The perfectionists: how precision engineers created the modern world
"Another gem from one of the world's justly celebrated historians specializing in unusual and always fascinating subjects and people." — Booklist (starred review)
The revered New York Times bestselling author traces the development of technology from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age to explore the single component crucial to advancement—precision—in a superb history that is both an homage and a warning for our future.
The rise of manufacturing could not have happened without an attention to precision. At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in eighteenth-century England, standards of measurement were established, giving way to the development of machine tools—machines that make machines. Eventually, the application of precision tools and methods resulted in the creation and mass production of items from guns and glass to mirrors, lenses, and cameras—and eventually gave way to further breakthroughs, including gene splicing, microchips, and the Hadron Collider.
Simon Winchester takes us back to origins of the Industrial Age, to England where he introduces the scientific minds that helped usher in modern production: John Wilkinson, Henry Maudslay, Joseph Bramah, Jesse Ramsden, and Joseph Whitworth. It was Thomas Jefferson who later exported their discoveries to the fledgling United States, setting the nation on its course to become a manufacturing titan. Winchester moves forward through time, to today's cutting-edge developments occurring around the world, from America to Western Europe to Asia.
As he introduces the minds and methods that have changed the modern world, Winchester explores fundamental questions. Why is precision important? What are the different tools we use to measure it? Who has invented and perfected it? Has the pursuit of the ultra-precise in so many facets of human life blinded us to other things of equal value, such as an appreciation for the age-old traditions of craftsmanship, art, and high culture? Are we missing something that reflects the world as it is, rather than the world as we think we would wish it to be? And can the precise and the natural co-exist in society?
Civilization
Engineering
Engineering -- History
Engineering design
History
HISTORY / Civilization
HISTORY / Modern / General
Industrial engineering
Industrial engineering -- History
Machine design
Machine design -- History
Mechanical engineering
Metrology
Nonfiction
Production engineering
Production engineering -- History
Technological innovations
Technological innovations -- History
Technology
TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / History
Technology and civilization
Technology and civilization -- History
9780062848093
9780062850843
9780062652577
Grouping Information
Grouped Work ID | ac9c5840-552b-829f-f6e2-d78c42e19540 |
---|---|
Grouping Title | perfectionists how precision engineers created the modern world |
Grouping Author | simon winchester |
Grouping Category | book |
Grouping Language | English (eng) |
Last Grouping Update | 2024-04-18 02:10:20AM |
Last Indexed | 2024-04-17 20:02:59PM |
Solr Fields
hoopla digital
Franklin
Galt
North Highlands-Antelope
North Natomas
Pocket-Greenhaven
Rancho Cordova
South Natomas
Central
Franklin
Galt
North Highlands-Antelope
North Natomas
Pocket-Greenhaven
Rancho Cordova
South Natomas
"Another gem from one of the world's justly celebrated historians specializing in unusual and always fascinating subjects and people." — Booklist (starred review)
The revered New York Times bestselling author traces the development of technology from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age to explore the single component crucial to advancement—precision—in a superb history that is both an homage and a warning for our future.
The rise of manufacturing could not have happened without an attention to precision. At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in eighteenth-century England, standards of measurement were established, giving way to the development of machine tools—machines that make machines. Eventually, the application of precision tools and methods resulted in the creation and mass production of items from guns and glass to mirrors, lenses, and cameras—and eventually gave way to further breakthroughs, including gene splicing, microchips, and the Hadron Collider.
Simon Winchester takes us back to origins of the Industrial Age, to England where he introduces the scientific minds that helped usher in modern production: John Wilkinson, Henry Maudslay, Joseph Bramah, Jesse Ramsden, and Joseph Whitworth. It was Thomas Jefferson who later exported their discoveries to the fledgling United States, setting the nation on its course to become a manufacturing titan. Winchester moves forward through time, to today's cutting-edge developments occurring around the world, from America to Western Europe to Asia.
As he introduces the minds and methods that have changed the modern world, Winchester explores fundamental questions. Why is precision important? What are the different tools we use to measure it? Who has invented and perfected it? Has the pursuit of the ultra-precise in so many facets of human life blinded us to other things of equal value, such as an appreciation for the age-old traditions of craftsmanship, art, and high culture? Are we missing something that reflects the world as it is, rather than the world as we think we would wish it to be? And can the precise and the natural co-exist in society?
CD Audiobook
eAudiobook
eBook
Books
eBook
9780062652577
9780062848093
9780062850843
Adult Fiction
FOL ADULT CD/SPOKEN WORD
Central
Franklin
Galt
North Highlands-Antelope
North Natomas
Pocket-Greenhaven
Rancho Cordova
South Natomas
Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
HarperAudio
HarperCollins
Civilization
Engineering -- History
Engineering design
HISTORY / Civilization
HISTORY / Modern / General
History
Industrial engineering -- History
Machine design -- History
Mechanical engineering
Metrology
Production engineering -- History
TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / History
Technological innovations -- History
Technology
Technology and civilization -- History
The Perfectionists How Precision Engineers Created the Modern World
The perfectionists : how precision engineers created the modern world / Simon Winchester
Engineering
Engineering design
HISTORY / Civilization
HISTORY / Modern / General
History
Industrial engineering
Machine design
Mechanical engineering
Metrology
Nonfiction
Production engineering
TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING / History
Technological innovations
Technology
Technology and civilization
Solr Details Tables
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