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Ask HN: What history of economics and technology book would you recommend?

26 points by ptn ↗ HN
Hi guys,

I have started to read about how technology impacts the economy of a society. Currently, I'm with "Science and Technology in World History", by McClellan and Dorn.

Would you recommend it? Also, what other books have you read on the topic?

Thanks a lot.

18 comments

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ryanelkins
I really like "The Worldly Philosophers" by Robert L. Heilbroner. I don't know if it's as focused on technology as you're looking for but it does a good job of showing how economics and economic theory evolved over time and the circumstances the people driving it were in that would have helped shape their thoughts.

It has a short chapter covering the time before "modern" economics and then covers many of the major economists from Adam Smith to Joseph Schumpeter.

ashnyc
yes, this is a great book. wish i had read it before starting college. good foundation book,
ptn
Another great recommendation, from what my economist of a dad tells me.
riffer
Wired - A Romance by Gary Wolf

Very inspiring story of the rise and fall of the coolest magazine on the planet. Worships upon the altar of the driven, scrappy, and relentless. Nothing else like it.

samt
Guns, Germs and Steel is worth reading.
LucaDuval
I agree wholeheartedly. I read it ten years ago and it answered a few questions I had been asking myself for many years. It is (in a healthy way) humbling for a western citizen as it implies that our (declining?) dominant position in the modern world is mainly a matter of luck.
ptn
Wow, this one looks promising. I'll definitely give it a shot.
rick_2047
Well there is Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution by Steven Levy[1]. The first part is mainly about how hackers from MIT influenced the world of technology but the second and third part touches upon how they effected the economy with there companies and all.

This may not be the best book for your research but this definitely will help you understand the players.

[1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackers:_Heroes_of_the_Computer...

3dFlatLander
Not really a book, but check out James Burkes Connections series. Other shows he's worked on have to do with the history of science/technology as well.

The episode pertaining to the birth of the computer is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORY-mXXgJg4&feature=PlayL...

That's worth checking out first, to give you an idea of what it's like. The rest of his stuff is here: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=JamesBurkeWeb#g/p

pg
Actually there is a book version as well:

http://www.amazon.com/Connections-James-Burke/dp/0743299558

I loved this series as a kid. It was my favorite TV show. Now that I know more about the history of technology, the connections sometimes seem a bit strained, but even so I know of no better introduction to the topic.

elidourado
An Empire of Wealth by John Steele Gordon.
pg
Medieval Technology and Social Change. The title sounds boring, but this one of those books that just cranks your brain open. There is so much new stuff in it. Or at least, stuff that was new when it was published in the 1960s.

Carlo Cipolla's Guns, Sails, and Empires is a close second. His Clocks and Culture is also very good; the prologue is probably the best 21 page summary of the history of western technology that you could find anywhere.

rah
1. The Lever of Riches, by Joel Mokyr 2. Guns Germs and Steel, by Jared Diamond 3. A Farewell to Alms, by Gregory Clark 4. Power and Prosperity, by Mancur Olsen 5. Carnage and Culture, Victor Davis Hanson 6. Capital Ideas, by Peter Bernstein 7. The Geodesic Network, by Peter Huber
TrevorBurnham
"Knowledge and the Wealth of Nations" by David Warsh (2007). It's really two books: It shows how the academic field of Economics works today, and covers much of the field's history; and it also examines Paul Romer's theory of economic growth, which (succinctly) states that technological advancement is the key factor. Talk to any economist about growth these days, and they'll talk about Romer.

It's a very readable book, and I highly recommend it to a wide audience.