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Title: The Engines of Our Ingenuity: An Engineer Looks at Technology and Culture by John H. Lienhard IV ISBN: 0-19-513583-0 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: January, 2001 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $27.50 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.71 (14 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: From the Airwaves to the Page. . with Smashing Success
Comment: Not a Blow by Blow of the Radio Series, but a fresh writing about John Lienhard's unique perspective on Technology, History, and above all. . . Humanity. Beautifully written in a prose style that bespeaks a depth of understanding of the human condition one would expect from a philosopher. . . not an engineer. . . then again. . . John Lienhard is no ordinary engineer.
Rating: 5
Summary: Unique Perspectives on Technology, History, and Culture
Comment: I am well into Dr. Lienhard's book but have listened to his radio broadcasts for years. I recently met Dr. Lienhard at a book signing in which he graciously answered questions from an audience and took time to converse with buyers while autographing their purchases. Dr. Lienhard has the knack of bringing the scholar's intellect to the study of culture and technology without the slightest condescension. We briefly discussed Vermeer's use of the "camera obscura" which led to a brief exchange about the inevitability of "photography" and the ways in which it has, in turn, shaped our lives. A fascinating book from an engineer/philosopher.
Rating: 3
Summary: Liked it a lot but.....
Comment: The book itself is an interesting study of the effects of engineering on society. I found the chapters to being very interesting and enjoyed them very much.
However the book is let down as it lacks a higher standard of accuracy that one would need in a public talk on the radio. For example he talks about the Saqqara Bird and states that it shows evidence of an ancient Egyptian airplane. This is quite disputed as tests have shown that if it were a glider, it would be badly balanced, have some traces of a tail and require more spiral stability. Most people suggest that it was probably a child's toy or a weather vane. I found this out by doing a quick search on the net just now. The writer should have done this himself.
Also writer seems to be quite prejudice to the military, he makes some sweeping statement that war speeds up invention and states that there is not a shred of supporting evidence for this. He then tries to show it by talking about air flight speed. He then shows a graph that the rate speeds have gone up regardless of the political changes. Yet even he does state that some of these speeds were by the military. I would say that his statements show that there is some supporting evidence. He also states that any other technology would do as well. Okay what about submarines, radar and the atomic bomb. All these were developed for the military. Not to mention inventions that have only military value like artillery.
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Title: Inventing Modern: Growing up with X-Rays, Skyscrapers, and Tailfins by John H. Lienhard IV ISBN: 0195160320 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: November, 2003 List Price(USD): $28.00 |
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Title: One Good Turn: A Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw by Witold Rybczynski ISBN: 0684867303 Publisher: Scribner Pub. Date: 11 September, 2001 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: Why Things Break : Understanding the World by the Way It Comes Apart by Mark Eberhart ISBN: 1400047609 Publisher: Harmony Books Pub. Date: 21 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.00 |
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Title: A Century of Innovation: Twenty Engineering Achievements That Transformed Our Lives by George Constable, Bob Somerville, Neil Armstrong ISBN: 0309089085 Publisher: Joseph Henry Press Pub. Date: October, 2003 List Price(USD): $45.00 |
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Title: Small Things Considered: Why There Is No Perfect Design by Henry Petroski ISBN: 1400040507 Publisher: Knopf Pub. Date: 16 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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