American Genesis
2mentions
2recommended by
2HN commenters
2013–2014first – last mentioned
100% recommend
"The book that helped earn Thomas P. Hughes his reputation as one of the foremost historians of technology of our age and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1990, American Genesis tells the sweeping story of America's technological revolution. Unlike other histories of technology, which focus on particular inventions like the light bulb or the automobile, American Genesis makes these inventions characters in a broad chronicle, both shaped by and shaping a culture. By weaving scientific and technological advancement into other cultural trends, Hughes demonstrates here the myriad ways in which
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If you want to hear how Tesla, Edison, etc. actually went about funding / building their companies - check out: "American Genesis" It's a history of the human / social part of this period of technology. So interesting to hear about J.P. Morgan essentially angel investing in Edison / Tesla + all the other unknowns like Elmer Sperry,…
on “What Nikola Tesla vs. VCs video says about the state of Silicon Valley” ↗Thomas Hughes' books take a wider view than most of the others mentioned so far: American Genesis covers 1870 - 1970 and Rescuing Prometheus discusses the SAGE computerized air defense system, the Atlas missile, Arpanet, and the Boston central artery/tunnel project.
on “Ask PG/HN: Recommended reading on the history of technology” ↗