Author(s): Fitzroy DearbornPublisher: Routledge
Date : 2005
Pages : 983
Format : PDF
OCR : Y
Quality : Excellent
Language : English
ISBN-10 : 1579584632
Desription :
Technology is a vital subject. It grows continuously. New technologies are introduced, existing technologies evolve, and the outmoded are abandoned. Looking dispassionately at technology, it is always exciting, for it is the product of human ingenuity. For the purposes of this encyclopedia, we felt it could not and should not be discussed devoid of its human element. It is breathtaking to consider the panoply of developments which occurred during the last century, but it is necessary to recall that these developments did not take place in isolation. It was our desire to see that events, where possible, were described in context. Thus, you will ?nd names, places, dates, and events critical to the development of a particular technol- ogy. The reader will note that some entries contain a surprising amount of information on 19th- century events. This was appropriate, for some
20th-century technologies were ?rmly rooted in that earlier time and can be best understood in
light of the past. To avoid a deadly dull recitation of formulae and regurgitation of dry facts, we sought to give the reader the broadest possible picture. The encyclopedia was created for the lay reader and students as well as for historians of science and technology. In light of this, we attempted to minimize the use of the jargon that tends to grow around some technologies. Although many of the subjects are highly technical, our belief was that
even complicated subjects could be rendered in such a way as to make them comprehensible to a
wide audience. In the same way that an electrical engineer might need explanations when encountering genetic terminology, students and non-specialists will also appreciate the clari?cation. Because of
the pervasiveness of the subjects in all facets of our lives, the encyclopedia should be a handy reference
tool for a broad range of readers. Our aim was to make the subjects, which many of us deal with daily and do not necessarily grasp completely, readily understood with a minimum need for additional reference. However, should the reader wish to delve further into any particular subject, our expert authors have provided a selection of
further bibliographic readings with which to begin.
The scope of the encyclopedia is intended to be international. Discussions were to be as inclusive as possible and avoid focus solely on the events of any one country. Nonetheless, some skewing was unavoidable due simply to the prodigious number of developments that have taken place in some countries.
(Source: Associate Editor’s Preface)
William E. Worthington, Jr.
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