World-renowned economist Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, explains that we have an opportunity to shape the fourth industrial revolu­tion, which will fundamentally alter how we live and work. Schwab argues that this revolution is different in scale, scope and complexity from any that have come before. Characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, the developments are affecting all disciplines, economies, industries and governments, and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human. Artificial intelligence is already all around us, from supercomputers, drones and virtual assistants to 3D printing, DNA sequencing, smart thermostats, wear­able sensors and microchips smaller than a grain of sand. But this is just the beginning: nanomaterials 200 times stronger than steel and a million times thinner than a strand of hair and the first transplant of a 3D printed liver are already in development. Imagine “smart factories” in which global systems of manu­facturing are coordinated virtually, or implantable mobile phones made of biosynthetic materials. The fourth industrial revolution, says Schwab, is more significant, and its ramifications more profound, than in any prior period of human history. He outlines the key technologies driving this revolution and discusses the major impacts expected on government, business, civil society and individu­als. Schwab also offers bold ideas on how to harness these changes and shape a better future—one in which technology empowers people rather than replaces them; progress serves society rather than disrupts it; and in which innovators respect moral and ethical boundaries rather than cross them. We all have the opportunity to contribute to developing new frame­works that advance progress.

A New York Times–bestselling account of the next great economic era, with a look into the individuals pioneering its implementation around the world. One of the most influential social thinkers of our time reveals how Internet technology and renewable energy are merging to create the new jobs of the twenty-first century and change the world. In The Third Industrial Revolution, Jeremy Rifkin takes us on a journey into a new economic era where hundred of millions of people produce their own green energy in their homes, businesses, and factories and share it with each other on an “energy Internet.” Rifkin’s Third Industrial Revolution vision has been taken up by the European Union and China and endorsed by the United Nations. In this book, the author goes behind the scenes to meet the heads of state, global CEOs, social entrepreneurs, and NGO leaders who are pioneering the new economic paradigm. Praise for The Third Industrial Revolution “Jeremy Rifkin argues that green energy and the internet will revolutionize society and the environment . . . With the European Union already on board, this is a big idea with backbone.” —Nature “Impeccably argued . . . a compelling and cogent argument to overhaul our society and economy in favor of a distributed and collaborative model.” —Publishers Weekly

This book provides a comprehensive over view of eighteenth-century British medical reform, but as an economic historian, Buer considered the effect of diseases and medical intervention on population growth, not on medical ideas. Other optimistic views of the century either focused, like Buer, on the 'standard of living debate' or a related debate about the role (if any) of hospitals and public health measures in reducing mortality during the industrial revolution, giving only pasing attention to disease theory.

The Day The World Took Off goes back 100 years, then 250, 500, 1,000 and finally 10,000 years, to examine the roots of technological development. To understand how technology evolves, and why it transforms some parts of the world and not others, requires a long-term view of world history that extends well beyond the last two centuries. This book takes the reader on a dizzying global journey through history in an attempt to identify the critical conditions that caused some civilizations to flourish and others to atrophy. Using diaries and first-hand accounts, as well as drawing on the latest academic research, it comes up with some surprising answers.

This eleventh edition was developed during the encyclopaedia's transition from a British to an American publication. Some of its articles were written by the best-known scholars of the time and it is considered to be a landmark encyclopaedia for scholarship and literary style.

First published in 1940, this book describes how the power industry originated and describes the various types of machinery and equipment used in power stations up to the end of the nineteenth century, by which point the steam turbine and three-phase turbo alternator became more commonly employed. The text is also accompanied by engravings and photographs of Victorian power stations and equipment. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the history of public electricity supply.

A historical account of the supply of electricity and powers stations in Britain.