Circles: Fifty Round Trips Through History Technology Science CultureFrom the bestselling author of The Knowledge Web come fifty mesmerizing journeys into the history of technology, each following a chain of consequential events that ends precisely where it began. Whether exploring electromagnetic fields, the origin of hot chocolate, or DNA fingerprinting, these essays all illustrate the surprisingly circular nature of change. In "Room with (Half) a View," for instance, Burke muses about the partly obscured railway bridge outside his home on the Thames, a musing which sets off a chain of thought that leads from the bridge's engineer to Samuel Morse, to firearms inventor Sam Colt, and finally to a trombonist named Gustav Holst, who once lived in the very house that blocks Burke's view. So it goes with Burke's entertaining and informative essays as each one highlights the interconnectedness of seemingly unrelated events and innovations. Romantic poetry leads to brandy distillation; tonic water connects through Leibniz to the first explorers to reach the North Pole. This unique collection is sure to stimulate and delight history buffs, technophiles, and anyone else with a healthy intellectual curiosity. |
Contents
Foreword | 13 |
A BIT OF A FLUTTER | 17 |
SATISFIED CUSTOMERS | 22 |
FOLIES DE GRANDEUR | 28 |
A LOT OF BALONEY | 34 |
IMPRESSIONS | 39 |
MAKING YOUR MARK | 44 |
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND | 49 |
SHEER POETRY | 158 |
LUCKY HE MISSED | 163 |
CHEERS | 168 |
WHATS IN A NAME? | 173 |
FEATHERED FRIENDS | 180 |
SCRIBBLE SCRIBBLE | 186 |
HEAVY STUFF | 191 |
TICK Tock | 196 |
SWEET DREAMS | 54 |
WAVING THE FLAG | 60 |
THE SILK CIRCUIT | 65 |
OUT OF GAS | 71 |
ORDINARY BUFFOONS | 77 |
BREAKFAST THOUGHTS | 83 |
STONES AND BONES | 89 |
IS THIS ESSAY NOTICEABLY DIFFERENT? | 95 |
SHOWTIME | 101 |
COOL STUFF | 107 |
REVOLUTIONARY MATTERS | 112 |
DONT FORGET THIS ONE | 117 |
TAKE Two ACRONYMS | 123 |
THE BUCK STARTS HERE | 128 |
HEALTHY BLOOMS | 133 |
AND NOW THE WEATHER | 138 |
On TRACK | 143 |
IS THERE ANYBODY THERE? | 148 |
TURKISH DELIGHT | 153 |
REBELLIOUS AFFAIRS | 201 |
LOCAL COLOR | 206 |
DOES THIS TAKE YOU BACK? | 211 |
OOPS | 216 |
TEA ANYONE? | 221 |
A LIGHT LITTLE NUMBER | 226 |
LEND ME YOUR EAR | 233 |
ENTENTE CORDIALE | 237 |
Zzzzzzz | 242 |
A FEW NOTES | 247 |
SOUND IDEAS | 252 |
OR MAYBE NOT | 257 |
A MATTER OF DEGREE | 262 |
ROOM WITH HALF A VIEW | 267 |
VARIOUS UNREQUITED | 272 |
THE O ZONE | 277 |
Select Bibliography | 282 |
Other editions - View all
Circles: 50 Round Trips Through History, Technology, Science, Culture James Burke No preview available - 2000 |
Common terms and phrases
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References to this book
Teaching Multiwriting: Researching and Composing with Multiple Genres, Media ... Robert L. Davis,Mark F Shadle No preview available - 2007 |