A Century of Innovation: Twenty Engineering Achievements That Transformed Our Lives

What were the top innovations of the 20th century? Almost any list would include the automobile, computer, and refrigeration. But when engineers are asked that question—this list was compiled by twenty-seven professional engineering societies—you get some interesting perspectives. Where you and I might be tempted to include birth control, the MBA, and reality programming, their list includes water supply and distribution; agricultural mechanization; and petroleum and petrochemical technologies. Whatever. More a coffee table book than serious study (we think engineers would appreciate Cosmo Kramer's idea for a coffee table book that turns into a coffee table), A Century of Innovation includes detailed but easily understood explanations of each technology, interesting timelines, and plenty of illustrations for us rubes who still don't understand how electricity gets into those little slots in our homes. Includes a foreword by Neil Armstrong and an afterword by Arthur C. Clarke.