In a nutshell, what makes Peter H. Spitz’s new book work so well is its clarity. There’s never the sense of over-expansion, over-elaboration, or over-anything really. Just a straight presentational quality that really compliments what Spitz is trying to communicate in the text. “The inventions described in this book were generally the culmination of research by scientists, engineers and other talented people, a number of whom received a Nobel Prize for their successful work. In contrast to the way that much research is now carried out in large corporations, these inventors mostly worked alone, often under difficult circumstances.
LINKED IN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-h-spitz-60b41315
How they persevered from the time of a discovery or an idea to a successful achievement or how an idea was pursued by several researchers over months or years always makes an interesting story,” Spitz writes, at the beginning of the book. It’s aptly titled Reflecting on History: How the Industrial Revolution Created Our Way of Life by the way. He also writes: “Born in Austria before World War II, I have lived in a world that has kept changing rapidly and continues to do so. I believe that my education in both Europe and America has given me a particular interest in history and in the development of our civilization.”
The book sometimes feels like a roadmap of different inventions, many derived and inspired from what the Industrial Revolution brought to society onward. “Many of the things that make our day-to-day life livable and enjoyable came about over the roughly 300 years that elapsed between the start of the Industrial Revolution and the current time,” writes Spitz in this vein. “This book will describe the discoveries and inventions that led to the formation of large
businesses and industries that did not exist, back in time. For some readers, the book will simply serve as a place where they can see where some of the things we now enjoy had their origins. For others, the book is a history of the discovery and commercialization of important inventions…
People conducted their life without the many products and benefits later created by the unprecedented amount of innovation that took place over the next 300 years. It is, of course, impossible to present a comprehensive overview of all the changes that took place. This book will, however, cover many of the important ones, with background on the circumstances that led to innovations and on the scientists, engineers, and other gifted personalities whose names are associated with each invention… It is interesting to consider how the necessities of life –
food, clothing, shelter and fuel for heating and cooking –all came from the land and from the animals grazing on the land – all depending on energy from the sun.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Reflecting-History-Industrial-Revolution-Created-ebook/dp/B0D38RM5JX
Industry, such as it was, including textiles, leather, and construction, therefore depended on products from agriculture and forest. Such a regime therefore had to accommodate not just the size of the population, but also the internal needs and productiveness of the economy. This sets limits on growth and export possibilities, as an expanding population can run out of agriculturally beneficial land and ample forests.”
Cyrus Rhodes
