This four-volume reference set provides a comprehensive exploration of key themes in the history of technology.

Drawing on material from the mid-1970s to the present day that examines diverse cultures and time periods, Suzanne M. Moon and Peter S. Soppelsa enable interested readers to explore key thematic divisions that structure research in the field and read influential works that bring the major concerns, methods, and insights of the history of technology to life. With 50 seminal articles included across the set as a whole, the volumes are broken down into four crucial thematic areas: Building, Creating, Designing, Maintaining; Technology, Power, and Sociopolitical Order; Technology, Nature and Environment; and Circulations and Connections. Four set-wide themes are then used to tie the collection together: technology and the body; technology’s relationship with science, globalization, information, and media; and cultures of technology – with critical editor introductions providing invaluable context for each volume.

The History of Technology: Critical Readings is a vital resource for the study of the history of technology.