Technology in America - 2nd Edition: A History of Individuals and Ideas [Paperback]

Carroll W. Pursell (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0262660679 | ISBN-13: 978-0262660679 | Publication Date: April 12, 1990 | Edition: second edition

The succinct, nontechnical essays in Technology in America cover the history of American invention from Thomas Jefferson's founding of the Patent Office to Robert Goddards space-age rockets. Each treats an individual and a concept, highlighting the important role technological change has played in the evolution of American culture. The major themes include the effects of technology transfer, the development of the American system of manufacturing, the institutionalization of knowledge and scientific research, and technology as it social process.This new edition adds chapters on Frederick Winslow, who originated the idea of scientific management; on Peter L. Jensen, whose invention of the loud speaker was a milestone in electronic communications; and on Frederick E. Terman, godfather of Silicon Valley and exemplar of the entrepreneurial spirit of the postwar computer industry.Carroll W. Pursell, Jr., is Director of the Program in the History of Technology and Science at Case Western Reserve, University.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Delving beneath the surface of American history, this collection shows that the medium is indeed the message, that we are what we do, that technology translates into culture.... These readable essays, architecturally divided between the 19th and 20th centuries, provide an insider's view of the bricks and mortar in the house that Jefferson built." Barbara H. Seeber , Science '82

About the Author

Carroll Pursell is Adjunct Professor of Modern History at Macquarie University, Australia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 331 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press; second edition edition (April 12, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262660679
• ISBN-13: 978-0262660679
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #697,395 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Rudamentary, May 20, 2009

By 

FRANK DUVALL "Muzitronixman" (Ocala Florida) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Technology in America - 2nd Edition: A History of Individuals and Ideas (Paperback)

This book was assembled together from different authors for every single chapter. The succinct nontechnical essays read like business reference books with little personal background information on what goes on inside the minds of inventors or what specific events have led to what discovery at a time when it was more fashionable and customary to expound on the unknown genius of American invention and American inventors. I tried to flip through and pick chapters based on my own interest levels but I have as yet been unable to finish one chapter completely due to lack of interest in the writing styles of the times.