Visions of Technology

AfascinatingcollectionofessaysfromsuchwritersasHenryFord，H.G.Wells，andAlbertEinsteinlooksatthedevelopmentoftechnologyoverthecoursethetwentiethcentury，showinghowithasledtobothgainsandlossesfortheplanet，andchartsthefutureevolutionofourtechnologicalfuture.25，000firstprinting.，ThePulitzerPrize-winningauthorofTheMakingoftheAtomicBombprovidesauniqueperspectiveonthetwentiethcenturythroughalivelycollectionofwritingsabouttheunexpectedandparadoxicalwaysinwhichtechnologyhaschangedourlives--andwillaffectourfuture.Technologyhasbeentheblessingandthebaneofthetwentiethcentury.HumanlifespanhasnearlydoubledintheWest，butinnocenturyhavemorehumanbeingseverbeenkilledbynewtechnologiesofwar.Improvementsinagriculturehavefedincreasingbillions，butpesticidesandchemicalsthreatentopoisontheEarth.Doestechnologyimproveusordiminishus?Enslaveusormakeusfree?Theproblemsandparadoxesoftechnologyhavestirredimpassioneddebate，yet，despitethecentralroletechnologyhasplayedinthiscentury，VisionsofTechnologyisthefirstbooktoexploretherichdiversityofcommentaryaboutthisvitalsubject.GuidedbytheeminentRichardRhodes，thereaderofthisprovocativetreasurywillfindhighlightedtheviewsofsuchprominenttechnologicalfiguresasHenryFord，H.G.Wells，RachelCarson，MargaretSanger，AldousHuxley，JohnGlennandGordonE.Moore.VisionsofTechnologyalsofeaturesthought-provokingimages--fromthefirstXraytoR.Crumb'scomicapocalypse--whichinformthisoriginal，much-neededroundtable.AmongthegemsofopinionandhistoryoftechnologygatheredinthisvolumeareHenryFordonthehorselesscarriage，ThorsteinVeblenonthedisciplineofthemachine，DavidMcCulloughonthePanamaCanal，BillyMitchellonairwarfare，MargaretSangeronbirthcontrol，RobertCaroonRobertMoses，CharlesLindberghonflying，JamesAgeeonoveralls，LieutenantGeneralLeslieR.GrovesontheManhattanProject，J.RobertOppenheimeronscienceandwar，IsaacAsimovonrobotics，AlvaMyrdalon"BlueJeansandCoca-Cola，"JoanDidionontheHooverDamandJulianL.Simononthepitfallsofmakingpredictions(ofwhichtherearemanyinthe214selectionsthatmakeupthisbook).Atonceaworkofculturalhistoryandofliterature，VisionsofTechnologyisanindispensableguidetounderstandingtheworldwehavecreatedforourselvesinthetwentiethcenturyandtheproblemswefaceatitsconclusion.，Looksatthedevelopmentoftechnologyoverthecourseofthetwentiethcentury，showinghowithasledtobothgainsandlossesfortheplanet，andchartstheevolutionofourtechnologicalfuture