Great Inventions that Changed the World

FOREWORD VII

PREFACE XI

1 INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Inventors and Inventions 2

1.2 Innovation, Development, Diffusion 11

1.3 Changing the World 15

2 INVENTIONS FOR WORK 45

2.1 Tools and Methods 46

2.2 Energy and Power 58

2.3 Materials 71

3 DOMESTIC LIFE: FOOD, CLOTHES, AND HOUSE 81

3.1 Food 82

3.2 Clothes 97

3.3 House 104

4 HEALTH, REPRODUCTION 117

4.1 Prevention 119

4.2 Diagnostics 126

4.3 Therapy 131

4.4 Reproduction 141

5 SECURITY 153

5.1 Natural Threats 153

5.2 Economic Threats 157

5.3 Human Violence: War 163

6 TRANSPORTATION 197

6.1 Land Transportation 199

6.2 Water Transportation 205

6.3 Air and Space Transportation 216

7 INFORMATION 229

7.1 Observation 229

7.2 Records 238

7.3 Communication 250

7.4 Information Tools 259

8 GOOD LIFE 281

8.1 Party and Play 282

8.2 Luxury 294

8.3 Arts 304

9 FUTURE CHALLENGES 319

9.1 Future Needs and Opportunities 319

9.2 Future Sources of Inventions 325

INDEX 333