"An unprecedented and brilliant combination of economic, political, and natural history." --Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature

Annotation Though faced with a shortage of biographical material on engineers, Rae (history, Harvey Mudd College) and Volti (sociology, Pitzer College, Claremont, California) examine the social origins, education, relationships with employers and patrons, and their reputation in their communities and societies. They maintain a chronological order from antiquity to the end of the Industrial Revolution, then focus on various themes. Rae had died before the first edition appeared; no date is noted for that. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).