The Guinness History of Inventions

Providing an overview of two millennia of technological achievement, this book traces the history of inventions - and their impact on society - from the development of iron-working to the computer age. It is divided into 15 thematic chapters, on materials, measurements, tools and devices, electricity, energy and power, engines, textiles, transport, light and sound, communication, computers, farming and food, medicine, warfare, and space. Special features focus on pioneering inventors who pushed forward the boundaries of human knowledge and whose technological innovations, from the wheel to the high-speed train and from the abacus to the desktop PC, have changed the lives of millions.