A very interesting excursion through the history of invention, like a leisurely ramble through the countryside led by a true aficianado, with side trips that may seem to be taking you out of your way but will certainly enrich your journey.

The author uses the device of the Rocket, the first steam locomotive on display in the British Museum, as the unifying thread for the journey, and explores the development of every significant technological invention that led to it. This doesn't mean just the mechanical parts that go into a steam engine, but the technological infrastructure required to forge iron into pure reliable steel in the first place. The scientific and technological history is embedded in its social, economic, and legal contexts, which developed right along with it, and we hear the human stories of the inventors as well.

The author's motivating question was, What made the Industrial Revolution so special? What was it about that time and place that led to such an explosion of invention, and such widespread adoption of technology? He considers this question repeatedly along the way, and argues persuasively that it was what he considers "the most powerful idea in the world", rather than any particular technological development, that made the difference.

That most powerful idea is the idea of intellectual property, and the legal mechanism of the patent that allowed the inventor to transform the intellectual capital of the idea into economic capital.

The epilogue of the book is notable for its substance: not a mere afterthought or closing reflections, but an overview and assessment of the book's main argument, and an application of its findings to the contemporary question of human-induced global warming.

I listened to the audio book, which is narrated in the almost bombastic tones of a 1950s science reporter. This was a little wearing to listen to at times, but it rendered the author's occasional witty asides even more amusing.

I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of science or technology, scientific progress, the Industrial Revolution, or the legal and social constructs that were developed along with it. ( )

Quite a slog in reviewing the steam technology that gave rise to the industrial revolution. Binary thinking pervades this book. Its all one thing or another, never a blend of influences. I suspect its all in the service of showing how important intellectual property rights are in the modern world. But I would have liked to have a more balanced view of the influence of war, mathematics and communication on the subject. ( )

Scientific thinking began to advance in the 16th century throughout Europe, but why did so many of the technological and economic advances derived from this new scientific outlook come disproportionally from England? That's the basic question this book attempts to answer.
The argument that it was largely due to legally enforceable patents is interesting. They gave innovators the expectation that they could benefit from their ideas, which encouraged them to spend the time, effort, and money needed to develop them. Patents were not sufficient by themselves, of course, but in England an inventor had cause to believe that a great idea could pay off in the end rather than being squelched by established interests or stolen by others.
There is a lot of well presented history of science and technology in this book. I recommend it.
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The author provides a historical perspective of the development of technology relevant to the invention of the steam engine. The book is well researched and has a bit of humor. The level of scientific detail is generally appropriate. Information on personalities involved is somewhat interesting and is not annoyingly detailed. Overall, I liked the book. ( )

Rosen's book was mostly excellent, although I found the sections on philosophy and economics a bit trying. Still, overall definitely a five star book. ( )