Penguin Adult, 2009. — 256 p. — ISBN 9780141957685, 0141957689.
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 itself: 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.
Preface
Questions
Combination and Structure
Phenomena
Domains, or Worlds Entered for What Can Be Accomplished There
Engineering and its Solutions
The Origin of Technologies
Structural Deepening
Revolutions and Redomainings
The Mechanisms of Evolution
The Economy Evolving as Its Technologies Evolve
Where Do We Stand with This Creation of Ours?
Notes
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Index