Prime movers of globalization
by Vaclav Smil · first published 2010
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2HN commenters
2011–2014first – last mentioned
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""In Prime Movers, Smil's passion for the Cinderellas of civilization focuses on the diesel engines and gas turbines that power ocean vessels and wide-body jets. These engines have made ocean shipping and intercontinental air travel so cheap that they have changed the face of our planet. Marshall McLuhan's dreams of a Global Village have become true in unimagined ways. Being an engineer myself, I admire the way Smil portrays the human Cinderellas of the industrial world: the unsung engineers who made momentous advances in the reliability and efficiency of their machines. Smil's book makes me p
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One of Bill Gates' recommended books (1) was a great read: "Prime Movers of Globalization: The History and Impact of Diesel Engines and Gas Turbines" (2) The very large and very slow rotating diesel engines used to power ships are incredibly efficient. Oil tankers run very slowly, gas a little…
on “Rolls-Royce Drone Ships Challenge $375B Freight Industry” ↗…Economy Bigger: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691136408/ A general history, and you'll find the section on coupling standardization all too familiar. Although the text leaves out one critical detail: Prime Movers of Globalization: The History and Impact of Diesel Engines and Gas Turbines: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0262014432/ (There's but one picture of one of the huge diesel engines that power pretty much all large cargo…
on “The amazing shipping container: How it changed the world” ↗