Science and Technology in World History: An Introduction

This is an ambitious study of human history through its scientific and technological development. It begins with prehistoric times and ends with the many accomplishments of the late twentieth century. No area of the world is neglected, with much attention paid to the great civilizations of Asia in particular. There are also many mini-biographies of such worthies as Copernicus, Newton, Galileo, Edison, etc. which place them in the context of their time and the overall theme of technological development. The book is scholarly but not dry. Attempts have been made to appeal to the laymen through notes on "Cool Websites" and the like, and this is successful. Its a good overview of world history from a less than usual angle.

There are few books as concise and informative as this one for introducing science and technology in world history. I love the organization and the amount of details presented: not too much, not too little.That said, my students frequently complain that there are too few pictures and illustrations. I am inclined to agree, but I do understand wanting to keep it short. I do wish some maps--or at least one--would be included to introduce the reader to some of these regions.But...awesome book!

Turns out this book is also great for the technically-inclined layman reader, as well. I bought this book for my partner who hugely enjoyed Cockpit Confidential, Boeing 747 Owner's Manual. He loves this book. He frequently tells me interesting bits he's discovered. And the best part is that it's dense and will take him a while to get through. So I'd say it's both accessible and full of interesting facts and ideas that you'll want to share and discuss.

This book supplies detail about the rise of technology in world history ... It shows key technology developments from over 2,000 years of world history. Understanding the rise of technology shows how the people from the past are so very much like ourselves. It is also a window into how the less technically advanced peoples of our own age can be helped.

Great book with complicated info shared easily. There are some parts that are a bit dry but that is to be expected, but the connections it shows you in history is great.

Interesting read about how society influenced the development of science as we know it. I don't usually like history, puts me right to sleep. But this was neat. Gave it to my friend and it's fun to talk over.

Excellent reference book in conjunction with history books.

Educational and entertaining. Easy to stop and start. Chronology was a bit difficult to keep track of the era explained

This is an unusual textbook for the general reader that tackles both the history of Technology and that of Science.Within the limitations of the format, it accomplishes what it sets out to achieve with impeccable scholarship and remarkable comprehensiveness.It offers a global survey examining both human endeavors from Neolithic time to our own modern world.The impressive narrative brings together the converging histories of science and technology,describing their interactions and their social and economical impact on human societies.The authors assert that for much of human history ,technology depended more on the empirical innovations of skilled artisans and engineers, than it did on the speculation of scientists / Natural Philosophers as they were called.In many instances it was Technology that directed Science rather than the other way round.The text brings into focus the considerable contributions of non-Western cultures to technology as well as astronomy,chemistry ,medicine and mathematics.Nevertheless a substantial part of the book is devoted to the great figures of Western Science from Galileo to Einstein and provides a comprehensive account of their achievements.The emergence of the recent historical phenomenon of 'Applied Science' thanks to funding from industry and governments ,is well covered.The authors have succeeded in producing an accessible and highly readable historical narrative that should enlighten and entertain any reader interested in either subjects.It certainly expanded my mental horizon.

Everyone interested in science and technology should read this book. It shows how inventions and discoveries shaped the world in which we live today and gives a timeline of how and when they happened.I have been looking for a book like this. Since I have an interest in the subject I probably already knew about all or most of the advances in this area but I had kind of lost track of the timeline and wondered what conditions caused some of them to happen. This book explains it.I have read many history books. Mostly they are about kings and ruling powers and wars. After a while, they all seem to have contributed little to the advancement of mankind and presided over much suffering and possibly caused a lot of it. This book is much more uplifting because it is a story of how the increased understanding of the world around us gave us a better life.At times the writing style is somewhat laborious but there was never any doubt that I would continue to read on because the subject is so fascinating to me.

A very good book.As text recommended.

Brilliant book giving a wonderful overview of science and technology through the ages. Well written, thoughtful book recommended for everyone.