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The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention

Rosen, William

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Hardly a week passes without some high-profile court case that features intellectual property at its center. But how did the belief that one could own an idea come about? And how did that belief change the way humankind lives and works?

William Rosen, author of Justinian's Flea, seeks to answer these questions and more with The Most Powerful Idea in the World. A lively and passionate study of the engineering and scientific breakthroughs that led to the steam engine, this book argues that the very notion of intellectual property drove not only the invention of the steam engine but also the entire Industrial Revolution: history's first sustained era of economic improvement. To do so, Rosen conjures up an eccentric cast of characters, including the legal philosophers who enabled most the inventive society in millennia, and the scientists and inventors-Thomas Newcomen, Robert Boyle, and James Watt-who helped to create and perfect the steam engine over the centuries. With wit and wide-ranging curiosity, Rosen explores the power of creativity, capital, and collaboration in the brilliant engineering of the steam engine and how this power source, which fueled factories, ships, and railroads, changed human history.

Deeply informative and never dull, Rosen's account of one of the most important inventions made by humans is a rollicking ride through history, with careful scholarship and fast-paced prose in equal measure.

Accessories:

No Accessory

Publisher

UNIV OF CHICAGO PR

Bisac Major Subject

Technology & Engineering

Bisac Minor Subject

History

Binding Type

Paperback

Country Of Origin

Number Of Units

Length

8.9 Inches

Barcode Indicator

EAN

Width

6.0 Inches

Publication Date

1970-01-01

Height

1.0 Inches

ISBN 10

0226726347

Weight

1.15 Pounds

Book EAN

9780226726342

Target Audiance

Adults

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The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention