Book Recommendation: Shock of the Old by David Edgarton (Patreon)

This is a book that very much sees history sideways. It is a new way of looking at the history of technology. Often, historians of technology focus on innovation and new inventions. Edgerton takes issue with that, saying that it creates an inaccurate view of the past that privileges the wealthy white men who did the inventing. Instead, Edgerton looks at USE as the primary way of seeing technology. What technology is anyone using at a given time? How are they using it? This then makes for an interesting history that sees times when inventions made thousands of years ago, and those invented very recently live side by side in a sort of ecosystem. Very much worth the read.

If you want to get it, use this link and I even make a commission.

The Shock of the Old: Technology and Global History since 1900