Fifty Machines That Changed the Course of History - Tapa dura

This volume showcases machines such as the Jacquard loom, which automated the silk-weaving industry; the Hoover Suction Sweeper, which was the first upright electric vacuum; and the Hayes SmartModern, the first fully automated modem. The 50 entries are arranged in chronological order and range from two to six pages long. Entries are pleasing to the eye, with photographs, illustrations, time lines, and quotes separate from the text. The tone of the text is readable and conversational, placing each machine and its creator within a historical context. The volume concludes with lists of books for further reading and useful websites and an index. Recommended for school and public libraries.--Blaise Dierks"Booklist" (12/15/2012)

Chaline brings a sociologist's eye for detail to this engrossing book... fascinating...above the usual lineup of reference books... Fifty Machines works fine as a cover-to-cover read, but it is endlessly browsable.--Sam Bloom, Blue Ash Library, Cincinnati, OH"School Library Journal" (01/01/2013)

An admirable, concise, well-organized, and accurate exploration of 50 machines that have proven pivotal in human civilization from 1760 to the present... Entries are a minimum of two pages to a maximum of six pages with well-chosen historic pictures of the artifacts themselves supplemented by depictions of the inventors, the schematics of their devices or other matters of historical interest, and a clearly written narrative. Images closer to the present are often in full color. A frequently used timeline visualizes the flow of technological innovation and the ways in which new inventions build upon prior ideas.--Dennis W. Cheek, Executive Director of the Nationa"Science Books and Film" (05/01/2013)