Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Technology and Society: A World History, ranging from the age of stone tools to the digital revolution, offers an introduction to the history of technology for students in history programs; science, technology and society (STS) programs; and engineering-humanities courses. It will also appeal to history or social studies teachers as a resource.
Synopsis
Technology and Society: A World History explores the creative power of humanity from the age of stone tools to the digital revolution. It introduces technology as a series of systems that allowed us to solve real-world problems and create a global civilization. The history of technology is also the history of the intellectual and cultural place of our tools and devices. With a broad view of technology, we can see that some of the most powerful technologies such as education and government produce no physical object but have allowed us to coordinate our inventive skills and pass knowledge through the ages. Yet although all human communities depend on technology, there are unexpected consequences from the use of technology which, as Ede shows, form a crucial part of this rich story.