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IE

Invention, engineering and energy

Technology

This niche holds histories of invention and industry, electricity and the grid, batteries and renewable power, materials, cars and railways, and engineering failures such as Chernobyl.

79 books on Invention, engineering and energy, 8 of them tier 1, recommended by 24 people including Mohnish Pabrai and Patrick Collison.

79 books · 27 experts

Start here

  1. The Path Between the SeasDavid McCullough, 1977
  2. Networks of PowerThomas P. Hughes, 1983
  3. Normal AccidentsCharles Perrow, 1984
  4. The Making of the Atomic BombRichard Rhodes, 1986
  5. Creating the Twentieth CenturyVaclav Smil, 2004

The best books on Invention, engineering and energy 79

The Path Between the SeasThe Path Between the Seas
T1 The Path Between the Seas
David McCullough · 1977
The Panama Canal: chokepoint economics and what building one costs.
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish PabraiBill Gates
Networks of PowerNetworks of Power
T1 Networks of Power
Thomas P. Hughes · 1983
The classic history of electrification as a system business.
Open Library
Normal AccidentsNormal Accidents
T1 Normal Accidents
Charles Perrow · 1984
Open Library
The Making of the Atomic BombThe Making of the Atomic Bomb
T1 The Making of the Atomic Bomb
Richard Rhodes · 1986
The origin of the industry and its physics, told definitively.
Open Library
“Rhodes's Pulitzer-winning account of the Manhattan Project shows how theoretical physics, industrial engineering, and wartime administration had to be integrated under extreme time pressure. Musk has pointed to it as a model for how a small team with clear goals can accomplish things governments and large institutions cannot.”Elon Musk
Recommended byChris DixonElon MuskPatrick Collison
Creating the Twentieth CenturyCreating the Twentieth Century
T1 Creating the Twentieth Century
Vaclav Smil · 2004
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish PabraiBill Gates
Prime Movers of GlobalizationPrime Movers of Globalization
T1 Prime Movers of Globalization
Vaclav Smil · 2010
Open Library
Recommended byBill GatesMohnish Pabrai
Made in the USA: The Rise and Retreat of AmeMade in the USA: The Rise and Retreat of American Manufacturing
T1 Made in the USA: The Rise and Retreat of American Manufacturing
Vaclav Smil · 2013
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Making the Modern World: Materials and DematMaking the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization
T1 Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization
Vaclav Smil · 2013
Open Library
Recommended byBill GatesMohnish Pabrai
Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall DownStructures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down
T2 Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down
J. E. Gordon · 1981
Why materials and structures hold; engineering reasoning made intuitive
Open Library
Recommended byElon Musk
Cool ToolsCool Tools
T2 Cool Tools
Kevin Kelly · 2013
Open Library
Recommended byJohn Doerr
MakersMakers
T2 Makers
Chris Anderson · 2013
Open Library
Recommended byJack Ma
The Age of EdisonThe Age of Edison
T2 The Age of Edison
Ernest Freeberg · 2013
What electric light did to American life; the market Edison created.
Open Library
Recommended byAlfred LinPatrick Collison
Midnight in ChernobylMidnight in Chernobyl
T2 Midnight in Chernobyl
Adam Higginbotham · 2019
The event that set the industry back a generation.
Open Library
Recommended byCasey Neistat
Arriving TodayArriving Today
T2 Arriving Today
Christopher Mims · 2021
One item followed through the modern JIT supply chain end to end.
Open Library
Power PlayPower Play
T2 Power Play
Tim Higgins · 2021
Model 3 production hell and the near-bankruptcy years.
Open Library
Medieval Technology and Social ChangeMedieval Technology and Social Change
T3 Medieval Technology and Social Change
Lynn White · 1962
How the stirrup and the plough reorganised medieval society and economy
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick CollisonPaul Graham
Electrifying AmericaElectrifying America
T3 Electrifying America
David E. Nye · 1990
How a general-purpose technology diffused through everyday commercial life.
Open Library
American SteelAmerican Steel
T3 American Steel
Richard Preston · 1991
Nucor building a mini-mill at the bottom of the steel cycle.
Open Library
Copies in SecondsCopies in Seconds
T3 Copies in Seconds
David Owen · 2004
Chester Carlson and xerography, the invention that funded PARC.
Open Library
Smart PowerSmart Power
T3 Smart Power
Peter Fox-Penner · 2010
Utility business models after the regulated-growth era.
Open Library
American Railroads: Decline and Renaissance
T3 American Railroads: Decline and Renaissance in the Twentieth Century
Robert E. Gallamore, John R. Meyer · 2014
The economics of Staggers Act deregulation.
Open Library
Water 4.0Water 4.0
T3 Water 4.0
David L. Sedlak · 2014
The engineering and capital replacement cycle of urban water systems.
Open Library
Let There Be WaterLet There Be Water
T3 Let There Be Water
Seth M. Siegel · 2015
Water technology as an export industry built from a domestic constraint.
Open Library
The Elements of PowerThe Elements of Power
T3 The Elements of Power
David S. Abraham · 2015
How minor metals are mined, traded and hoarded.
Open Library
The Powerhouse: Inside the Invention of a Ba
T3 The Powerhouse: Inside the Invention of a Battery to Save the World
Steve LeVine · 2015
The battery-technology race that decides Tesla's cost curve.
Open Library
The GridThe Grid
T3 The Grid
Gretchen Bakke · 2016
Why the regulated grid's economics are breaking.
Open Library
Insane ModeInsane Mode
T3 Insane Mode
Hamish McKenzie · 2018
Tesla within the global shift away from the combustion engine.
Open Library
Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We CMeltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It
T3 Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It
Chris Clearfield, Andras Tilcsik · 2018
Open Library
ElectrifyElectrify
T3 Electrify
Saul Griffith · 2021
The demand side: what full electrification of homes and vehicles requires.
Open Library
Technics and CivilizationTechnics and Civilization
T4 Technics and Civilization
Lewis Mumford · 1934
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick Collison
Engineers' DreamsEngineers' Dreams
T4 Engineers' Dreams
Willy Ley · 1955
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick Collison
A History of Western TechnologyA History of Western Technology
T4 A History of Western Technology
Friedrich Klemm · 1959
Open Library
Recommended byNick Szabo
EdisonEdison
T4 Edison
Matthew Josephson · 1959
Open Library
Recommended byMarc AndreessenRyan Holiday
History of Engineering DrawingHistory of Engineering Drawing
T4 History of Engineering Drawing
Peter Jeffrey Booker · 1963
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick Collison
Guns, Sails, and EmpiresGuns, Sails, and Empires
T4 Guns, Sails, and Empires
Carlo M. Cipolla · 1965
Open Library
Recommended byPaul Graham
Men, Machines, and Modern TimesMen, Machines, and Modern Times
T4 Men, Machines, and Modern Times
Elting E. Morison · 1966
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick CollisonMarc Andreessen
Myth of the MachineMyth of the Machine
T4 Myth of the Machine
Lewis Mumford · 1967
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick Collison
The Way Things WorkThe Way Things Work
T4 The Way Things Work
C. Van Amerongen · 1967
Open Library
Recommended byMike Maples, Jr.
The New Science of Strong MaterialsThe New Science of Strong Materials
T4 The New Science of Strong Materials
J.E. Gordon · 1968
Open Library
Recommended byBill GatesMohnish Pabrai
My InventionsMy Inventions
T4 My Inventions
Nikola Tesla · 1977
Open Library
Recommended byLarry Page
The Printing Press as an Agent of ChangeThe Printing Press as an Agent of Change
T4 The Printing Press as an Agent of Change
Elizabeth L. Eisenstein · 1979
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick Collison
What If?What If?
T4 What If?
Randall Munroe · 1980
Open Library
Recommended byBill GatesMohnish PabraiAstro Teller
The Printing Revolution in Early Modern EuroThe Printing Revolution in Early Modern Europe
T4 The Printing Revolution in Early Modern Europe
Elizabeth L. Eisenstein · 1983
Open Library
Recommended byNick Szabo
And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared: TRIZ, thAnd Suddenly the Inventor Appeared: TRIZ, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving
T4 And Suddenly the Inventor Appeared: TRIZ, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving
G. Altshuller, H. Altov · 1996
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick Collison
The Victorian InternetThe Victorian Internet
T4 The Victorian Internet
Tom Standage · 1998
Open Library
Recommended byAndrew Chen
How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide fHow to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler
T4 How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler
Ryan North · 1999
Open Library
Recommended byBalaji S. Srinivasan
Wind Energy Basics, Second Edition: A Guide Wind Energy Basics, Second Edition: A Guide to Home- and Community-Scale Wind-Energy Systems
T4 Wind Energy Basics, Second Edition: A Guide to Home- and Community-Scale Wind-Energy Systems
Paul Gipe · 1999
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
A Thread Across the OceanA Thread Across the Ocean
T4 A Thread Across the Ocean
John Steele Gordon · 2002
Open Library
Recommended byPaul Graham
American GroundAmerican Ground
T4 American Ground
William Langewiesche · 2002
Open Library
Recommended byDiana Kimball
GlassGlass
T4 Glass
Alan Macfarlane · 2002
Open Library
Recommended byNick Szabo
The Goodyear Story: An Inventor's Obsession The Goodyear Story: An Inventor's Obsession and the Struggle for a Rubber Monopoly
T4 The Goodyear Story: An Inventor's Obsession and the Struggle for a Rubber Monopoly
Richard Korman · 2002
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
The Gutenberg RevolutionThe Gutenberg Revolution
T4 The Gutenberg Revolution
John Man · 2002
Open Library
Recommended byAntonio García Martínez
Got Sun? Go Solar, Expanded 2nd Edition: HarGot Sun? Go Solar, Expanded 2nd Edition: Harness Nature's Free Energy to Heat and Power Your Grid-Tied Home
T4 Got Sun? Go Solar, Expanded 2nd Edition: Harness Nature's Free Energy to Heat and Power Your Grid-Tied Home
Rex A. Ewing · 2005
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
The Renewable Energy Handbook: A Guide to RuThe Renewable Energy Handbook: A Guide to Rural Energy Independence, Off-Grid and Sustainable Living
T4 The Renewable Energy Handbook: A Guide to Rural Energy Independence, Off-Grid and Sustainable Living
William H. Kemp · 2005
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
A Guide to Writing as an EngineerA Guide to Writing as an Engineer
T4 A Guide to Writing as an Engineer
David F. Beer., David A. McMurrey · 2007
Open Library
Recommended byBryant Chou
The GridThe Grid
T4 The Grid
Phillip F. Schewe · 2007
Open Library
Recommended byBill Gates
Chrysler's Turbine Car: The Rise and Fall ofChrysler's Turbine Car: The Rise and Fall of Detroit's Coolest Creation
T4 Chrysler's Turbine Car: The Rise and Fall of Detroit's Coolest Creation
Steve Lehto · 2010
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Reinventing the Automobile: Personal Urban MReinventing the Automobile: Personal Urban Mobility for the 21st Century
T4 Reinventing the Automobile: Personal Urban Mobility for the 21st Century
William J. Mitchell, Chris E. Borroni-Bird, Lawrence D. Burns · 2010
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick Collison
The Battery: How Portable Power Sparked a TeThe Battery: How Portable Power Sparked a Technological Revolution
T4 The Battery: How Portable Power Sparked a Technological Revolution
Henry Schlesinger · 2010
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
The Most Powerful Idea in the WorldThe Most Powerful Idea in the World
T4 The Most Powerful Idea in the World
William Rosen · 2010
Open Library
Recommended byBill GatesMohnish PabraiNick Szabo
Unlocking Energy InnovationUnlocking Energy Innovation
T4 Unlocking Energy Innovation
Richard K. Lester · 2011
Open Library
Recommended byBill Gates
Engines of Change: A History of the AmericanEngines of Change: A History of the American Dream in Fifteen Cars
T4 Engines of Change: A History of the American Dream in Fifteen Cars
Paul Ingrassia · 2012
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Engineers of Victory: The Problem Solvers WhEngineers of Victory: The Problem Solvers Who Turned the Tide in the Second World War
T4 Engineers of Victory: The Problem Solvers Who Turned the Tide in the Second World War
Paul Kennedy · 2013
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
I Invented the Modern Age: The Rise of HenryI Invented the Modern Age: The Rise of Henry Ford
T4 I Invented the Modern Age: The Rise of Henry Ford
Richard Snow · 2013
Tight narrative of the Model T years; the best short account.
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That MadeHow We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World
T4 How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World
Steven Johnson · 2014
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish PabraiChris Dixon
The KnowledgeThe Knowledge
T4 The Knowledge
Lewis Dartnell · 2014
Open Library
Recommended byPatrick CollisonBalaji S. Srinivasan
The Great Race: The Global Quest for the CarThe Great Race: The Global Quest for the Car of the Future
T4 The Great Race: The Global Quest for the Car of the Future
Levi Tillemann · 2015
Open Library
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Thing ExplainerThing Explainer
T4 Thing Explainer
Randall Munroe · 2015
Open Library
Recommended byBill GatesNaval Ravikant
Chernobyl 01:23:40Chernobyl 01:23:40
T4 Chernobyl 01:23:40
Andrew Leatherbarrow · 2016
Open Library
Recommended byBrad Feld
The Grid: Biography of an American TechnologThe Grid: Biography of an American Technology
T4 The Grid: Biography of an American Technology
Julie A. Cohn · 2017
Institutional history of interconnection and who controls it.
Open Library
Where Is My Flying Car?Where Is My Flying Car?
T4 Where Is My Flying Car?
J. Storrs Hall · 2018
Open Library
Recommended byBalaji S. SrinivasanPatrick Collison
How ToHow To
T4 How To
Randall Munroe · 2019
Open Library
Recommended byBill Gates
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway
T4 Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway
Brian Solomon
unverified
Recommended byMohnish Pabrai
Clocks and Culture
T4 Clocks and Culture
Carlo M. Cipolla
unverified
Recommended byPaul Graham
ConnectionsConnections
T4 Connections
unverified
Recommended byPatrick Collison
Engineering in Plain SightEngineering in Plain Sight
T4 Engineering in Plain Sight
Grady Hillhouse
unverified
Recommended byBill Gates
Invention and InnovationInvention and Innovation
T4 Invention and Innovation
Vaclav Smil
unverified
Recommended byBill Gates
Pandaemonium
T4 Pandaemonium
Humphrey Jennings
unverified
Recommended bySam Altman
The Dawn of Innovation: The First American I
T4 The Dawn of Innovation: The First American Industrial Revolution
unverified
Recommended byPatrick Collison

Experts 27

The people who wrote this page's books, and the people who recommend them.

Authors 3

Vaclav Smilwrote 5 books here
CA
Chris Andersonwrote 1 book here
KK
Kevin Kellywrote 1 book here

Recommenders 24

MP
Mohnish Pabrairecommends 20 books herePatrick Collisonrecommends 15 books hereBill Gatesrecommends 13 books herePaul Grahamrecommends 4 books here
NS
Nick Szaborecommends 4 books here
BS
Balaji S. Srinivasanrecommends 3 books hereMarc Andreessenrecommends 2 books hereChris Dixonrecommends 2 books hereElon Muskrecommends 2 books hereBrad Feldrecommends 1 book hereJohn Doerrrecommends 1 book hereRyan Holidayrecommends 1 book here
Show all 24
Alfred Linrecommends 1 book here
AC
Andrew Chenrecommends 1 book here
AG
Antonio García Martínezrecommends 1 book hereAstro Tellerrecommends 1 book here
BC
Bryant Chourecommends 1 book hereCasey Neistatrecommends 1 book here
DK
Diana Kimballrecommends 1 book hereJack Marecommends 1 book hereLarry Pagerecommends 1 book here
MM
Mike Maples, Jr.recommends 1 book hereNaval Ravikantrecommends 1 book hereSam Altmanrecommends 1 book here
See all 27 in the Experts tab →

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