided the tools for the final product(usually research from dead-end or other little known bits of proven science that had no home.) These extant, yet little known
research conclusions, a single individual integrated and created a unique and important 'invention'.

Burkes book of "Connections" could not possibly sum up the depth and detail that many years of research toward a visual experience provided. I think, at some point he decided his own curiosity with 'the real,hap-hazard evolution of Science' could be found in most people who like a good riddle. He couched every episode in, "what do you think happens next?" after giving us a few seemingly unconnected stories about some unknown
inventors research, that produced something new ..usually not what was expected.

He'd ask us if we could unify these into something different and unique. As the ''Inventor' had.
We all guessed. Sometimes we were right.
He still keeps us guessing.

"Connections" the original PBS science series(the whole set on VHS sold millions) The VHS set cannot be found.
There is not a copy to be purchased. It has vanished from the
Earth. I've used E-Bay and set a price. No replys.

Get the Book: it's not the series but it has Burke's infectious and habituating curiosity; his questioning; and his passion.

This book suffers from comparisons to Burke's PBS series by the same name probably because this is more of a sampler of his perspectives than a comprehensive treatment. Still, it is an absolutely fascinating look at the history of technology and how a break in the smallest link in the chain of technological development might preclude an invention from ever coming forth.

I enjoyed Burke's presentation style, written a bit like a mystery novel, giving us the pieces of the puzzle one at a time leading to the ultimate technology as we know it today. It leaves the reader guessing at each step as to what indispensable modern technology will result.

Burke postulates that major technological advancements are not the result of geniuses slaving away in laboratories, but instead the amalgamation of numerous small inventions, mostly created by average folks trying to adapt to everyday problems. While I accept that premise prior to the 19th century and perhaps in certain cases through to the 20th century, I believe that with few exceptions (like Gates invention of DOS for example), most major technological breakthroughs now result from concerted and organized R&D efforts that result from government grants and the corporate profit motive. The only difference today is that the geniuses are working in their den on a PC, and not in a lab. However, with the sophistication and innovativeness necessary to reach the next level in today's complex scientific fields, such breakthroughs are no longer the within the capabilities of the average person. Though one might point to the proliferation of dot com companies as support of Burke's position, I would argue that these are not average people, but rather the geniuses next door.

This is a book that makes one ponder the fabric of life and the importance of each individual strand. It is light reading with a heavy point and in that regard it is extraordinarily elegant. I rated it a 9/10. I highly recommend it to anyone with a curious mind.

I was first exposed to James Burke's Connections series via TDC, TLC, or PBS (I'm not sure which channel it ran on). I also read his column in Scientific American. I loved these works and quickly snapped up this book when I first ran across it.

Boy, was I disappointed! This book is nothing at all like the series. It neglects to start with a specific topic, link it to what appears to be a totally unrelated topic, and then come full circle back to the original topic. The book would be best described as a collection of trivia but in no way is it presented with the same flair as the series or column.

The worst part of this book for me was that it appeared to be choppy in certaing parts, due I suspect to the edition updates.

Try it if you dare but don't expect the same Connections as the series or column!

As a teacher, I am always in search of ways to make academics relevant to the real world. Student engagement is always increased when the lesson reminds them of something familiar. I was eager to read Connections in order to teach me about how to make history connect to everyday life. In Connections, James Burke attempts to demonstrate three phenomena: seemingly inconsequential events can lead to major innovations, inventions lead to new discoveries, and technological advancements have had profound effects throughout history on people and society. While Burke does make a valiant effort to make these "connections" between the discoveries of everyday people and/or scientists with inventions such as the loom, printing press, coinage, clock, etc., he spends more time discussing the nature of the inventions themselves, rather than the connections between them. I would have liked more commentary on the coincidences and circumstances of the discoveries and less information about how the invention works and functions. Burke was very successful at illustrating the broad impacts of numerous technologies throughout history. The inventions which he describes such as the plow and compass had fascinating impacts on the way society developed. I believe that these connections would be very interesting to my students by demonstrating how history effects our lives. My primary criticism of this book lies in Burke's style and scope. His writing is incredibly dense with numerous names, dates, and specifics. The information is overwhelming and not clearly focused. The chapters seem poorly organized and without a defined, recognizable theme. More explanation and commentary by Burke himself rather than dry, dense information would have been useful. While I would recommend the concept of connecting inventions to each other and the focus of inventions' impacts on society as a significant and worthy objective in the classroom, I would not recommend Connections as an easy-to-use resource for teachers.

I love James Burke. He is funny, smart, and a little off beat. This book is a great read and the TV series is great too. Also, there is a cd rom game of the same title that I found challenging and educational. Even though this book is not brand new it deals with interesting and little known facts in history and is still as pertinent today as when it was published.

This book encourages the reader to consider how the creators of even the most significant of inventions can be lost in history without the right connections and a whole lot of luck. I couldn't help thinking about the loses - The pyramids of Egypt are technological marvels yet the individuals who developed the techniques that made the pyramids possible are lost in history along with the technology they created. How many school books tell about Nikola Tesla? - The fact is, some of our most famous historical figures are famous not just for their genius, but because they were in the right place at the right time. This book also invites the reader to explore how one little moment in history can profoundly affect the next. Just think - How might history have been different if Hitler had been accepted to the art school he applied to in his youth, instead of being rejected?

I still remember me as a kid, sitting in front of the TV set, looking for the program "Connections". It amazed me so much, that it made a difference for me. I started to study history in school more closely, and started to see the "links" where no one could find them. My thinking structure evolved to a four dimensional state: the classical-three-dimmensions, plus time. The book is a great refreshment of that experience, making us remember the way facts that appeared unrelated were closer to each other than we expected...

As a high school science teacher I love having Burke's perspective of how one idea leads to another in often a very indirect line. It also contains so many scrumptious tidbits about the inventors that are fun to bring up in class to catch the students attention and imagination. Anyone who really is interested in the history of science and science teaching should read this book.

If you've seen James Burke's TV program of the same name, or his
short-lived Scientific American column, you might be taken aback by the
relatively slower pacing of this book. I found that in the TV program
and the magazine column, Mr. Burke ricocheted from colorful personality
or idea to another, in a confusing, dazzling, and ultimately
entertaining way -- giving one the idea that the history of innovation
is that of one large web, but one doesn't get the larger cast of events.

However, in the book, he slows down and spends pages upon the
developemnt of infantry tactics and the effects of the use of guns in
battle in Medieval and Renaissance warfare. This book is simply a
history of technology, told in 9 separate, large arcs, coming full
circle from the tenuous and interconnected energy system that resulted
in the unexpected 1965 Northeast American Blackout -- which is used as a
metaphor for the development of technology as a whole.

More to the point, this book centers more on the overall social aspects
and developments of different societies; Mr. Burke is British, so one
sees how he comes back again and again to point out how England sprung
ahead or fell behind in certain developments, and why. He does mention
a few more flamboyant personalities in this history, but his thrust is
that techonological progress is more a function of being in the right
location at the right time, and combining the right concepts from those
who came before. As well, he focuses on how technological change
affects society: population and wealth fluctuations due to supply
bottlenecks, how fireplaces broke up the communal manor and inspired
courtly love traditions, how lack of social mobility stifled progress in
England and how cheap land in America meant the first factory works here
would be young women.

Sometimes Burke gets mired in the details of the way some of
technological innovations work (I can't quite follow some of the
explanations of how clockworks tick), but it gives one a wider
perspective on what was possible at what time. It's true that each
chapter works chronologically, but overall the arc of the book is not
chronological, but thematic. This is not a scholarly text. However,
this is a good introduction to the history of Western technology - its
connections and its impacts.