We are excited to announce updated resources on applied technology – there are more to come! These works place technologies in their social context as well as covering the supporting science. They will be useful throughout our curricula.

Building the World: An Encyclopedia of the Great Engineering Projects in History. Compiled by Frank P. Davidson and Kathleen Lusk Brooke. Greenwood Press, 2006. 2 volumes. View record in IvyCat

Covers the world’s major engineering marvels chronologically, from Solomon’s temple to Boston’s Central Artery tunnels. Each entry begins with essential factual points, then covers the project’s foundational history, cultural context, planning, building, and world-wide significance. Primary sources are included for each entry along with a bibliography for further reference. Useful for general studies as well as our applied technology courses, this is in our Reference collection for use in the library. “Feats of ‘macro-engineering’ are a testament to the creativity and foresight of engineers, architects, governments officials, and diplomats. Who came up with the ideas for these projects, and how did they see them through to completion? What obstacles needed to be overcome for these structures to be built? What impact did such projects have on the economy and culture of their societies? The encyclopedia, Building The World, answers all of these questions, showing how central these great feats are to the history of civilization.” (publisher)

How Things are Made: From Automobiles to Zippers. Andrew Terranova and Sharon Rose. Revised edition, updated. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, 2018. View record in IvyCat

Another encyclopedia, covering smaller-scale engineering. “For anyone curious about the nuts and bolts of human ingenuity, How Things Are Made is a fascinating exploration of the process behind the manufacture of everyday items … from guitars, sunscreen, and seismographs to running shoes, jet engines, and chocolate … contains informative step-by-step text along with detailed but easy-to-follow illustrations, diagrams, and sidebars to tell the stories behind the things we sometimes take for granted.” (publisher)

Behemoth: A History of the Factory and the Making of the Modern World. Joshua B. Freeman. W. W. Norton, 2018.  View record in IvyCat

A quick tour through important moments in the history of industrial production, from the 1720s to the present. Covers major theories of industrial production and their social impact. 75 pages of footnotes point to a wealth of primary sources, but written for a general audience. “Celebrated historian Joshua B. Freeman … whisks readers from the textile mills in England that powered the Industrial Revolution and the factory towns of New England to the colossal steel and car plants of twentieth-century America, Eastern Europe, and the Soviet Union and on to today’s behemoths making sneakers, toys, and cellphones in China and Vietnam … offers a piercing perspective on how factories have shaped our societies” (publisher).