How Long to Read A Culture of Improvement

How Long Does it Take to Read A Culture of Improvement?

It takes the average reader 10 hours and 3 minutes to read A Culture of Improvement by Robert Friedel

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

How technological change in the West has been driven by the pursuit of improvement: a history of technology, from plows and printing presses to penicillin, the atomic bomb, and the computer. Why does technology change over time, how does it change, and what difference does it make? In this sweeping, ambitious look at a thousand years of Western experience, Robert Friedel argues that technological change comes largely through the pursuit of improvement—the deep-rooted belief that things could be done in a better way. What Friedel calls the "culture of improvement" is manifested every day in the ways people carry out their tasks in life—from tilling fields and raising children to waging war. Improvements can be ephemeral or lasting, and one person's improvement may not always be viewed as such by others. Friedel stresses the social processes by which we define what improvements are and decide which improvements will last and which will not. These processes, he emphasizes, have created both winners and losers in history. Friedel presents a series of narratives of Western technology that begin in the eleventh century and stretch into the twenty-first. Familiar figures from the history of invention are joined by others—the Italian preacher who described the first eyeglasses, the dairywomen displaced from their control over cheesemaking, and the little-known engineer who first suggested a grand tower to Gustav Eiffel. Friedel traces technology from the plow and the printing press to the internal combustion engine, the transistor, and the space shuttle. Friedel also reminds us that faith in improvement can sometimes have horrific consequences, as improved weaponry makes warfare ever more deadly and the drive for improving human beings can lead to eugenics and even genocide. The most comprehensive attempt to tell the story of Western technology in many years, engagingly written and lavishly illustrated, A Culture of Improvement documents the ways in which the drive for improvement has shaped our modern world.

How long is A Culture of Improvement?

A Culture of Improvement by Robert Friedel is 601 pages long, and a total of 150,851 words.

This makes it 203% the length of the average book. It also has 184% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read A Culture of Improvement Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 13 hours and 44 minutes to read A Culture of Improvement aloud.

What Reading Level is A Culture of Improvement?

A Culture of Improvement is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy A Culture of Improvement?

A Culture of Improvement by Robert Friedel is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

To buy A Culture of Improvement by Robert Friedel on Amazon click the button below.