The Nature of Technology

What It Is and How It Evolves

W. Brian Arthur

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English

Allen Lane
12 October 2010

Industry & industrial studies; Mathematics & Sciences; Science: general issues; Impact of science & technology on society; Technology: general issues

The first and definitive analysis of the fundamental questions about technology- what exactly is the technology we rely on? How is it changing our lives? And is this technology effectively creating itself?

In The Nature of Technology, ground-breaking economist W. Brian Arthur explores the extraordinary way in which the technology that surrounds us and allows us to live our modern lives has actually been developed. Rather than coming from a series of one-off inventions, almost all the technology we use today comes from previous developments- these technologies are not being created, but are instead evolving.

With fascinating examples, from laser printers to powerplants, Arthur reveals how our own problem-solving skills and creative vision can evolve alongside these technologies, and how this understanding can even improve our understanding of the wider world.

By: W. Brian Arthur
Imprint: Allen Lane
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 195mm, Width: 128mm, Spine: 15mm
Weight: 190g
ISBN: 9780141031637
ISBN 10: 0141031638
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 12 October 2010
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

W. Brian Arthur's ideas have won him a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1987 and the Schumpeter Prize in Economics in 1990. He pioneered the modern study of positive feedbacks in the economy - in particular their role in magnifying small, random events. He is also one of the pioneers of the new science of complexity. He is an External Faculty Member at the Santa Fe Institute and from 1983 to 1996 was Dean and Virginia Morrison Professor of Economics and Population Studies at Stanford University. He holds a Ph.D. from Berkeley in Operations Research, and has other degrees in economics, engineering and mathematics.

Reviews for The Nature of Technology: What It Is and How It Evolves

A profoundly social view of innovation The New York Times Deeply analytical and thought-provoking Good Book Guide Entertaining and informative ... a thought-provoking book Literary Review