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mburnamfink's reviews
1323 reviews
Paths of Innovation: Technological Change in 20th-Century America by David C. Mowery, Nathan Rosenberg
2.0
Mowrey and Rosenberg investigate 20th century innovation in America through the lenses of internal combustion engines, chemistry, and electricity/electronics. I feel like these fields are rather ad hoc, compared to the 'carrier branch technologies' of a Kondratiev Wave. They make some interesting observations about the shift from an internal corporate-level R&D to the modern state supported defense R&D system, and the role of anti-trust law, but don't really go into in rigorously.
As for why America won the innovation race in the 20th century, it's because we won WW2. We didn't have our industrial base bomb, we looted German scientists post-war, we had access to overseas resources and could afford to pay for them. The interplay of military dominance, scientific expertise, and a rising middle class is very important, but only really alluded to.
Not that is is a bad book, it's just not as good as the other books on my innovation shelf.
As for why America won the innovation race in the 20th century, it's because we won WW2. We didn't have our industrial base bomb, we looted German scientists post-war, we had access to overseas resources and could afford to pay for them. The interplay of military dominance, scientific expertise, and a rising middle class is very important, but only really alluded to.
Not that is is a bad book, it's just not as good as the other books on my innovation shelf.
The Technology Pork Barrel by Roger G. Noll, Linda R. Cohen
4.0
Why has the federal government been so spectacularly unsuccessful in commercializing technology? Cohen goes deep in the economics and politics of several major projects in energy and aerospace, showing how a combination of overly optimistic predictions on the part of technologists, and the fickleness of Congressional delegations who aim to extract monies for their districts without a longterm commitment to the ultimate success of the project lead to billions of dollars in useless waste and extravagance.
A detailed and hard-hitting book, The Technology Pork Barrel is weakened by its focus on the energy and aerospace sectors, where purely private and purely defense projects are also prone to overruns and failure. I would have liked to see some success stories in electronics or biomedicine. But for anybody advocating big governments investments in technology, this is a vital read for what not to do.
A detailed and hard-hitting book, The Technology Pork Barrel is weakened by its focus on the energy and aerospace sectors, where purely private and purely defense projects are also prone to overruns and failure. I would have liked to see some success stories in electronics or biomedicine. But for anybody advocating big governments investments in technology, this is a vital read for what not to do.
Science in Democracy: Expertise, Institutions, and Representation by Mark B. Brown
5.0
Brown traces the complicated co-evolution of science and democracy, and the continued conflict between expert advice and popular rule from Machiavelli through Hobbes and Rousseau, the Progressive Movement, Bruno Latour, and to the modern structure of over 35,000 federal science advisors. Brown thesis is opposed to those who want scientists to retreat politically to the role of "an honest broker." Instead, he shows that in our complex, institutionalized system of government, science acts as an "anti-politics", where an appeal to science can trump political concerns. In this environment, where scientific knowledge is so privileged, political actors will perforce learn ways to counter science, by introducing fake "controversies" or attacking the personal credibility of scientists.
I believe that we today face major collective challenges, about climate change, peak oil, new diseases, and a host of other issues, and that we cannot simply randomly walk into the future and survive. Expertise will be a vital part of of our future, and if experts are to be credible, they must move out of the marbled halls of power, and appeal directly to the people.
Despite it's heavy topic, Science in Democracy is written in a clear and minimally jargon filled style. This is a book that everybody should read.
I believe that we today face major collective challenges, about climate change, peak oil, new diseases, and a host of other issues, and that we cannot simply randomly walk into the future and survive. Expertise will be a vital part of of our future, and if experts are to be credible, they must move out of the marbled halls of power, and appeal directly to the people.
Despite it's heavy topic, Science in Democracy is written in a clear and minimally jargon filled style. This is a book that everybody should read.
A Good Old-Fashioned Future by Bruce Sterling
5.0
Let me get this out of the way. I am a Sterling fan, I love everything he's done unconditionally, but I think A Good Old Fashioned Future, is his best short story collection, and the best introduction to his work. From the soft and thoughtful "Maneki Neko", to the gonzo cyber-entrepneur-terrorist-punk of "The Littlest Jackel" to the tour de force trio of linked stories at the end, Sterling shows us precisely how strange our very human future is going to be, and how we might survive and thrive in it.
The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements by Eric Hoffer
4.0
Mass movements are one of the most terrifying forces in recent history; cataclysmic social upheavals that shatter states and lead to war, famine, and genocide. In this dense, philosophical tome, Hoffer examines the common features of mass movements, from semetic religions, to Nazis and Communism. All mass movements draw on a particular alliance between the worst elements of society, and the frustrated literati, creating an image of an idealized future that justifies any violence inflicted on the present. The fanatic does not want to be free, but rather desires to be free from freedom.
While this book is decades old, and hence a little dated, it's lessons are still invaluable when applied to contemporary politics. What might seem facile directed at the moments of today has great truth when applied with a little historical perspective.
While this book is decades old, and hence a little dated, it's lessons are still invaluable when applied to contemporary politics. What might seem facile directed at the moments of today has great truth when applied with a little historical perspective.
Diffusion of Innovations, 5th Edition by Everett M. Rogers
5.0
In both a theoretically detailed, and eminently readable book, Rogers explains how innovations spread and adopted across diverse populations. Critical reading for anybody interested in why some technologies succeed, and others fail, and how new systems for communication, energy, etc, can be adopted.
An Introduction to Islam for Jews by Reuven Firestone
3.0
Firestone's book is balanced, empathic and meticulously researched, so why the three stars? While I appreciate the deep historical grounding, and he examination of various hadithic traditions, the book fails to give a sense of what it is like to be a member of this dynamic, complex, conflicted religion. Modern Islam faces grand challenges in reconciling divinely inspired scripture with a pluralistic world, or integrating jihad (literally "the struggle", and not necessarily a military one) into ordinary life, and this book doesn't shed much light on those major problems. Even if such a task is beyond the scope of this book, I don't have a sense of what is essential about Islam. 90% of Judaism can be summed up in the story of Abraham and Isaac and the Exodus. I don't know what narratives are similarly grounding for Muslims.
Firestone is assiduously neutral, and obviously cares deeply about religion, but sometimes failing to express an opinion can be as bad as expressing the wrong one.
Firestone is assiduously neutral, and obviously cares deeply about religion, but sometimes failing to express an opinion can be as bad as expressing the wrong one.
The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli
5.0
It's "The Prince!" The immortal classic of statecraft, Machiavelli might not tell you exactly what to do, but he will tell you precisely what not to do, if you wish to hold power and rule wisely. A fun drinking game is reading the newspaper, seeing where world leaders fail to follow Machiavelli's advice, and taking a shot when it leads to disaster. You may wish to call the hospital first.
Heirs of Empire by David Weber
3.0
Unlike fellow Baen superstar John Ringo, David Weber is fundamentally a nice person, and if he isn't the most adept writer, he's good enough for the beach. The Dahak setting plays to the strengths of Weber's 'war of spreadsheets' style, with truly gonzo weapons (That's no moon, that's a battlestation! And there are thousands of them!) In this book, the action calms down as a plot to destroy the reborn Empire of Man strands the heirs of Empire on a planet ruled by anti-technology fundamentalists. To get back, these smart, decent, (and superhuman) kids will have to launch a holy crusade. Pike and musket battles are interspersed with some fun intrigue, but where this book shines is the simple decency of all the main characters. Reading it, you almost believe that if we just worked together, and got along, we could fix the problems of this planet. Religious fundamentalists are depicted as credulous, ambitious, evil fools, and that's just fine by me.