Understanding the Inventions That Changed the World

By: W. Bernard Carlson, The Great Courses

Narrated by: W. Bernard Carlson

We’re surrounded by inventions. Clocks, appliances, cars, televisions, cell phones...the list goes on and on. Where did all these inventions come from? How do they work? And how do they reflect - even define - the values of our culture?

Now, you can learn the remarkable stories surrounding monumental inventions - and how consequential these inventions were to history. Taught by Professor W. Bernard Carlson of the University of Virginia, who is an expert on the role of innovation in history, these 36 enlightening lectures give you a broad survey of material history, from the ancient pottery wheel to the Internet and social media. Along with recounting the famous inventions you might expect, such as the steam engine, the airplane, and the atomic bomb, this course explores a number of surprising innovations, including beer, pagodas, and the operating room.

From ancient China to 21st-century America, from the English coal mines to the high-tech companies of Silicon Valley, this course takes you around the world and across the ages to introduce you to some of the most innovative moments in human civilization. This unique approach to history will boost your technology literacy and give you a completely new appreciation for the everyday objects around you.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2013 The Great Courses (P)2013 The Teaching Company, LLC

Value of a good reader

The reader regularly stumbled over words and phrases; there were long pauses that were not for thoughts or ideas; he spoke of diagrams and examples that were not visible in an audio format;

Excellent

Narrator / author makes it both exciting and educational. If you want to be competent in science or history, you need to get this.

Great Subject, Poor Performance

The subject matter is fascinating but the presenter makes so many mistakes that it makes the presentation difficult to listen. If there could be just redo the audio so it has a better flow, I would give it 5 stars.

Informative

great book to learn and understand the tech that has changed the world to the way we know it today

If you don't know where you've been . . .

Though "Connections" by British author, James Burke, remains my all time favorite inventions guru, Dr. Carlson does a great job describing a wide range of important innovations which have come about through the contributions of inventors and the historical and social forces which lead to their introduction, use and offspring. I would be curious to learn which inventions didn't make the 'cut'; I might guess these surgeries were painful to have been made. Please, take this course!