Technology in World Civilization, revised and expanded edition - A Thousand-Year History
Verlag | MIT Press |
Auflage | 2021 |
Seiten | 356 |
Format | 15,2 x 22,8 x 1,6 cm |
Gewicht | 479 g |
Artikeltyp | Englisches Buch |
EAN | 9780262542463 |
Bestell-Nr | 26254246EA |
The new edition of a milestone work on the global history of technology.
This milestone history of technology, first published in 1990 and now revised and expanded in light of recent research, broke new ground by taking a global view, avoiding the conventional Eurocentric perspective and placing the development of technology squarely in the context of a "world civilization." Case studies include "technological dialogues" between China and West Asia in the eleventh century, medieval African states and the Islamic world, and the United States and Japan post-1950. It examines railway empires through the examples of Russia and Japan and explores current synergies of innovation in energy supply and smartphone technology through African cases.
The book uses the term "technological dialogue" to challenges the top-down concept of "technology transfer," showing instead that technologies are typically modified to fit local needs and conditions, often triggering further innovat ion. The authors trace these encounters and exchanges over a thousand years, examining changes in such technologies as agriculture, firearms, printing, electricity, and railroads. A new chapter brings the narrative into the twenty-first century, discussing technological developments including petrochemicals, aerospace, and digitalization from often unexpected global viewpoints and asking what new kind of industrial revolution is needed to meet the challenges of the Anthropocene.
Inhaltsverzeichnis:
Preface to the Revised Edition
Co-author's Note
Credits for Illustrations
1 An Age of Asian Technology, AD 700-1100
2 Complexes and Contrasts in Basic Technology, AD 1100-1260
3 Movements West, 1150-1490
4 Agro-ecology in the Americas, and Asian Trade
5 Gunpowder Empires, 1450-1650
6 Printing, Books, and Ideas about Technology, 1550-1750
7 Three Industrial Movements, 1700-1815
8 Guns and Rails: Asia, Britain, and America
9 Railway Empires, 1850-1940
10 Scientific Discoveries and Technical Dreams, 1860-1960
11 Technologies for Health, Food, and Basic Needs
12 Into the Twenty-First Century
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Rezension:
Arnold Pacey collaborates with Francesca Bray in a new edition of his classic survey, Technology in World Civilization (TWC). What a delight it is!
Technology and Culture