Product Description

Whereas standard histories of technology give tired old accounts of the usual inventions - planes, bombs - The Shock of the Old is based on a different idea. Its thrust is that for the full picture of the history of technology we need to know not about what a few people invented, but about what everyday people used - and when they actually used things, if it was a long time after invention. It therefore reassesses the significance of, for example, the Pill and IT, and shows the continued importance of technology such as corrugated iron and sewing machines. In taking this approach, The Shock of the Old challenges the idea that we live in an era of ever increasing change. Interweaving political, economic and cultural history, it will show what it means to think critically about technology and its importance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #343429 in Books
• Published on: 2006-12-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Review
"So the new is old, and the old is new! Edgerton is a splendid corrective to all victims of technodazzle and neophilia. Marvellous stuff, and absolutely spot-on." Simon Jenkins"

The Times, Hugh Pearman
'he eviscerates our obsession with novelty'

Guardian
'bash it over the heads of every techno-nerd, computer geek and
neophiliac futurologist'

Customer Reviews

Hidden in here is a much better book, I'm sure
...but though there were lots of interesting facts and insights, I'm not really sure there was a clear argument to follow. A shame, because I suspect he has one - it just wasn't clear to me. A nice antidote to technohype, but no alternative model really

good title good cover terrible book
the ideas in this book could be written on page 1 - the rest is padding. good marketing! if you want to waste 6.99 buy - otherwise don't bother.

Something missing...
This book has been sitting on my desk for some weeks. I finished it a while ago, but wasn't sure how to review it, because I'm not sure exactly what the author's thesis is. The sub-title, 'Technology and Global History since 1900' accurate sums up the content, but it is almost an alternative history brought about by making a clear seperation between technology and innovation.

Given this seperation, the book points out that virtually all the innovations of the last century are based on technology dating back to the start of the last century. It's a neat idea, well researched and backed up. At that level it's a good read and a new perspective on technology and innovation. At the end of the day, though, the author doesn't really draw out any conclusions from his work, leaving the reader feeling frustrated and wondering what was in the author's mind.