Book
Invention and innovation : a brief history of hype and failure / Vaclav Smil.
"Smil presents the long history and modern infatuation with invention and innovation. Meticulous as always, these vast realms of human ingenuity are organized into sensible categories: inventions that went from welcome to undesirable, inventions that dominate and missed the mark, inventions we still dream about, and lastly, the exaggerations, myths, and wise expectations for innovations we need most"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780262048057 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: 219 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
- Publisher: Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, [2023]
- Copyright: ©2023
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Invention and innovation : a long history and modern infatuation -- Inventions that turned from welcome to undesirable. Leaded gasoline ; DDT ; Chlorofluorocarbons -- Inventions that were to dominate-and do not. Airships ; Nuclear fission ; Supersonic flight -- Inventions that we keep waiting for. Travel in a (near) vacuum (hyperloop) ; Nitrogen-fixing cereals ; Nuclear fusion -- Techno-optimism, exaggerations, and realistic expectations. Breakthroughs that are not ; The myth of ever-faster innovations ; What we need most. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Errors > History. Inventions > Defects > History > Popular works. New products > History. System failures (Engineering) > History. Technological forecasting. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroud Branch | 600 Smi | 31681010309649 | NONFIC | Available | - |
Vaclav Smil is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of Manitoba. He is the author of forty books, including New York Times bestseller How the World Really Works and Energy and Civilization, published by the MIT Press. In 2010 he was named by Foreign Policy as one of the Top 100 Global Thinkers. In 2013 Bill Gates wrote on his website that âthere is no author whose books I look forward to more than Vaclav Smil.
