The revered New York Times bestselling author traces the development of technology from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age to explore the single component crucial to advancement—precision—in a superb history that is both an homage and a warning for our future.
The rise of manufacturing could not have happened without an attention to precision. At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in … Revolution in eighteenth-century England, standards of measurement were established, giving way to the development of machine tools—machines that make machines. Eventually, the application of precision tools and methods resulted in the creation and mass production of items from guns and glass to mirrors, lenses, and cameras—and eventually gave way to further breakthroughs, including gene splicing, microchips, and the Hadron Collider.
Simon Winchester takes us back to origins of the Industrial Age, to England where he introduces the scientific minds that helped usher in modern production: John Wilkinson, Henry Maudslay, Joseph Bramah, Jesse Ramsden, and Joseph Whitworth. It was Thomas Jefferson who later exported their discoveries to the fledgling United States, setting the nation on its course to become a manufacturing titan. Winchester moves forward through time, to today’s cutting-edge developments occurring around the world, from America to Western Europe to Asia.
As he introduces the minds and methods that have changed the modern world, Winchester explores fundamental questions. Why is precision important? What are the different tools we use to measure it? Who has invented and perfected it? Has the pursuit of the ultra-precise in so many facets of human life blinded us to other things of equal value, such as an appreciation for the age-old traditions of craftsmanship, art, and high culture? Are we missing something that reflects the world as it is, rather than the world as we think we would wish it to be? And can the precise and the natural co-exist in society?
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Excellent
Nonfiction, so most of the above don’t apply. Nonetheless, it is an amazing and enlightening book. Winchester’s crafts his thorough research into a wonderful and enjoyable read. I’ve been recommending it to everyone.
Fascinating examination of several areas of science and technology .
This is what allows us the luxury of things that work.
Easy read. It’s informative, but maybe a bit too long for the number of topics covered. I’d put it on my tier two reading priority list.
This is a history of technology from the 18th through the 21st century that focuses on the steady improvements in the precision of engineered devices. The earlier sections of the book are relatively non-technical and historical, while the later sections of the book describe recent technological advances in more of a “gee-whiz” way. Like Winchester’s other books this is more journalism than history or science or engineering, so it should appeal to a broad audience.
I’m a bit of a perfectionist myself, so I enjoyed the attention to detail. Makes you really think about the precise nature of design and it’s role in everyday life.
This is a hard one to review. The parts that were interesting were REALLY interesting and had me fully tuned in, but in between those interesting points are many sections that are dry or simply the author going off on a seemingly rambling tangent. I’d say if the history of technological innovation is of interest to you, you’ll love this. If you’re only mildly interested in the history of our “stuff” you might want to give this a pass and read Steven Johnson’s How We Got to Know.
The Perfectionists is just….perfect. It is another wonderful read from Simon Winchester and I continue to be amazed by the depth, focus, and appeal that he puts into any subject he writes about. If you have ever read any of Winchester’s other books you are familiar with the way that he can weave a compelling narrative around pretty much any topic. In this case it is around precision engineering – the work taken that allowed for mass production and was critical to creating the world we live in today. It is the story not only about the science of metrology and precision engineering, but also the people involved with bring about these changes and who made precision happen.
There are a few things that I really liked about this book. Winchester’s organization of the chapters, starting with the least precise and continuing up to the most precise, and describing the inventions and innovations that were developed to bring about that level of precision, was well-thought out and emphasized, for me, how the nature of precision engineering has changed and developed. I was also impressed with the examples that Winchester selected to tell his story, from the mass production of blocks (for block and tackle), automobiles, muskets and rifles, and watches, to the creation of space telescopes and a whole lot in between. Everything discussed sparked my interest and I learned a lot of new information about the world we now take for granted.
I “read” the audiobook version which was narrated by Winchester himself, and there is a special feeling you get when you can hear the author tell their own story. I enjoyed his narration and it felt more like a series of chats held over drinks rather than a book being read.
I highly recommend The Perfectionists (along with all of Winchester’s other books). It is a great study on history, science, and the people who made the technological advances to our world, and who continue to stretch the boundaries of what engineering can accomplish.