Many people think technology means computers, but technology is really the use of science in industry to invent useful things. Such technological innovations as the seed drill for farmers, or the steam engine to pump water out of coalmines, led to more and more inventions, paving the way for the industrial revolution in Europe. In this book, part of "Scholastic's Cornerstones of Freedom" series, author Michael Burgan details the many inventions, beginning in the eighteenth century, that were the forerunners of the machines that we take for granted today. In addition to farming and mining inventions, the textile industry and the steel industry benefited from industrial innovation. Burgan describes the movement from farms to factories, as machines made farming more efficient. As fewer farms were needed to produce food, people moved to cities to work in factories. The growth of industry made living in cities desirable and affordable, as job opportunities grew. But negative aspects of the industrial revolution are also discussed. Fear of job loss, low wages, harmful working conditions, and child labor were issues that had to be dealt with. Burgan details the spread of technology from Great Britain to other parts of Europe, and gives readers the history of the steel manufacturing process and the way the invention of the simple steam engine led to one of the most useful inventions of all, the locomotive. Divided into short chapters, the book is designed to engage young readers with appropriate text size, colorful illustrations, and boxes of text with related information on each page. In addition to a timeline, a map shows the spread of technology across Europe, and a list of important inventors is also included along with an index, bibliography, and list of websites. An important subject in itself, this book also offers young history students a foundation for the study of the Industrial Revolution in America. Reviewer: Magi Evans
