This work was originally published as four separate books; their titles, and reviewers' comments, are given below: History of the Gear-Cutting Machine: A Historical Study in Geometry and Machines "The book represents an overwhelmingly well-done job of reducing a great mass of material—scholarly references, patents, catalogs, engineering and trade journals, and machines themselves—into a logical story of development. Written with zest and relish, this vivid account presents a wealth of unusual information. The illustrations are particularly good, for many of them come from previously untapped sources." —Technology and Culture History of the Grinding Machine: A Historical Study in Tools and Precision Production "From the polished artifacts of prehistoric times Mr. Woodbury traces the development of methods, abrasives, and the machine tools which interdependently contributed to the advanced grinding techniques used today. Many fine illustrations." —The Tool Engineer History of the Milling Machine: A Study in Technical Development "Mr. Woodbury traces the evolution of milling machines from Eli Whitney's machine (circa 1820), the first miller ever built, to numerical controlled milling machines.... presented cleanly with ample detail. Fine illustration and complete bibliography are provided." —The Tool Engineer History of the Lathe to 1850: A Study in the Growth of a Technical Element of an Industrial Economy "Woodbury, who teaches the history of technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is at work on a history of machine design which promises to alter our perspectives not only in his special field but in general cultural history.... His present history of the lathe (to about 1850) absorbs the entire previous literature and goes far beyond it." —Lynn White, Jr.

This book provides readers with the fundamental, analytical, and quantitative knowledge of machining process planning and optimization based on advanced and practical understanding of machinery, mechanics, accuracy, dynamics, monitoring techniques, and control strategies that they need to understanding machining and machine tools. It is written for first-year graduate students in mechanical engineering, and is also appropriate for use as a reference book by practicing engineers. It covers topics such as single and multiple point cutting processes; grinding processes; machine tool components, accuracy, and metrology; shear stress in cutting, cutting temperature and thermal analysis, and machine tool chatter. The second section of the book is devoted to “Non-Traditional Machining,” where readers can find chapters on electrical discharge machining, electrochemical machining, laser and electron beam machining, and biomedical machining. Examples of realistic problems that engineers are likely to face in the field are included, along with solutions and explanations that foster a didactic learning experience.

Introduction: Mechanical Romanticism -- DEVICES OF COSMIC UNITY -- Ampère's Experiments: Contours of a Cosmic Cubstance -- Humboldt's Instruments: Even the Tools Will Be Free -- Arago's Daguerreotype: The Labor Theory of Knowledge -- SPECTACLES OF CREATION AND METAMORPHOSIS -- The Devil's Opera: Fantastic Physiospiritualism -- Monsters, Machine-Men, Magicians: The Automaton in the Garden -- ENGINEERS OF ARTIFICIAL PARADISES -- Saint-Simonian Engines: Love and Conversions -- Leroux's Pianotype: The Organogenesis of Humanity -- Comte's Calendar: From Infinite Universe to Closed World -- Conclusion: Afterlives of the Romantic Machine.

From the medieval farm implements used by the first colonists to the invisible links of the Internet, the history of technology in America is a history of society as well. This title analyzes technology's impact on the lives of women and men. It also discusses the innovation of an American system of manufactures.

This book is the first history of the British machine-tool industry during a time when it played a crucial part in the transformation of the British economy.