Scientific American inventions and discoveries: all the milestones in ingenuity

Rodney Carlisle, Scientific American0471244104, 9780471244103, 9780471660248

All the milestones in human ingenuity—from the discovery of fire to the invention of the microwave oven This Scientific American reference book is essential for anyone who wants to get a handle on the history of technology. More than 400 engagingly written entries explain the details and significance of each breakthrough, and numerous primary source sidebars add depth and immediacy. Divided into six chronological sections from early human history to the present and featuring scores of illustrations, this is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in history or technology.
Rodney Carlisle, PhD, Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University, is the author of Encyclopedia of the Atomic Age and several works on the history of technology. Scientific American is the world’s most prestigious science and technology magazine and has more than 3 million readers worldwide. Its books include Scientific American Science Desk Reference (0-471-35675-1).

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Table of contents :
Scientific American INVENTIONS AND DISCOVERIES……Page 3
CONTENTS……Page 7
Acknowledgments……Page 9
General Introduction……Page 13
Part I The Ancient World through Classical Antiquity, 8000 B.C. to A.D. 330……Page 21
Part II The Middle Ages through 1599……Page 93
Part III The Age of Scientific Revolution, 1600 to 1790……Page 161
Part IV The Industrial Revolution, 1791 to 1890……Page 235
Part V The Electrical Age, 1891 to 1934……Page 331
Part VI The Atomic and Electronic Age, 1935 into the 21st Century……Page 409
Index……Page 493