Synopses & Reviews
The Kodak camera, the brain scanner, the steam turbine, the telephone. Inventions like these not only changed the course of history, but also our understanding of what the human race could achieve. Since its publication in 1990, Making the Modern World has served as an exquisitely illustrated guide to this remarkable history of human innovation. The second edition of Making the Modern World takes its readers up to the present day, with insightful discussions of the new technologies we already take for granted—from IVF to the Internet.
Organized chronologically, the book begins with a look at the navigational tools that mapped the New World, such as the octant and the chronometer, before moving on to the steam-powered factory machines of the Industrial Revolution, the life-saving medicines of World Wars I and II, and the dynamically designed consumer goods of the 1950s and 60s. An essay about each invention is written by an expert in the field and includes a short history of its creation, use, and significance—and is accompanied by a specially commissioned color photograph as well as supplementary archive photographs in black and white.
Edited by Andrew Nahum, curator of technology at Londons Science Museum, Making the Modern World will be fascinating reading for anyone interested in new developments in science and technology. Its colorful images and concise descriptive text, moreover, make this second edition an unrivaled reference for the budding engineers and scientists among us.
Review
"Rating: 5/5. . . . A fantastic presentation of important scientific achievements, discoveries and inventions . . . interesting facts and figures, while at the same time not overwhelming the non-scientist. The beautiful photos give the feeling of wandering through a museum. Highly recommended for those who enjoy both science and history." —www.UnderMyAppleTree.net
Synopsis
The Kodak camera, the CT scanner, the steam turbine, the telephone--such inventions not only changed the course of history, but also changed our understanding of what the human race could achieve. An authoritative guide to the remarkable history of human innovation, this second edition, published in collaboration with Londons Science Museum, brings readers up to date with insightful examinations of the new, present-day technologies society already takes for granted--from magnetic resonance imaging to the Internet. Organized chronologically, the book begins with a look at scientific achievement in the early Middle Ages and the navigational tools that mapped the New World before moving on to the steam-powered machines of the Industrial Revolution, the lifesaving medicines of World Wars I and II, and the dynamically designed consumer goods of the 1950s and 1960s. An essay about each invention, written by an expert from Londons Science Museum, includes a short history of the inventions creation, use, and significance.
About the Author
Peter Morris is the principal curator of science at London's Science Museum and the head of research across the National Museum of Science and Industry family of museums in the United Kingdom. He is also the editor of the leading history of chemistry journal, Ambix, the author of Illuminating Instruments and Science for the Nation: Perspectives on the History of the Science Museum, and the recipient of the Edelstein Award for excellence in the history of chemistry. Peter Doherty is a veterinary surgeon and medical researcher. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine—jointly with Rolf M. Zinkernagel—and is a recipient of the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research. He was named the 1997 Australian of the Year.