Invention and innovation are what distinguish the human race from all of the other species on Earth. Throughout history the imagination and pioneering spirit of human kind has compelled us to question why we do things in a certain way and, more importantly, how we can do things better. Celebrating the ingenuity, creativity and resourcefulness that has led to some of the most amazing technological leaps through the ages, Breverton's Encyclopedia of Inventions examines the key innovations and breakthroughs of all time and the genius behind them. Starting with the building of the pyramids in ancient Egypt and the discovery of the solar system, moving through surgery, dynamite and rockets, to modern technology such as the smart card and genetic engineering, Terry Breverton springs many surprises. He uncovers fascinating and little-known facts: for example, that Price, not Fleming, discovered penicillin; that Swan, not Edison invented the electric light, and that Wallace, not Darwin first advanced the theory of evolution. Tracing the sheer persistence of brilliant men and women across the globe, who fought the prevailing ideas of their times and advanced technology, Breverton's Encyclopedia of Inventions will inspire anyone interested in the history and developments that have changed our lives and shaped our planet's future.

Looks at the history of a variety of modern inventions, including the television, cameras, toasters, vacuum cleaners, and electric razors.

Discover the amazing inventions throughout history that have shaped the world as we know it. This stunning visual guide explores and explains the greatest inventions, ideas, and discoveries throughout the ages, and introduces their inventors. From fire, stone tools, and the wheel to ploughs and paper, discover the first inventions that shaped societies and grew mighty civilizations and empires such as those in ancient Greece, ancient Rome, and ancient China. In the centuries that followed, "Eureka" moments abounded, with James Watt's steam engine during the Industrial Revolution, Henry Ford's car assembly line at the start of the 20th century, the Wright brothers' flying machines, Thomas Edison's light bulb, John Logie Baird's television, and so much more. Read about era-defining moments during the Digital Revolution, such as the first website developed by Tim Berners-Lee, and the growth in the use of robotics in industry and at home. Inventions: A Visual Encyclopedia reveals the stories behind the crucial and quirky contraptions - products of the world's most brilliant minds.

A unique A-to-Z reference of brilliance in innovation and invention Combining engagingly written, well-researched history with the respected imprimatur of Scientific American magazine, this authoritative, accessible reference provides a wide-ranging overview of the inventions, technological advances, and discoveries that have transformed human society throughout our history. More than 400 entertaining entries explain the details and significance of such varied breakthroughs as the development of agriculture, the "invention" of algebra, and the birth of the computer. Special chronological sections divide the entries, providing a unique focus on the intersection of science and technology from early human history to the present. In addition, each section is supplemented by primary source sidebars, which feature excerpts from scientists' diaries, contemporary accounts of new inventions, and various "In Their Own Words" sources. Comprehensive and thoroughly readable, Scientific American Inventions and Discoveries is an indispensable resource for anyone fascinated by the history of science and technology. Topics include: aerosol spray * algebra * Archimedes' Principle * barbed wire * canned food * carburetor * circulation of blood * condom * encryption machine * fork * fuel cell * latitude * music synthesizer * positron * radar * steel * television * traffic lights * Heisenberg's uncertainty principle

This stunning visual guide explores and explains the greatest inventions, ideas, and discoveries throughout the ages, and introduces their inventors. Discover the first inventions, from fire, stone tools, and the wheel to ploughs and paper, that shaped societies and grew mighty civilizations and empires such as those in ancient Greece, ancient Rome, and ancient China. In the centuries that followed, "Eureka" moments abounded, with James Watt's steam engine during the Industrial Revolution, Henry Ford's car assembly line at the start of the 20th century, the Wright brothers' flying machines, Thomas Edison's light bulb, John Logie Baird's television, and so much more. Read about more recent, era-defining moments during the Digital Revolution, such as the first website developed by Tim Berners-Lee, and the growth in the use of robotics in industry and at home. Inventions A Children's Encyclopediareveals the stories behind crucial and quirky contraptions, products of the world's most brilliant minds.

The history of inventions was born more than 10 centuries ago. 10,000 years of inventions and creations of the human being, of the so-called Homus Sapiens. This book traces the history of the most important inventions and discoveries that have happened throughout the centuries, this work defines in an extended and very complete way the definition of all those creations that some geniuses created in their day. From the most remote antiquity, those stone tools created in the era of the Cromagnon man, to the most advanced cybernetic and digital technologies of our time. As an author, I realized when writing this book, that although we think we know almost everything, we do not really know almost anything...