The Modern Age: How Machines Changed the World (Four-Volume Set)

What does ancient mean? What does modern mean? How did the world we live in come to be? How is our lives different from those of our ancestors? Follow this work as it explores thousands of years of human civilization through technological revolutions, tracing history along the path of machines and gears.

A History of Modernity: Machines That Changed the World is an accessible introduction to the history of invention and humanity's journey into the modern age. It is divided into four volumes: The Age of Enlightenment, The Industrial Age, The Age of Nations, and The Global Age. Following the invention and evolution of machines as its central thread, the book begins with the time machine, the clock, and proceeds through the word machine, the printing press; the efficiency machine, the loom; the power machine, the steam engine; and finally the intelligent machine, the computer. It deftly places historical events such as the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, and the Self-Strengthening Movement within a framework shaped by machines and technology. Through the evolution of machines, it offers a fresh and engaging account of modern history, presenting a clear and comprehensive picture of the development of modern society.