Robert Pool writes for Discover and New Scientist and is author of Eves Rib. He lives in Arlington, Virginia.
Review
"If you're interested not just in how things work but also why they work that way, pick [Beyond Engineering]
up."
--John Burgess, The Washington Post
"It's a truism that technology has driven modern history. In this wise, insightful book, Robert Pool explores
the deeper truth that history shapes technology."
--Richard Rhodes, author The Making of the Atomic Bomb.
Oxford University Press Web Site, May, 2000
Summary
We have long recognized technology as a driving force behind much historical and cultural change. Now, in Beyond
Engineering, science writer Robert Pool turns the question around to examine how society shapes technology. Drawing
on such disparate fields as history, economics, risk analysis, management science, sociology, and psychology, Pool
illuminates the complex, often fascinating interplay between machines and society, in a book that will revolutionize
how we think about technology.
We tend to think that reason guides technological development, that engineering expertise alone determines the
final form an invention takes. But if you look closely enough at the history of any invention, says Pool, you will
find that factors unrelated to engineering seem to have an almost equal impact. In his wide-ranging volume, he
traces developments in nuclear energy, automobiles, light bulbs, commercial electricity, and personal computers,
to reveal that the ultimate shape of a technology often has as much to do with happenstance, business acumen, and
cultural context.
Whether discussing bovine growth hormone, nuclear power plants, or baboon-to-human transplants, Beyond Engineering
is an engaging look at modern technology and an illuminating account of how technology and the modern world shape
each other.