
Lifted
A Cultural History of the Elevator
کتاب های مرتبط
- اطلاعات
- نقد و بررسی
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نقد و بررسی

March 15, 2014
For most of us, the innocuous topic of the elevator is hardly the stuff of cutting-edge historical theory. But in this translation by Dollenmayer (German language & literature, Worcester Polytechnic Inst.), Bernard's groundbreaking 2011 German treatise on the revolutionary transformation of a mundane engineering marvel compels readers to reimagine what they think they know about the modern urban landscape. From Elisha Graves Otis's 1854 demonstration at the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations in New York City to the modern day, Bernard (editor, Suddeutsche Zeitung) scans the literature, philosophy, and history related to the technological innovation and presents a lucid, engaging analysis of just how Otis's elevator has gone from its original "luster of strangeness" to the "dull and inconspicuous." In the process, Bernard reminds us of Georges Canguilhem's dictum that the "history of science is not a retrospective history of progress nor the depiction of outmoded stages leading to today's truth." VERDICT Bernard's fascinating work on technological innovation, while at times a bit esoteric, will find a ready audience among readers with a passion for innovative philosophical and cultural histories. Fans of Wolfgang Schivelbusch's The Railway Journey may especially find it appealing.--Brian Odom, Birmingham, AL
Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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