Technology and the West

This anthology provides an overview of technology in Western civilization. Its 21 articles and overview essays demonstrate the complex relationship between between technological and social change from antiquity to the present. Specific topics include: the origins of contemporary social and political institutions in the irrigation civilizations of antiquity, technology and the military; popular perceptions of the early industrial revolution in Europe; the difference between invention and innovation; the role of government in the development of technology; the nature of technical expertise; and nuclear power and the environment. All the articles in this text originally appeared in the journal "Technology and Culture".