Here's a wide-ranging survey of mechanical and technological history that offers more than dates and facts. The evolution of invention takes center stage here. How and why society came to need or want new gadgets and machines is explored in a fast-paced and often humorous text. Each book is a superbly illustrated survey of one aspect of modern life and how it has grown in response to the social changes of the times. Patents, models, photos, advertisements, cartoons, and sketches from contemporary sources help explain the journey from the quill pen to the computer, from the Magic Lantern to television, and much more.