Consuming Power

A Social History of American Energies

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Technology, Social Aspects, Science, Other Sciences, Philosophy & Social Aspects
Cover of the book Consuming Power by David E. Nye, The MIT Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: David E. Nye ISBN: 9780262261029
Publisher: The MIT Press Publication: February 18, 1999
Imprint: The MIT Press Language: English
Author: David E. Nye
ISBN: 9780262261029
Publisher: The MIT Press
Publication: February 18, 1999
Imprint: The MIT Press
Language: English

Nye uses energy as a touchstone to examine the lives of ordinary people engaged in normal activities.

How did the United States become the world's largest consumer of energy? David Nye shows that this is less a question about the development of technology than it is a question about the development of culture. In Consuming Power, Nye uses energy as a touchstone to examine the lives of ordinary people engaged in normal activities. He looks at how these activities changed as new energy systems were constructed, from colonial times to recent years. He also shows how, as Americans incorporated new machines and processes into their lives, they became ensnared in power systems that were not easily changed: they made choices about the conduct of their lives, and those choices accumulated to produce a consuming culture. Nye examines a sequence of large systems that acquired and then lost technological momentum over the course of American history, including water power, steam power, electricity, the internal-combustion engine, atomic power, and computerization. He shows how each system became part of a larger set of social constructions through its links to the home, the factory, and the city. The result is a social history of America as seen through the lens of energy consumption.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Nye uses energy as a touchstone to examine the lives of ordinary people engaged in normal activities.

How did the United States become the world's largest consumer of energy? David Nye shows that this is less a question about the development of technology than it is a question about the development of culture. In Consuming Power, Nye uses energy as a touchstone to examine the lives of ordinary people engaged in normal activities. He looks at how these activities changed as new energy systems were constructed, from colonial times to recent years. He also shows how, as Americans incorporated new machines and processes into their lives, they became ensnared in power systems that were not easily changed: they made choices about the conduct of their lives, and those choices accumulated to produce a consuming culture. Nye examines a sequence of large systems that acquired and then lost technological momentum over the course of American history, including water power, steam power, electricity, the internal-combustion engine, atomic power, and computerization. He shows how each system became part of a larger set of social constructions through its links to the home, the factory, and the city. The result is a social history of America as seen through the lens of energy consumption.

More books from The MIT Press

Cover of the book Yuck! by David E. Nye
Cover of the book Post-Treaty Politics by David E. Nye
Cover of the book Computer Games for Learning by David E. Nye
Cover of the book Intellectual Property Strategy by David E. Nye
Cover of the book Venture Labor by David E. Nye
Cover of the book The Economics of Language Policy by David E. Nye
Cover of the book The Coming Generational Storm by David E. Nye
Cover of the book The Social Turn in Moral Psychology by David E. Nye
Cover of the book Quantum Language and the Migration of Scientific Concepts by David E. Nye
Cover of the book Disturbed Consciousness by David E. Nye
Cover of the book Big Hunger by David E. Nye
Cover of the book What We Know About Climate Change by David E. Nye
Cover of the book Statistical Approaches to Gene x Environment Interactions for Complex Phenotypes by David E. Nye
Cover of the book The Reputation Society by David E. Nye
Cover of the book Big Data Is Not a Monolith by David E. Nye
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy