Published by Allen Lane, 2009, hardcover, index, 246 pages, condition: new.
The Nature of Technology will change the way you think about this fundamental subject forever. W. Brian Arthur`s many years of thinking and writing about technology have culminated in a unique understanding of his subject. Here he examines the nature of technology what is it and how does it evolve? Giving rare insights into the evolution of specific technologies and a new framework for thinking about others, every sentence points to some further truth and fascination. At a time when we are ever more reliant on technological solutions for the world`s problems, it is extraordinary how little we actually understand the processes that lead to innovation and invention. Until now. This will be a landmark book that will define its subject, and inspire people to think about technology in depth for the very first time.
This book is nothing short of a classic, even though most readers are going to find this a little too dense and dry. It lays out a comprehensive analysis of the structure, development and economic effects of technology, a field that is almost entirely overlooked. This makes its mandatory reading for scientists, engineers and economists who want a broader, systematic view of the field. Highlights include an explanation of combinatorial evolution (instead of evolution by selection, which is what we see in nature), the recursive structure of technologies (any technology is compose of smaller technologies), self-generated transformation (each technology presents solutions to problems and new problems, which will require more technological growth to solve), the growth of technological compartmentalization and complexity (individual solutions to problems in the technology require technological solutions), and the technological skeleton of the economy.
Arthur's writing style is straightforward and to-the-point, and he does an admirable job making the book accessible without sacrificing substance. Short anecdotes (on things like the development of the maser and the jet engine) help illustrate abstract subjects. Fortunately, they are always brief and do not distract from the book's underlying thesis. For people who get frustrated by the journalistic style of reporting history through personal stories (myself included), this makes the book a breath of fresh air.
