TY - GEN N2 - Traces the history of invention from the beginning of civilization through the twentieth century, and discusses how each innovation met a critical need and also opened the door for the next breakthrough. AB - Traces the history of invention from the beginning of civilization through the twentieth century, and discusses how each innovation met a critical need and also opened the door for the next breakthrough. T1 - A history of invention :from stone axes to silicon chips / AU - Williams, Trevor Illtyd, AU - Burnette, Arianne E. AU - Schaaf, William E., CN - T15 CN - T15 .W753 1999 N1 - Civilization has many facets, but how man lives depends very much on what he can make. The object of this book is to arouse wider interest in the way in which technological factors have shaped - and continue to shape - human history. Technological achievements have not only filled our material needs, but also expanded our spiritual and cultural horizons. The book shows how inventions have revolutionized the way artists, craftsmen, philosophers and even theologians have seen and explained our world. At the beginning of civilization inventors were anonymous - we don't know who made the first wheel or smelted the first copper - but as the story unfolds inventions can be attributed to particular individuals or companies who were sensitive to social and economic opportunity, up to the modern day where it is only major companies who can afford the research and development costs to venture further into the unknown. ID - 12750 KW - Technology KW - Patents. KW - Inventions. KW - PATENTS : GENERAL WORKS : HISTORY KW - TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION KW - INVENTIONS AND INVENTORS : HISTORICAL ASPECTS SN - 0316851639 TI - A history of invention :from stone axes to silicon chips / ER -