Encyclopedia of the Age of the Industrial Revolution, 1700-1920: [2 volumes]

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Description

Although the temptation is to focus on technological changes and their application to industry, the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth century also influenced social life, political and economic institutions, and the physical landscape. The discoveries and changes of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries might seem minor when compared to the technological advances of recent decades, but those advances would not have been possible without the people and developments of the Industrial Revolution. In over 150 entries that cover all aspects of this historical transformation of industry and society, this encyclopedia describes the major people, events, and inventions that defined the Industrial Revolution in Britain, the United States, and elsewhere. Besides entries that describe the specific course of the Industrial Revolution in such places as Asia, Britain, Canada, France, Japan, Russia, Spain, and the U.S.,the encyclopedia offers entries on such important people as: Alexander Graham Bell, Matthew Bouldton, Thomas Malthus, Adam Smith, Flora Tristan, James Watt. Other entries cover such important inventions as: Electric Dynamo, Repeating Rifles, Sewing Machines, Steam Turbine, Submarines, Typewriters. And still other entries cover such vital social issues as: Child Labor and Child Labor Laws, Ecological Impact of the Industrial Revolution, Slavery, Temperance Movement, Urbanization, Wealth and Poverty in the Industrial Revolution.

Reviews

This encyclopedia is a broad introduction to the Industrial Revolution describing the main events, people, developments, and places, and a solid, readable undergraduate reference on the revolution's concepts, events, and social influences. Recommended. Lower-/upper-level undergraduates and general readers. * Choice *
Recommended for large metropolitan libraries and undergraduate collections. * Library Journal *
Students will find that this encyclopedia provides clear and up-to-date summaries of many important topics. They should be gratified if they find it in their libraries. It will certainly also be useful for scholars, and certainly deserves the two inches it occupies on my bookshelves. * H-Net Reviews *
This encyclopedia has more than 150 lengthy entries not only for industrial-age innovations (such as Flour milling and Railroads) and inventors (such as Thomas Edison) but also for social, political, and economic aspects (such as Child labor). Geographic coverage extends across Europe, the U.S., and Asia.One strong feature of the encyclopedia is the inclusion of 28 primary documents.This text is suggested for libraries that want a global perspective on the Industrial Revolution.recommended for academic and large public libraries. * Booklist *
This two-volume set includes 150 entries that provide comprehenisve information on a variety of topics related to the Industrial Revolution. The articles are well written and longer entries include subtitles. Other entry subjects within an article are in for for easy cross-referencing. Each entry includes the author as well as a list for further reading.The encyclopedia also includes a preface and introduction, list of entries, 24 primary documents, a guide to related topics, an extensive chronology, an annotated bibliography, and a detailed subject index. Recommended. * Library Media Connection *
The 150 signed essays in this set cover people, events, and inventions of the Industrial Revolution, and discuss how the movement affected not only business and trade, but also society, politics, and even ecology in many countries. The entries provide important facts, yet are often thoughtful and philosophical.Many other volumes expound on inventions and inventors, but this one stands out for its treatment of Japan, Russia, and other countries, as well as its coverage of the sociological, ecological, and aesthetic implications of this period. * School Library Journal *
The Industrial Revolution had it all, both good and bad, and changed Western society from rural to largely urban in only a few generations. This collection of hundreds of entries gives general readers and high school through early undergraduate students a solid first reference to the people, trends, places, events and ramifications of the fastest and most complete changes in a society seen until the dawn of the information age. Contributors are leading experts in their fields, and they cover topics from the development of the labor movement to the creation of entirely new technologies and industries, child labor, women's employment rights, the workings of the robber barons, and the early global economy. * Reference & Research Book News *
[A] mother lode of information that any student could use to prepare a research paper on the impact of this Revolution on their lives now and what actions they might suggest to help another less fortunate nation move into a more modern society. Making some assumptions of the changes to be accepted in the future and how to manage this also would be a good critical- thinking activity. Because these volumes cover people, events, industry, religions, political events and laws, among other topics, placing them in their critical time period makes them especially helpful in understanding this age. * GALE Reference for Students *
The beauty of this book lies in the way that it affects one's vision. You look about and suddently you become aware of the influences of the Industrial Revolution all around you. * Reference Reviews *
[A] mother load of information that any student could use to prepare a research paper on the impact of this Revolution on their lives now and what actions they might suggest to help another less fortunate nation move into a more modern society.Because these volumes cover people, events, industry, religions, political events and laws, among other topics, placing them in their critical time period makes them especially helpful in understanding this age. * Lawrence Looks at Books *
. . .a great deal of factual information remains, much of which resides in these two volumes, and they will serve as useful, generally reliable reference for students, teachers, and researchers. * Technology and Culture *

Author Bio

Christine Rider is Professor Emerita at St. John's University in New York. She is the author of An Introduction to Economic History (1995) and co-editor of Socialist Economies in Transition: Appraislas of the Market Mechanism (1992) and of The Industrial Revolution in Comparative Perspective (1997). Her research interests include various aspects of international economic development and social economies, and she has published in these areas. She was President of the Association for Social Economics in 1998-99.