Industrial Biography: Iron Workers and Tool Makers

by Samuel Smiles

From prehistory to James Naysmith and William Fairbairn.

Genres: Biography

358 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1863

About the author

Samuel Smiles (23 December 1812 – 16 April 1904), was a Scottish author and government reformer, who campaigned on a Chartist platform. But he concluded that more progress would come from new attitudes than from new laws. His masterpiece, Self-Help (1859), promoted thrift and claimed that poverty was caused largely by irresponsible habits, while also attacking materialism and laissez-faire government. It has been called "the bible of mid-Victorian liberalism", and it raised Smiles to celebrity status almost overnight.

Reviews

[Robertas Bakula · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating presentation of numerous inventors, mechanics, and engineers that have carried the industrial revolution on their shoulders. It is most inspiring to follow the stories of boys, most of whom grew up in very common, poor conditions with lack of education, but proceeded (often just on foot with almost nothing in their pocket) to become giants of industry and civilzation driven solely by their interest, love, fascination, and creativity.

The author briefly refers to the progression of civilization from using primitive stone tools to using massive precise mechanical machines. The beautiful contrast is how boys like Fairbairn, Moudslay, Bramah, Neilson, and so many others exemplify the progress of civilization in their own, individual lives, starting from some ambitious but quite primitive work with a hammer or a saw and pushing themselves towards creating steam-hammers, slide-rest lathes, and so many other miraculous tools.

Beautiful presentation and reminder of who are the people who, instead of mostly useless kings or prophets, should be forever commemorated on our pedestals.