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Fifty Things That Changed the Course of History
Fifty Machines that Changed the Course of History by Eric Chaline (Abridged, Audiobook, Box set) Hardcover
Praise for "Fifty Animals that Changed the Course of History"
"It's the sort of book that has you saying 'Wow, listen to this...' and 'Did you know...' to companions over and over."
--The Globe and Mail
"Fifty Minerals that Changed the Course of History" is a beautifully presented guide to the minerals that have had the greatest impact on human civilization. These are the materials used from the Stone Age to the First and Second Industrial Revolutions to the Nuclear Age and include metals, ores, alloys, salts, rocks, sodium, mercury, steel and uranium. The book also includes minerals used as currency, as jewelry and as lay and religious ornamentation when combined with gem minerals like diamonds, amber, coral, and jade.
Entries are organized by name and considered for their influence in four categories: Industrial, Cultural, Commercial and Scientific. More than 200 elegant drawings, photographs, paintings and excerpts from literature highlight the concise text.
Examples of the fifty minerals are: Diamonds: Did a necklace ordered by Louis XV precipitate the French Revolution? Sulphur: The biblical brimstone now used in organic farming. Clay: The oldest ceramic object is not a cooking pot or drinking bowl, but a statuette. Arsenic: Was Napoleon murdered while imprisoned on the island of St. Helena? Coal: The Romans invented the first central heating system. Saltpeter: China's fourth "Great Invention" was perhaps not so great after all. Salt: Once used as currency, we give it little thought today. Jade: The Chinese fabric of "pajamas for eternity."
Ubiquitous or rare, the minerals described in "Fifty Minerals that Changed the Course of History" have been fundamental to human progress, for good or evil. Many are familiar--the aluminum can we drink from, the car we drive, the jewelry we wear. They can be poisons, medicines or weapons, but wherever found and however used, their importance can be easily overlooked. This attractive reference gives us fascinating insight into our undeniable dependence on minerals.
"It's the sort of book that has you saying 'Wow, listen to this...' and 'Did you know...' to companions over and over."
--The Globe and Mail
"Fifty Minerals that Changed the Course of History" is a beautifully presented guide to the minerals that have had the greatest impact on human civilization. These are the materials used from the Stone Age to the First and Second Industrial Revolutions to the Nuclear Age and include metals, ores, alloys, salts, rocks, sodium, mercury, steel and uranium. The book also includes minerals used as currency, as jewelry and as lay and religious ornamentation when combined with gem minerals like diamonds, amber, coral, and jade.
Entries are organized by name and considered for their influence in four categories: Industrial, Cultural, Commercial and Scientific. More than 200 elegant drawings, photographs, paintings and excerpts from literature highlight the concise text.
Examples of the fifty minerals are: Diamonds: Did a necklace ordered by Louis XV precipitate the French Revolution? Sulphur: The biblical brimstone now used in organic farming. Clay: The oldest ceramic object is not a cooking pot or drinking bowl, but a statuette. Arsenic: Was Napoleon murdered while imprisoned on the island of St. Helena? Coal: The Romans invented the first central heating system. Saltpeter: China's fourth "Great Invention" was perhaps not so great after all. Salt: Once used as currency, we give it little thought today. Jade: The Chinese fabric of "pajamas for eternity."
Ubiquitous or rare, the minerals described in "Fifty Minerals that Changed the Course of History" have been fundamental to human progress, for good or evil. Many are familiar--the aluminum can we drink from, the car we drive, the jewelry we wear. They can be poisons, medicines or weapons, but wherever found and however used, their importance can be easily overlooked. This attractive reference gives us fascinating insight into our undeniable dependence on minerals.
Hardcover
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About the author
Eric Chaline
39 books19 followersAuthor, journalist and editor, winner of the Lord Aberdare Prize, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 1, 2013
Nice introduction to important inventions. A simple book, with couple of pages per machine. My seven-year-old son who likes machines and inventions liked the book a lot, so I'd say this is a pretty good introduction to the topic for school-aged kids, or adults looking for something light to read. It's easy to read a chapter or two every now and then.
September 24, 2015
FIFTY MACHINES is a fun, thought-provoking book that talks about a variety of machines (since the Industrial Revolution) that changed society in a dramatic way. The author covers a wide range of devices. Everything from the first brick cell-phone to washing machines; from the Jacquard loom to the electron microscope... and more.
Machines get at a minimum, 2 pages which present a little bit about who invented them and why; as well as what changes they evoked and what people thought about them. There are diagrams and pictures.
There's no real introduction that provides a deep and meaningful backdrop to how tools and machines have changed the world. Instead the author just jumps off and begins talking about them, dropping hints about the ramifications as he goes.
Well written, there is no worry that the reader is going to be over-whelmed by too-much information. Instead this is the type of book you might pick up and read a quick chapter at any time.
Fun book. Would make a fine addition to a school or classroom library. Or to the shelves of someone with a nascent interest in machines. Not a book for someone interesting in in-depth research.
Machines get at a minimum, 2 pages which present a little bit about who invented them and why; as well as what changes they evoked and what people thought about them. There are diagrams and pictures.
There's no real introduction that provides a deep and meaningful backdrop to how tools and machines have changed the world. Instead the author just jumps off and begins talking about them, dropping hints about the ramifications as he goes.
Well written, there is no worry that the reader is going to be over-whelmed by too-much information. Instead this is the type of book you might pick up and read a quick chapter at any time.
Fun book. Would make a fine addition to a school or classroom library. Or to the shelves of someone with a nascent interest in machines. Not a book for someone interesting in in-depth research.
January 30, 2022
List-books are fun, especially when splashed with good photographs, idea/trivia boxes, separate time lines and easily readable narratives. This was a quick read with some very good entries, especially on Stephenson’s Tocket engine, Rover safety bike (early bikes were called ‘dandy-horse’), Underwood typewriter (first one where the typed letter was visible as it was being typed), Zeppelin (US banned Helium export to Germany in 1938 - contributed to downfall of airships), Nipkow disk, V2 (“polocy of unilateral disarmament” - was so wasteful!), Ampex tape recorder (weird connection between Hitler and Bing Crosby!), Walkman (launched as ‘Soundabout’ in US and ‘Stowaway’ in Australia), Motorola Startac (took its name from flip-top communicator in Star Trek).
May 16, 2023
It’s a good way to get a huge overview on how we’ve progressed and I appreciate the overarching themes about how really these pieces are indicative of a movement rather than groundbreaking works that exist independent of their context. Some have even called this “the best book”. I found myself wishing that the entries followed more similar formatting styles. The author really just picked stories he liked which made for entertaining reading but left me wondering about certain aspects of pieces.
December 5, 2016
50 cool machines with the history behind them and some sort of diagram of the machine with more technical information.
Sometimes includes a timeline of other similar machines or those that led to the invention of this machine.
Sometimes includes a timeline of other similar machines or those that led to the invention of this machine.
Want to read
March 15, 2014it will be a useful book..we can get good knowledge about machines by reading this book..
March 14, 2015
Lacks story and explanation. No bigger picture
February 6, 2019
Including half a star for acknowledging Rosalind Franklin’s role in the understanding of DNA.
February 14, 2021
UK/Commonwealth perspective, which might explain the inclusion of an Australian gas lawnmower.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews