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Today, when technology moves forward in
seemingly effortless leaps, it is easy to become a little
jaded, or as author Merritt Ierley writes, "the more
the wonders, the less wondrous they seem to be." It
wasn't always so. When the first transatlantic cable was
completed, cities and towns across America erupted in a
celebration that would rival today's pomp and fanfare over
winning a major league title. Some believed the cable's
completion fulfilled biblical prophesy.
How American society responded to newly
evolving technology is the focus of this engaging exploration
of technological history. As ingenious as inventions like
the phonograph, radio, typewriter, and automobile were,
the stories of their inception and creators, as well as
their impact on culture, are equally fascinating and have
an endearing relevance for us in this very modern age.
Did you know that Albert Robida intuited
the Internet in 1883, calling it the telephonascope, a device
where you could get news, take a math course, and shop?
That Thomas Jefferson developed a copy machine and believed
it to be "the finest invention of the present age?"
That some wondered whether the telephone was an instrument
for good or a work of the devil? That the typewriter revolutionized
the role of women in the workplace?
Behind these world-changing inventions are
tales of our own ingenuity that offer perspective on what
is on the threshold today and what may come along tomorrow.
More than 75 photographs and illustrations and samples of
original directions for many of the products (e.g., "How
to Make a Telephone Call") are matched with Ierley's
tireless research and skill at presenting his findings in
a concise and delightful way, as in his critically praised
work on household technology, The Comforts of Home.
Merritt Ierley is the author of eight
books relating to American history and technology, including
The Comforts of Home. He lives in northern New Jersey.
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