(Random House, $28)
At its core, this book is a “wonderfully eclectic account” of the steam engine and its role in the Industrial Revolution, said Jeff Vandermeer in the Los Angeles Times. Yet it’s also an enthusiastic tribute to the engineers and scientists who harnessed steam, as well as a study of the “intricacies of invention and applied science.” The author dismisses the conventional explanations of why the Industrial Revolution first took hold in Britain, said The Economist. Instead, Rosen gives credit to the country’s early adoption of a patent system, which “transformed invention from a hobby pursued by the idle rich into an opportunity for spectacular commercial gain.” Of course, in recent years prospectors have stretched the definition of intellectual capital to include everything from human genes to generic business methods. “It would have been interesting to know what Rosen thinks of the way intellectual-capital laws are being challenged at the moment.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Brutalist: 'haunting' historical epic is Oscar frontrunnerThe Week Recommends Adrien Brody is 'savagely good' as Hungarian-Jewish architect chasing the American dream
-
Bonnie Blue, Andrew Tate and a new cult of sex extremismTalking Point OnlyFans adult worker and male misogynist have 'plenty in common' claims commentator
-
The UK's best exhibitions and shows to visit in 2025The Week Recommends These are the most exciting events in the cultural calendar
