Com-tech book report
Part 1 Summary:
The Book "The Big Switch" by: Nicholas Carr The start of this book is an overview of chapters to come. It starts off talking about the rise of technology and how technology has made breakthroughs in electricity and computing. The first chapter describes the effects "The Burden Wheel" has had upon electricity, and it then goes on to describe the ways in which electricity has grown. The first chapter also talks about the growth of computing and the ways in which it has affected our society. The book states that electrification along with computerization, led to the complex, far-reaching, and often bewildering changes for individual companies and entire industries. Computing and electricity have had affects upon our economy, and the ways in which we work and live are being rewritten. The second half of the reading talks about Thomas Edison and his invention of Electricity. The book describes the steps that Thomas Edison took to reach his goals. It then goes on to talk about Thomas Edison’s secretary Samuel Insull, and the affects he had upon the growth of technology. Insull was the first to realize that, with the new technologies, electricity supply could be consolidated in immense central stations that would be able to meet the demands of even the largest industrial customers. The Last section of the book explains the growth and the affects computing have had upon our society. Before computing there were punch card tabulators used for the US Census. These tabulators grew into alphabetic tabulators, card sorters, card duplicators, and printers. This led to the invention of the computer. The book then goes on to describe the development of the computer and key individuals who contributed to its growth such as Bill Gates the creator of Microsoft.
Critique of the author’s argument:
Technological Determinism is a term used to describe the ways in which technology shapes the future, spurs the growth of the economy, culture, and drives history. In the book “The Big Switch”, Carr talks about the ideas Lewis Mumford had upon technological determinism. Lewis Mumford’s book, “The Pentagon of Power”, made an eloquent case against the idea that technological progress determines the course of history. Carr states that Mumford failed to see that the path of technological progress and its human consequences are determined not simply by advances in science and engineering but also, and decisively, by the influence of technology on the cost of producing and consuming goods and services. Technology shapes economics, and economics shapes society. This is a subject of cause and effect, the growth of technology spurs the economy, and in return it drives the course of history. I agree with Carr’s idea, when the economy is in good standing it gives our society the advantage of making new technologies. With the growth of new technologies it enables us as a society to move forward into a more complex world.
Henry Burdens invention of the waterwheel was a successful invention, until after turning nonstop for fifty years; it was no longer needed along with other private waterwheels, steam engines, and electric generators. Manufactures could now run their own machines with electric current generated in distant power plants by big utilities. Henry Burdens invention led to even greater inventions which in return led to a series of engineering breakthroughs. This shows that the advancement in technologies leads to even bigger advancements moving our society forward.
In the chapter on Thomas Edison, it describes the development of electricity made possible by Thomas Edison and his secretary Samuel Insull. Throughout the chapter I found myself impressed by the dedication Samuel had to Thomas and his growing invention of electricity. Samuel’s ideas that he had pertaining to the advancement of electricity, proved to help many and spur the growth of the economy. Samuel was the first to realize that, with new technologies electricity supply could be consolidated in immense central stations that would be able to meet the demands of even the largest industrial customers. Before Samuel’s ideas, many manufactures produced their own power by using their own utilities. This process costs a great amount of money. Samuel’s ideas would lower the cost and not only provide power for big manufactures, but also for businesses and homeowners. This would allow them to run all kinds of machines and appliances. Samuel was looking at the “big picture” which in return would benefit many. Manufacturers could deliver power to their factories for a lower price than they could achieve by running their own private dynamos, and businesses and house owners would have the opportunity to also have electricity. This was a great idea in my opinion; in Samuels’s memoirs he stated, “and I knew that unless I built the most economical power station possible, that opportunity would be lost.”
Own Understanding:
I enjoyed reading about the advancement of technology overtime. It was exciting to read material that reiterated the things I have also learned in class. The connection helped me to understand the book and the things learned in class even better. I am excited to learn more about the growth of technology and how it has affected our society in the rest of the book.
