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The Fruits of War: how military conflict accelerates technology
by Michael White
Simon & Schuster | August 2005 | ISBN 0743220242
Recommended by Usha Selvaraju : Bill Bryson points out in his A Short History of Nearly Everything that sometimes the world just isnt ready for a good idea. Yet, Michael Whites examples of numerous technological advancements that were inspired by conflict and war reflect the urgency with which innovation and creativity can be mustered to give rise to some very useful inventions. It seems that when it comes to war, we are more than ready to make it more efficient and also reap the benefits of its fruits.
Despite not making his hypothesis absolutely clear in the beginning, White makes a subtle point by discussing the scientific advances made in health care in his first chapter. Curiously, the reader finds that they are reading about possibly some of the most significant advances in medical treatment of injuries being made on the battlefield. It gives the reader a new look at the necessity for destroying human life also giving rise to more (and thankfully less painful or fatal) ways of saving it.
White traces advances in weaponry from the cross-bow to the hydrogen bomb. He also charts the use of the written word, encryption and of course, the invention of the internet all used for military purposes in one way or another. It is only towards the end that White makes his own opinion clear military need is the most influential and most varied influence on technological advance; without it, the modern world would be a very different place but that it is not the only way in which innovation occurs. Lets hope not
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What the publisher says: Michael White demonstrates in this superbly wide-ranging and brilliant history of innovation, that almost all major technological developments can be traced back to times of war. From the arrow to nuclear power; from cuneiform to the credit card; from the chariot to the bullet train and from the tribal drum to the Internet, our creativity owes much to the destructiveness of our nature. Accessible, thought-provoking and chock-full of fascinating facts, The Fruits of War is a superb history of science and innovation that shows how the best of humanity often flows from its worst.
About the author: Michael White is the bestselling author of many acclaimed books on the history of science, including Isaac Newton: the last sorcerer, Leonardo: the first scientist and Rivals: conflict as the fuel of science, which was shortlisted for the 2002 Aventis Prize. A former science editor for GQ, he now writes full-time. He is married with four children and now lives in Perth, Australia.
