Description: Spanning more than 2000 years, Terry Reynolds's account follows the progression of this labor-saving device from Asia to the Middle East, Europe, and America-covering the evolution of the water wheel itself, the development of dams and reservoirs, and the applications of water power.
Brief description: Terry S. Reynolds is a professor of history at Michigan Technological University. He is a past president of the Society for the History of Technology, twice winner of the Society for Industrial Archaeology's Norton Prize, and author or editor of seven books dealing with the history of technology.
Review Quotes: This lucid, technically precise, and comprehensive study of this key element in the evolution of Western society is a major scholarly contribution. It is also an extremely interesting and readable book that should appeal to anyone with an interest in energy, machinery, or innovation.
--Science