Reviews for Enhancing Natural Gas Vehicle Technology: 1992 Natural Gas Vehicle Challenge (S P (Society o...

The average rating for Enhancing Natural Gas Vehicle Technology: 1992 Natural Gas Vehicle Challenge (S P (Society o... based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-02-02 00:00:00 John E Barber This book is nothing short of a classic, even though most readers are going to find this a little too dense and dry. It lays out a comprehensive analysis of the structure, development and economic effects of technology, a field that is almost entirely overlooked. This makes its mandatory reading for scientists, engineers and economists who want a broader, systematic view of the field. Highlights include an explanation of combinatorial evolution (instead of evolution by selection, which is what we see in nature), the recursive structure of technologies (any technology is compose of smaller technologies), self-generated transformation (each technology presents solutions to problems and new problems, which will require more technological growth to solve), the growth of technological compartmentalization and complexity (individual solutions to problems in the technology require technological solutions), and the technological skeleton of the economy. Arthur's writing style is straightforward and to-the-point, and he does an admirable job making the book accessible without sacrificing substance. Short anecdotes (on things like the development of the maser and the jet engine) help illustrate abstract subjects. Fortunately, they are always brief and do not distract from the book's underlying thesis. For people who get frustrated by the journalistic style of reporting history through personal stories (myself included), this makes the book a breath of fresh air.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-12-02 00:00:00 Keith Peel Questions that this book addresses: - Why technologies get complicated as it progresses? - Will the development of technology slows down in the future? - Why innovations of a field tends to be highly concentrated geographically? - How do inventions come about? - Why does technological developments explode in recent years? How do I like it? - Concisely written. Often times, general statements are made, forcing readers to think of an example to fit in. This could be fun, and occasionally confusing. - Ideas are explicitly expressed in a straightforward manner, which I like. - Sometimes the given examples are too brief. In particular, including interviews with scientist who invented things could be useful. - This book points to the phenomena I have been thinking but haven't put into an organized thought.