National Geographic Concise History of Science and Invention: An Illustrated Time Line Review

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National Geographic Concise History of Science and Invention: An Illustrated Time Line ReviewLet me get this out of the way first, this IS NOT a book that you will just "pick up" and read...it's meant to be a coffee table book...if you're hoping to start at page 1, read through and know everything about science and invention, look for another title!!!
I haven't, obviously, read the book from cover to cover, but have poked and prodded around aimlessly and have enjoyed it thoroughly...some of the stuff is superfluous and has no bearing on our lives (does it matter when Voltaire wrote Candide? Not really, the important part is that he did), but if you're a fun fact and *useless* information kinda fan, this is for you
as i was reading, i couldn't help but think that this book would come in handy for anybody studyinng to be on jeopardy or some trivia show...i suggest doing like i am, and making a point to pick it up for 5min a day and read a passage to learn something new each day
great buy so far, would definitely recommend to any avid science or technology readersNational Geographic Concise History of Science and Invention: An Illustrated Time Line OverviewFrom the ancient conquest of fire and the first turn of a wheel to the latest in scientific leaps toward the stars, this easy-access history offers a panoramic perspective on humankind's restless quest for the laws, theories, and tools by which we can grasp and master our universe.This concise, concentrated, consistently organized look at our species' key scientific and innovative achievements spans all human history, presenting ten distinct eras from the first glimmers of intelligence to the cutting-edge technologies of the modern world. Within these intuitive divisions, all human scientific endeavors and achievement are divided into four general fields of inquiry and arrayed into four basic geocultural regions for easy comparison in a logical, systematic grid format highlighted by 350 photographs, maps, illustrations, and diagrams that add graphic emphasis to key information. Special two-page feature spreads explore the most revolutionary developments in greater depth; compelling, expertly composed essays and memorable quotations add sparkle; and informative sidebars provide specifically focused items of information about particular inventions, ideas, or themes. Completing this comprehensive approach, an extensive glossary explains unfamiliar terms, and a detailed index makes it a simple matter to follow a particular field or process from its origin through its complete cross-cultural evolution. This is a reference as usefully accessible as it is inherently fascinating.

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The Codebreakers: The Comprehensive History of Secret Communication from Ancient Times to the Internet Review

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The Codebreakers: The Comprehensive History of Secret Communication from Ancient Times to the Internet ReviewThis book is not intended to teach the reader how to design or cryptanalyze codes and ciphers; it is a history book, and a really great one. However, the reader should be aware of a couple of things that may not be apparent.
First, the 1996 "revised edition" differs from the 1967 first edition only in the addition of a final chapter to cover what Kahn didn't know (or didn't choose to include) in the 1967 edition. The first 26 of 27 chapters, and the references and bibliography associated with them, are essentially identical to those of the 1967 edition. This means that a number of statements and passages in the first 26 chapters, although correct in 1967, are misleading if one assumes they were written in 1996. I recommend that the reader skim Chapter 27 quickly before reading the rest of the book, so as not to misunderstand any of what's in earlier chapters.
Second, keep in mind that in 1967 Kahn was essentially an outsider so far as the intelligence community was concerned, but by 1996 he was definitely regarded as an insider. Hence, the new final chapter is written with complete respect for the sensitivities of the intelligence community, which the original book was not. I was surprised to see one particular statement in the last chapter until I realized that NSA wants to correct a misapprehension widely held outside the community. Much more important, Kahn now knows a great deal that he has chosen to omit from the last chapter, including much that's unclassified but still regarded by somebody as sensitive for one reason or another. He even omits certain material that he made publicly available some years ago in his written testimony to a Congressional subcommittee. So the reader should understand that this book says less than it might about various aspects of the history of cryptology and its impact dating back as far as World War II. Whether this is good or bad depends on where one sits; if one is concerned about the sensitivities of various governments, it's good; if one wants to know as much as one can about the history of cryptology since 1940 that's not still clasified, it's bad.The Codebreakers: The Comprehensive History of Secret Communication from Ancient Times to the Internet Overview

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