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The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention

October 11th, 2010 | Author: zeeziln

Property Developers Paralimni Cyprus

The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention : If all measures of human advancement in the last hundred centuries were plotted on a graph, they would show an almost perfectly flat line—until the eighteenth century, when the Industrial Revolution would cause the line to shoot straight up, beginning an almost uninterrupted march of progress.

In The Most Powerful Idea in the World, William Rosen tells the story of the men responsible for the Industrial Revolution and the machine that drove it—the steam engine. In the process he tackles the question that has obsessed historians ever since: What made eighteenth-century Britain such fertile soil for inventors? Rosen’s answer focuses on a simple notion that had become enshrined in British law the century before: that people had the right to own and profit from their ideas.

The result was a period of frantic innovation revolving particularly around the promise of steam power. Rosen traces the steam engine’s history from its early days as a clumsy but sturdy machine, to its coming-of-age driving the wheels of mills and factories, to its maturity as a transporter for people and freight by rail and by sea. Along the way we enter the minds of such inventors as Thomas Newcomen and James Watt, scientists including Robert Boyle and Joseph Black, and philosophers John Locke and Adam Smith—all of whose insights, tenacity, and ideas transformed first a nation and then the world.

William Rosen is a masterly storyteller with a keen eye for the “aha!” moments of invention and a gift for clear and entertaining explanations of science. The Most Powerful Idea in the World will appeal to readers fascinated with history, science, and the hows and whys of innovation itself.

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Posted in Rosens | Tags: Industry, Invention, Powerful, Steam, World | No Comments »

Off the Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America

October 3rd, 2010 | Author: zeeziln

Off the Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America : Inside the subculture of off-grid living

Written by a leading authority on living off the grid, this is a fascinating and timely look at one of the fastest growing movements in America. In researching the stories that would become Off the Grid, Nick Rosen traveled from one end of the United States to the other, spending time with all kinds of individuals and families striving to live their lives the way they want to-free from dependence on municipal power and amenities, and free from the inherent dependence on the government and its far-reaching arms. While the people profiled may not have a lot in common in terms of their daily lives or their personal background, what they do share is an understanding of how unique their lives are, and how much effort and determination is required to maintain the lifestyle in the face of modern America’s push toward connectivity and development. Dropped it in the trash – Haywood Jablome – Hampton, VA USA
I’m very excited about getting off the grid. I can see the rising cost of fuel and electricity right around the corner…who doesn’t? China and India are entering their industrial revolutions with huge populations, get a clue. It’s not rocket science. The housing collapse and stock market collapse(s) are right on top of us. When and if it happens, I’d like to be prepared. Worst case scenario, I stop paying utility bills, it makes economic sense. This book was a piece of liberal drivel that made me want to puke. I felt duped into buying it. The author makes survivalists sound like neo-nazi fascists. In reality, most are former government employees that have seen what’s happening in America and are terrified by it. I’ve got 20 years in the military, and I’ve seen enough to fear my government more than any other “threat” in the world. We are our own worst enemies. Pass over this piece of trash book and find something useful to read.