Book Description
Now in its second edition, this bestselling textbook may be the single most influential study of the historical relationship between science and technology ever published. Tracing this relationship from the dawn of civilization through the twentieth century, James E. McClellan III and Harold Dorn argue that technology as "applied science" emerged relatively recently, as industry and governments began funding scientific research that would lead directly to new or improved technologies.
McClellan and Dorn identify two great scientific traditions: the useful sciences, patronized by the state from the dawn of civilization, and scientific theorizing, initiated by the ancient Greeks. They find that scientific traditions took root in China, India, and Central and South America, as well as in a series of Near Eastern empires, during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. From this comparative perspective, the authors explore the emergence of Europe and the United States as a scientific and technological power.
The new edition reorganizes its treatment of Greek science and significantly expands its coverage of industrial civilization and contemporary science and technology with new and revised chapters devoted to applied science, the sociology and economics of science, globalization, and the technological systems that underpin everyday life.
Customer Reviews:
introductory textbook to the subject "history of technology" and "history of science).......2007-10-01
The main thesis of this book is to show how technology and science developed largely independently of each other throughout almost all of history. Science and Technology in World Literally is quite literally an undergraduate course book. In view of the complexity of the subject matter, I found this to be a boon rather then hindrance. The authors do an amazing job summarizing complex material.
SciTechinWorHis (my abbreviation for the lengthy title) begins with a survey of the "pristine" civiliastions of earth: the middle east, india, china, south america, central america.. and... uh that's it. These are alll the original civilisations who started raising crops. The authors point out at that all of these civilisations were empires that built large hydraulic projects to help raise more food. Most of them also built large monuments (the pyramids in egypt). In these "prisitine" civilisations, the central government used "scientists" for calendar purposes. "Technology" was made these civilisation's possible in the first place- farming improvements and the maniuplation of water to supply large urban populations. In these pristine civilisations science was sponosored by the emperor to achieve practical ends. Technology enabled these civilisations in the first place. And so, technology precedes science. Indeed, technology is one of the things that makes us "human" whereas "science" only comes into play AFTER civilisation and "history" begin.
In that way, the authors make the point- right at the beginning- that technology is quite central to being human, whereas science requires some form of organization.
After running through Egypt, Mesopatamia, India, China, The Aztecs and the Inca, he moves into the "greek miracle" and we are off to the races. After the multi cultural preamble, the book gets locked on europe and chapter by chapter we move through greece, to rome, to the middle ages, to the scientific revolution. Two hundred pages and nine chapters in, this book settles into chapters consisting of mini bios: Copernicus, Galileo, Newton. Then with the advent of the industrial revolution, they march through the "modern" period. Throughout the writing is crisp, and as a non-science type, I found this book quite useful as a survey and introduction to the subject.
Good intro-level textbook; needs supporting materials.......2007-08-15
This is a great introduction for an undergraduate level class on the history of sci/tech/med. However, as other reviewers have pointed out, there are some rough patches as the work nears the 20th century. Even though some glossing is necessary in a massive overview, I was particularly disturbed by the boilerplate explanation of mid-19th c. Darwinism without much reflection on the German, French, and English precursors (Lamarck is the exception, of course) and oversimplifying the impact on the religious community (who generally accepted "evolution" while rejecting "natural selection"). For an undergraduate course, I recommend supplementing these segments of the book with R. Richards Romantic Conception of Life or The Meaning of Evolution and/or P. Bowler's The Non-Darwinian Revolution. For upper level courses or tutorials, I would relegate this work to "recommended overview."
All that being said, I was impressed with the broad geographic scope and McClellan's ability to account for the vast majority of the ancient, medieval, and early modern material in an interesting and nuanced fashion.
Must buy.......2005-02-24
This is an awesome book. It portrays a very well organized anrrative of science in history. I do not even major in history yet I kept the book. Awesome.
Outstanding book, except..........2004-01-10
I agree with the previous reviewers on their accessment of the book--with the exception of the very last part of it. In fact, the chapter on modern physics has so many mistakes that it is almost rendered unusable, which is odd because the quality of the rest of the book is so high.
I wouldn't expect that two authors would be able to pull off what they have tried to do here (with such a breadth of material), but I believe that if they invite a guest author (or editor) to help with the chapter on the history of modern physics they will be fully successful in a subsequent edition.
History Through Science and Technology.......2002-10-14
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.
Book Description
Karl von Clausewitz's study On War was described by the American strategic thinker Bernard Brodie as 'not simply the greatest, but the only great book about war'. It is hard to disagree. Even though he wrote his only major work at a time when the range of firearms was fifty yards, much of what he had to say remains relevant today. Michael Howard explains Clausewitz's ideas in terms both of his experiences as a professional soldier in the Napoleonic Wars, and of the intellectual background of his time.
Customer Reviews:
Condensed Clausewitz.......2006-04-23
Years ago, I read a book entitled "On Strategy: a Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War." The author, Col. Harry Sumner, relied heavily on Clausewitz in critiquing the US effort in that war. Having been led by other military historians to believe that Clausewitz was more or less clueless about strategy, I was somewhat taken aback by Sumner's heavy reliance on Clausewitz.
Then came Desert Storm, and even my untutored eye could see that the US military had taken the teachings of "On Strategy" to heart. One could say that the US victory in Desert Storm was essentially "Clausewitzian". Maybe Clausewitz had been getting some undeserved bad press.
"Clausewitz: a Very Short Introduction" rehabilitates the Prussian officer's reputation, giving his biography and distilling his thought into a manageable amount of reading. Clausewitz was no armchair theoretician. He was a professional soldier who saw extensive combat during the Napoleonic Wars, and he knew what he was talking about. He may even be the first author to recognize Murphy's Law. He called it "friction," and he wrote that it plagued every sort of military endeavor.
For those of us who are unwilling to grapple with the unabridged Clausewitz, this little book is just what the general ordered.
Succinct, lucid, a good beginning........2005-04-27
Clausewitz is notoriously difficult to understand, according to Prof. Howard, because so much of what he wrote was not intended for publication. As Clausewitz himself stated, he wrote a "collection of materials from which a theory of war was to have been distilled." Professor Howard, the co-author of the standard English translation of Clausewitz, begins that distillation process in these few pages.
He first places Clausewitz in context, with a review of his family origins and military experience. He was commissioned as an officer in the Prussian Army at the age of 12, fought in his first campaign in 1793 at the age of 13 against the forces of Revolutionary France on the Rhine and then in the Vosges. In 1806 he was captured following the French defeat of Prussian forces at Auerstadt, a subsidiary of Napoleon's great victory over the Prussians at Jena. He then spent two years in captivity as a prisoner of war in France. When later the Prussian king allied himself with Napoleon, Clausewitz resigned from the Prussian Army and joined the Russian Army, where he participated in the Russian victory over Napoleon at Borodino. When the Prussian King, Frederick William III, eventually joined the Alliance against Napoleon in 1813, Clausewitz became an advisor to General Blucher during the Leipzig campaign, though still in Russian uniform. After being allowed by the King to rejoin the Prussian Army he became chief of staff to the Prussian III Corps, which acted as a blocking force at Waterloo. He then spent 12 years at the Prussian Army War College, where he spent much of his time writing his most famous work, On War. He died in 1831, at the age of 51, in a cholera epidemic in Breslau, where he had been sent to institute a cordon sanitaire to prevent the disease from spreading.
Clausewitz' ideas were formed in the cauldron of the transition from formalized 18th century warfare to the total war of the French Revolution and Napoleonic era. The successive Prussian defeats had a profound effect on him, stimulating a rethinking of the theory of warfare as it evolved in his lifetime. There is much debate about how much of his work applies only to the particular circumstances of his era and how much is applicable to warfare in general.
He is frequently contradictory and ambiguous, which is not surprising, given the extreme complexity of the human social phenomenon he is attempting to analyze. These are a few of his better-known concepts:
- the FRICTION of war (now often called the "FOG of war")
- successful warfare always involves a FIGHT, although paradoxically, an "unfought fight", such as the nuclear exchange that didn't happen during the Cold War, can have as much effect as an actual fight
- the necessity of attacking the enemy's CENTER
- the power of the DEFENSE
- the necessity of SUPERIOR FORCE for VICTORY
- the importance of MORALE
- the concept of WAR AS AN EXTENSION OF POLITICS
Prof. Howard provides a good summary of the way Clausewitz influenced the ideas and operations of the great wars of the 20th century - WWI, WWII, and the Cold War - and gives guidance for further study. He recommends in particular three books:
Peter Paret - "Clausewitz and the State"
Azar Gat - "The Origins of Military Thought from the
Enlightenment to Clausewitz"
Raymond Aron - "Penser la guerre, Clausewitz"
There is as yet no complete English translation of Clausewitz' works.
Highly recommended as an introduction to the study of history's foremost philosopher of warfare.
Cliff Notes to Clausewitz.......2000-08-11
Clausewitz is notoriously difficult for the novice to master -- some would argue that no one has ever entirely "mastered" Clausewitz. Be that as it may, a legion of frustrated amateur strategists can attest to the difficulty of picking up Clausewitz's "On War" and trying to read it through without a guide. In the "Clausewitz" volume in the Past Masters series, the novice as well as the experienced strategist can gain an introduction to the master's life, experiences, and writings that will make the first reading intelligible and that will serve as a quick review of Clausewitz's main concepts in a format that can easily be read in an evening.
This is a book that should stand next to "On War" in every strategist's library.
Book Description
This major new textbook focuses on the traditional and contemporary uses of organized force for political ends. The book brings together major scholars in the field and deals with both the theory and practice of strategy. It highlights the continuing relevance of traditional and new thinking about strategy for understanding the complex issues of war and peace at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The book opens with an introduction by the volume editors highlighting the central unifying theme of the book as a whole: the historical and continuing role of military power in support of political ends. The book then breaks down into four broad sections covering the evolution of strategic thought; the theory and practice of land, sea, and air power; a range of new and adapted theories about peace and security which were developed during the Cold War and developments in strategic thinking and practice which have taken place since the end of the Cold War (including Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA), Information (Cyber) Warfare, and Space Warfare). The book ends with a return to some of the themes identified in the Introduction and a discussion of the future direction of strategic studies. Carefully edited to create a fully integrated textbook and including excellent pedagogy throughout, this textbook offers a clear, accessible, and lively introduction to strategic studies for all students of politics and international relations.
Customer Reviews:
Useful introduction to strategic studies.......2002-05-14
This introductory textbook of strategic studies covers four main themes: the enduring issues of strategy, the evolution of joint warfare, twentieth-century theories, and contemporary issues of grand strategy. The book is written from the perspective of `Western security interests', but even so, studying strategy helps us to think clearly about the ways in which states and others use organised force for political ends.
The writers all refute technological determinism: new weapons - artillery in World War One, tanks in World War Two, guided missiles in the Arab-Israeli war of 1973, precision bombing and superior ground force technology in the Gulf War - were none of them unbeatable. They show that the basic principles of conducting land warfare have hardly changed in the last hundred years. Armies need to combine their arms, defend in depth, keep large reserves, use cover and concealment, and integrate movement and suppressive fire. In particular, Stephen Biddle shows that, contrary to many claims, the USAF air war in the Gulf did not destroy all the Iraqi armour. Possibly 4,100 armoured vehicles later fought the US ground forces, but they did not fight according to the basic principles, so they were beaten.
However, the editors err in dividing what they call `20th-century theories' - deterrence, arms control, terrorism and `irregular warfare' (national liberation struggles) - from the `contemporary issues' of technology, weapons of mass destruction, and humanitarian intervention. These are all still live issues. Further, the editors could have presented them in the livelier form of debates.
As with any collection of pieces by many hands, the quality is uneven, but generally the better essays are more grounded in the realities of 20th-century military history. The worse ones try to discuss, for instance, the causes of war in terms of biology or psychology. As a rule, strikingly individual expressions of one person's views, like Colin Gray's Modern Strategy, or Bernard Brodie's War and Politics, provoke more thought than compilation textbooks
Book Description
In a study that extends well beyond military history, David B. Ralston documents the ways in which five different countries—Russia, the Ottoman Empire, Egypt, China, and Japan—refashioned their armed forces along European lines during the three centuries after 1600. The appropriation of Western military institutions in countries outside of Europe was, Ralston argues, the major force driving these countries to adopt European administrative, economic, and cultural modes.
Following the same format in his discussion of each country, Ralston makes this central theme in world history easily accessible to students while offering scholars a sophisticated understanding of the exact nature of the changes brought about by Europeanizing military reforms.
David B. Ralston, associate professor of history at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the author of The Army of the Republic.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent "new military history".......2006-12-09
Anyone interested in the concept of "military revolution" or the impact of the modernization of armies in the early modern period and its impact on the development of the modern state will enjoy this book. Anyone familiar with the impact of the development of the modern military on European society and government in the early modern period will be interested to see how it impacted these non-European nations. Essentially what the author has done is asked whether or not the impact was the same as it had been in Europe.
He does this using the case study method by examining Russia (which was NOT considered part of Europe in the early modern period), the Ottoman Empire, Egypt, and Japan. What he finds is that the creation of a modern military based on the European model had the same impact as it had had in the west -- the development of social and political institutions to support that military changed the character of many of these societies. What's interesting is that although the impacts were similar in manner ways, the methods used to implement the reforms and the relative success or failure of the outcome varied depending upon existing cultural, religious, political, bureaucratic, governmental, etc factors. It should not be surprising that the way Russia's institutions evolved to support their development of a Europeanized military was different than what had been done in France or in the Ottoman empire.
If you're looking for a straight-forward, traditional military history this is not the book for you. If you have an interest in "new military history" (a sub-genre of military history) you'll enjoy this expansion of a Euro-centric perspective on how societies developed to support modernized military institutions.
This book has the wrong title.......2006-06-09
This is a disappointing book. The title does not reflect the material discussed in this book. Most of the book is about the effect of the introduction of the European military style on the societies of the countries discussed. I agree with what David W. Nicholas , one of the reviewers, wrote about this book.
Mediocre history, Ill-defined premise.......2004-11-08
This is one of the more dissappointing books I've read in recent years. I was expecting to read a book about countries adapting their armies to European standards as they came into contact with the European armies themselves, and discovered how effective they were. Instead, I found myself sunk in a quagmire of glutinous prose recounting the political and social consequences of adopting those European standards, without much mention or thought of what they were.
The author seems almost uninterested in the military aspect of things, which seems curious given the title of the book. There is , however, no discussion at all of how the armies discussed in the book were organized before they were "Europeanized" or how that organization changed afterwards, and of course weapons and tactices aren't discussed at all except in the most vague terms. While the main point of the narrative --- that countries which Europeanized their armies found their societies transformed by the action also --- is worthwhile, it doesn't need to be restated for most of the book, as it is.
There are a host of other, detail-oriented things which annoyed me about the book. One is that the title implies that we're going to be discussing *non-European* countries receiving European military organization, but the first country under discussion is Russia, which is usually considere to be *in Europe.* The author also includes a silly little politically correct apology for referring to the process of Europeanizing the army as "modernizing" because this might imply that other military organizations were inferior (which they were; otherwise their rulers wouldn't have replaced them with European ones) and there are various other parts of the book which are more or less annoying.
William H. McNeill wrote a blurb for the back cover, which I suppose sold a few copies. I'm afraid, however, that I'd have to disagree with him. The focus here is too narrow, and the discussion too limited, to have much value. It's also really densely written: the prose would put even a Professor to sleep. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone, unless the person was *very* interested in the subject.
Interesting concise history on the impact of Military reform.......2002-05-05
Having just read Ralston's "Importing the European Army" I think it is a nicely done work. The discussion in entirely on the large and small scale impacts that the adoption of an modern Army effects an entire State. The author shows that in his case studies (Russia, Ottoman Empire, Egypt, China and Japan) that each State sought to modernize its army along European lines alone without consideration to modernizing any other part of itself. However, in all instances there was a cascade effect of collateral modernization of the State in order to provide and afford this new army.
A continually standing army requires reforms in tax collection and government bureacracy. In order to get educated officers there has to be an extension (or establishment) of the national school systems, both at the primary and secondary levels. The investment into the State's infrastructure and expansion of its industrial capability is necessary to keep the Army supplied. All these improvements directly impact every layer of society and there has always been an armed revolt of sorts from the conservative order which is crushed by the reformers.
A very interesting work which one should consider more as a jumping off point to further reading rather than a definitive work. It certainly presents a side of military history which isn't covered very much.
Collecting factoids does not make history.......1999-08-20
Our reading group chose this title but not one of us made it past the second chapter. There is no sense of process in the writing. Events from history are thrown at the reader as if he or she already knows the period and the context. One never learns why, for example, Russia under Peter I adopted the type of army it did at that particular point in history. Where is the discussion of the logistical and technical challenges faced by the Russian military of the 18th century? Where are the insights gleened from Russian military commanders? Worse, since the author titled the book "Importing the European Army" he has an obligation to define what is European. He doesn't except to recite all the old stereotypes about how the European mind has better organizational skills and to dismiss other cultures as "barbarians". Unless one wants to collect a jumbled corpus of facts this book is best avoided.
Book Description
The quest for a steady food supply sparked plant breeding attempts over 12,000 years ago. The Concise Encyclopedia of Crop Improvement is a comprehensive resource explaining the development of crop improvement methods over the centuries. This extensive history of development is examined in detail, including influential individuals in the field, plant cultivation in Asia since the Neolithic time, techniques used in the Old World, and cropping in ancient America. The advance of scientific plant breeding in the twentieth century is extensively explored, including hybrid breeding, biotechnological improvement, and genetic manipulation.
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The Wired World: An Introduction to the Theory and Practice of the Information Society
James Dearnley , and
John Feather
Manufacturer: Neal Schuman Pub
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ASIN: 1856043738 |
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Science and Technology in World History: An Introduction.(Review) (book review): An article from: Canadian Journal of History
Clifford D. Conner
Manufacturer: University of Saskatchewan
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ASIN: B0008HFLXQ
Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Canadian Journal of History, published by University of Saskatchewan on August 1, 2000. The length of the article is 1034 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Science and Technology in World History: An Introduction.(Review) (book review)
Author: Clifford D. Conner
Publication:
Canadian Journal of History (Refereed)
Date: August 1, 2000
Publisher: University of Saskatchewan
Volume: 35
Issue: 2
Page: 401
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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Electrical Circuits and Systems: An Introduction for Engineers and Physical Scientists (Textbooks in Electrical and Electronic Engineering ; 5)
A. M. Howatson
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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ASIN: 0198564481 |
Book Description
The principles of circuit analysis are fundamental to the practice of electrical and electronic engineering. This book is aimed at new students of those disciplines. It is less expansive than some other texts, but it has more depth. Chapters focus on circuit analysis techniques, four-terminal
networks, and other topics not typically found in texts of this nature, such as Fourier transforms and ladder networks. The space given to explanation, assuming little knowledge in mathematics or electricity, and applications are featured and discussed where necessary.
Books:
- Sea of Faith: Islam and Christianity in the Medieval Mediterranean World
- Speaking of Slavery: Color, Ethnicity, and Human Bondage in Italy (Conjunctions of Religion and Power in the Medieval Past)
- Suicide Bombers: Allah's New Martyrs
- Sunne in Splendour
- The Archaeology of Weapons: Arms and Armour from Prehistory to the Age of Chivalry
- The Atlas of Climate Change: Mapping the World's Greatest Challenge
- The Boleyn Inheritance
- The Book of Irish Families, Great & Small (Third Edition, Expanded)
- The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine
- The Fight for Jerusalem: Radical Islam, the West, and the Future of the Holy City
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