From the American System to Mass Production, 1800-1932: The Development of Manufacturing Technology in the United States (Studies in Industry and Society)

Customer Reviews:

A little dry but an essential contribution to technology literature.......2007-02-26

The early days of the American republic were categorized not by the "American system of mass production" but by determined entrepreneurs who made skilled use of workers. Hounshell tracks several industries including woodworking, International Harvester, Singer Sewing machines and gun manufacturing showing how scale and interchangeable parts came into existence. The first half of his book tries to dispel the myth of the American System of manufacturing and provides great technical insight into each of the industries mentioned above.

The second half looks at how the principles of mass production were applied. Particular attention is paid to Pope bicycles which were among the first items mass produced. You can clearly see how technology built upon one another to form the mass production we know today. The last three chapters of the book focus mostly on Ford and their production models from the Model T to the Model A. Some attention is given to GM and their efforts to undermine the cheap characteristics of Ford and create the car industry as we know it today. It considers the idea of mass production and debates what Ford really did create.

The book does an excellent job of looking at how industries progressed over a long period of time and while getting lost in the details it does come through. There is some thick description were the technological explanation is more than someone would want to know but mostly it is good solid information. This is a great book for those who are just beginning to study the history of technology or for the experts.

History of manufacturing and quality control.......2006-08-14

I saw a reference to this book in Womack et al's The Machine that Changed the World, a book about Toyota's lean production system and automobile manufacturing in general. That book starts with the shift from craft production to Just-In-Time production and necessarily passes through Ford's production system. Hounshell ends his book with Ford in the Depression and the struggle against GM.

Hounshell begins with armory manufacture. As another reviewer has pointed out, the idea of making guns with interchangeable parts started in the French Army and introduced in the US by both Thomas Jefferson and a French officer who was instrumental in the founding of West Point. Eli Whitney took a stab at it, but he was more adept at self-promotion than achieving interchangeability. It took almost another generation or more before the system was perfected at the Springfield and Harper's Ferry armories; had it not been part of the West Point curriculum, it is not clear whether the idea would have borne fruit even that quickly.

Hounshell goes on to follow the development of manufacturing technology from guns to sewing machines, reapers, clocks, wooden furniture, bicycles, and finally the automobile. I was surprised at some of the twists and turns: Singer actually achieved dominance through a superior marketing and retail network and only adopted the "armory system" of gages later. The McCormicks were more adept at selling and servicing than at manufacture, but did introduce annual model changes; early on, they were afraid of making too many because they thought they would flood the market and put themselves out of business. The bicycle industry in the 1890s was necessary for the development of the automobile because it introduced the idea of personal mechanical transportation to the masses and refined the process of metal stamping, which has become crucial. Throughout the pre-automotive period, most of the industries that finally adopted "the American System" did so after hiring someone who had previous experience in a New England gun manufacturer. Thus, the history of mass production owes much to the French (who abandoned the idea early on), to government investment (through the Army), and to the Yankee mechanic.

Woven throughout, it is easy to see the simultaneous development of modern quality control methods, but this is not explicitly discussed. Hounshell augments the narrative with photographs of early machine parts and of the revolutionary gage system. Setting and maintaining standards was the only way to achieve interchangeability, which led to faster and cheaper assembly by eliminating the need for skilled "fitters" who essentially built each machine (gun, reaper, sewing machine, etc.) by custom fitting with files. By making parts to specification, unskilled labor could assemble the system. That idea informs the Toyota JIT system, as does Ford's invention of the assembly line and development of the Rouge Plant (upon which Hounshell sheds light) but also led to the unfortunate Taylorist diversion (which is also briefly described). Unfortunately, Hounshell doesn't concentrate on the link between the gage system and statistical quality control methods as one might find in the work of Shewhart, Deming, or Feigenbaum. The book ends with the rise of Sloan and the GM/Taylorist management paradigm, an unfortunate aberration that is finally coming to an end with the rise of Toyota and JIT.

From what I can tell (I'm no historian), this is an excellent work of history, and the illustrations are plentiful, relevant, and informative.

From the American System to Mass Production, 1800-1932; The Development of Manufacturing Technology in the U.S........2005-09-29

Super book

If you want to know the true story of interchangeable parts.......2000-05-11

Hounshell is a serious academic historian, which means that he doesn't put words in the mouths of dead people, and he draws prudent inferences from period documents, drawings and photographs. It makes him credible, if a bit plodding at times and overly concerned with always crediting the right inventors. What you learn in this book is surprising and contradicts many popular beliefs. For example:

1. Eli Whitney had nothing to do with it.

2. Thomas Jefferson picked up the idea in France when he was ambassador. It was abandoned overthere while he, as president, started a pattern of government funding for research that took 50 years to bear fruit.

3. Early adopters don't always win. In his account of the sewing machine industry, he shows how the early adopters of interchangeable parts technology lost out to Singer, which only adopted it 30 years later.

If you are interested in the subject and you like your beliefs to be convincingly challenged, check out this book. Even if you are not a history buff but a citizen concerned about the role of the federal government in technology development, this book will give you a valuable perspective.

Average customer rating:
From the American System to Mass Production, 1800-1932: Development of Manufacturing Technology in the United States
David Hounshell
Manufacturer: Johns Hopkins Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KY4RJG

Book Description

In a world where business has embraced technology, the Internet is bound to have a profound impact on the development of high-tech strategies. We are living in a time of breathtaking upheaval, complexity, and change, when much of what is cutting-edge today is obsolete tomorrow.

Some might argue that the pace is too fast for high-tech companies to develop viable strategies. Dr. Brush is not one of them. She believes there has never been a time when strategies were more important--especially strategies designed to meet the unique challenges of the Internet era. She believes that there has never been a more important time to strategically prepare for the bumpy ride ahead.

Drawing from her extensive high-tech experience and using real-world examples, Dr. Brush outlines a wide range of strategy processes that have already proven successful. She offers clear, practical advice to the business executive on choosing the most appropriate strategies and step-by-step me! thods for getting ahead in the Internet era.

Customer Reviews:

A Classic Strategy Handbook.......2005-08-07

This is by far the most useful book I have ever found for developing successful software strategies. Brush has analyzed the works of the leading strategic thinkers: Porter, Mintzberg, Hamel, Ansoff and on and on (the book's bibliography is ten pages of leading writers and practioners) and then applied them using her long career as a high-tech practitioner. (A good combo of theory and practice.) The book is complete with templates and step by step instructions that has made my formerly dreaded regular exercise of reviewing and developing new product and marketing strategies a greatly simplified task.

Essential reading . . . for charlatans everywhere!.......2001-08-22

An opus in the sense that it took some degree of creativity to skirt the customary publishing procedures . . . way to go, Dr. Kathy!

Essential, invaluable, highly accessible reading.......2001-02-08

High-Tech Strategies In The Internet Era is a basic, A to Z, introduction and instruction book on the high-tech strategy process that a business must master in today's computerized and Internet-linked marketing and business environment. Kathleen Brush lays down a step-by-step guide by which any company can achieve a successful, fixed yet flexible course in today's high-technology, Internet communications era. Readers will learn that partners play a critical role in the Internet era; that industry selection is the key to success; that management must learn to live with an empowered workforce; that the role of marketing communications has greatly increased as a factor in the success or failure of a business enterprise; that high-tech strategies are, by necessity, global strategies; and that strategy is the essence of commercial survival in today's global, Internet oriented marketplace. High-Tech Strategies In The Internet Era is essential, invaluable, highly accessible reading for aspiring business entrepreneurs, corporate managers, industry analysts and investors.

A Must Reading For High-Tech Managers.......2000-09-27

High-Tech Strategies in the Internet Era is a must for anyone in High-Tech or anyone who uses technology a key source of differentiation to compete. It is extremely thorough and provides complete checklists for setting-up and implementing strategy. In today's fast-paced marketplace it can be the difference between survival and failure.

As an interim CEO of software firms, I see the the problems created by no strategy or poor strategy. This book gives a thorough mthodology to avoid having someone like me take over a company.

Developing successful high-tech strategies is made possible.......2000-09-26

Average customer rating:
Erosion control structures: Drop inlets and spillways : experimental tests and investigations of hydraulic characteristics (Research bulletin / University ... Wisconsin, Agricultural Experiment Station)
Lewis Hanford Kessler
Manufacturer: Agricultural Experiment Station and Engineering Experiment Station of the University of Wisconsin, cooperating with the Emergency Conservation Work, Forest Service, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and the Civil Works Administration of Wisconsin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Sustainable Agriculture | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00089NHDK

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Nothing but conservation
Roy H Dingle
Manufacturer: R.H. Dingle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Groundwater | Environmental | Civil | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Water | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Sustainable Agriculture | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006P68ZK

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Soil conservation in Wisconsin: Birth to rebirth
Leonard C Johnson
Manufacturer: Dept. of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin--Madison
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Sustainable Agriculture | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Wisconsin | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006DHIYM

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Soil conservation in Wisconsin: Birth to rebirth by Leonard C Johnson
Leonard C Johnson
Manufacturer: Dept. of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin--Madison
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VEJO7K

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Soil erosion: A local and national problem (Research bulletin / University of Wisconsin, Agricultural Experiment Station)
Carlos G Bates
Manufacturer: Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Wisconsin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00088HUOI

Average customer rating:
Soil Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison : A History of the Department, 1889-1989
Marvin T. Beattie
Manufacturer: Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin-Madison,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Soil Science | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000OV893A

Average customer rating:
Soil science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: A history of the department, 1889-1989
Marvin T Beatty
Manufacturer: Dept. of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Soil Science | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Agricultural Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006EZDXE

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Soil survey of Florence County, Wisconsin, (Wisconsin. Geological and Natural History Survey. Bulletin)
Francis Doan Hole
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Soil Science | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007ETCRG

Average customer rating:
Soil survey of Milwaukee County
A. R Whitson
Manufacturer: Published by the State
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Soil Science | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008CT0VU

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Soil survey of Monroe County, Wisconsin
Wayne D Barndt
Manufacturer: The Service
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Soil Science | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006YK4YC

Book Description

Insect-related evidence is one of the most powerful, least understood examples of modern forensic science. Entomology and the Law is a detailed roadmap from crime scene to courtroom--for entomologists, law enforcement personnel and lawyers preparing for trial. Part I focuses on carrion flies as forensic indicators, exploring relevant biology clearly and concisely illustrated by real-life cases. Part II is a thorough examination of the law of scientific evidence worldwide, complete with caselaw, applicable code provisions, and legal issues relevant to the admissibility and use of forensic entomology in litigation.

Customer Reviews:

Forensic Entomology made understandable!.......2004-01-31

This is a superb work of immense scope and brilliance. The authors leave no aspect of forensic entomology a mystery. Splendid for experts, both scientists and lawyers alike.

This is what CSI is really about!.......2004-01-31

Bugs are excellent crime solvers. This terrific book explains how and why, in a way everyone can understand. Great for everyone from experts to novices.

CSI made easy!!!!.......2003-12-10

This book makes it easy for even a layperson to understand the forensic entomology evidence so often featured on the C.S.I. television series! Kunich and Greenberg take insect-related evidence and make it come alive. What an amazing book!

Comprehensive? Hardlyý.......2003-07-07

Entomology and the Law by Greenberg and Kunich was promoted to be "the first comprehensive book on forensic entomology." This book certainly does not live up to that description, though it is a decent book in its own rights. At [the price], the book seems a little thin and incomplete.

The first section of the book, written by Dr. Greenberg, deals with the history, biology, identification, and use of forensically important flies. Dr. Greenberg's knowledge of flies is indeed extensive, and he has included keys to species of adults and larvae (pupae are ignored) of carrion flies from many parts of the world. Note that only flies are covered in this book, and all of the other forensically important insects are ignored. Also there is no mention of insect succession on the corpse outside of the preface to the first section of the book. This aspect alone limits the application of this book to the early postmortem interval.

The second section of the book, written by John Kunich, focuses on the legal applications of forensic entomology. This section deals with the laws behind scientific evidence, the admissibility of insect evidence, and how to optimize the use of such evidence. Placing the legal aspects into the prospective of forensic entomology made this section useful to the scientist who is interested in that aspect of the criminal justice system alone.

This book is far from being comprehensive. Nowhere are the details of the collection of entomological evidence presented, successional patterns of insects are largely ignored, and the temperature information included in the book is incomplete. Though lawyers and entomologists with experience in the field of medicocriminal entomology will benefit from this book, the curious lay person or law enforcement official should save their money and purchase either Catts & Haskell or Byrd & Castner.

Entomology and the Law.......2003-06-10

This book has it all. If ever a book crossed the lines of genre from a working guide for a professional in his field to an interesting read for the inquisitive mind, this book is it. This book is for the professional who has anything to do with a murder scene or wrongful death situation. This book is for everyone who watches television because "Entomology and the Law" is the marriage of a great murder mystery crossed with an investigatory courtroom drama. This book is for every litigator who wants to effectively use the law of scientific evidence in the courtroom. This book is for the layman who wants to know more. You see, it's about bugs. Gross bugs. Flys actually, and the fact that flys can be accurately used to identify the time and location of death. Interesting? Yes. Easy read? No. Necessary read? DEFINITELY.

Book Description

The most complex creatures in the animal kingdom, great apes communicate through an extensive system of hoots and calls; empathize with and console each other; and create tools for hunting and grooming. Through an engaging text and stunning full-color photography you'll quickly appreciate the intelligence, vulnerability, and charisma of every member of this fascinating family: the outrageous orangutan, grazing gorilla, chatty chimpanzee, and boisterous bonobo. Each member has adapted its lifestyle in various ways to ensure its survival, from traveling large distances through dense rainforest in order to mate (orangutans) to cleansing their bodies of toxins by eating certain leaves (chimps). 50 remarkable pictures from the world's top photographers include touching close-ups of an orangutan mother and her new baby; the hair-raising charge of a huge silverback gorilla; and playful images of chimpanzees fishing. You'll understand why it is so important to keep the great apes safe, even as logging destroys their habitat and hunters endanger their existence.

Average customer rating:

Good information with some glaring errors

The Complete Kalashnikov Family Of Assault Rifles

Interesting Story of the Most Influential Rifle in History

Too BAD

This book is the backbone of any AK47 historian.

AK47: The Complete Kalashnikov Family Of Assault Rifles
Duncan Long
Manufacturer: Paladin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Military Science | History | Subjects | Books
General | Conventional | Weapons & Warfare | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Firearms | Conventional | Weapons & Warfare | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Shooting | Hunting & Fishing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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Legends and Reality of the AK: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the History, Design, and Impact of the Kalashnikov Family of Weapons

The Official Soviet AKM Manual

AK-47 Assembly, Disassembly Manual 7.62 X 39mm [ILLUSTRATED]

The AK-47 and AK74 Kalashnikov Rifles and Their Variations

Kalashnikov (Greenhill Military Manuals)

ASIN: 0873644778

Book Description

The Soviet AK47/AKM assault rifle is tough and dependable, and has spawned many spinoffs worldwide. These rifles are now available in the U.S., but solid information on them is scarce. Learn about specs, ammo and more - find out why the AK47 is the world's most widely used gun.

Customer Reviews:

Good information with some glaring errors.......2006-10-18

Overall, the book provides some very useful information, but at least two glaring errors, both concerning the non-AK Czech rifle known as the vz58, leave questions about Long's research. On page 34 he writes, "These selective fire rifles are chambered for the 7.62x45mm Czech, which is identical to the Soviet M43 round." First, the 7.62x45 Czech is a different round; it is not identical to the Soviet M43, which is 7.62x39. (The earlier vz52 rifle, which was chambered in 7.62x45 Czech, was replaced with the vz52/57 in 7.62x39 as a result of Soviet insistence upon a standard round for all Warsaw Pact nations. This change would have been unnecessary if the two were identical.) In addition, the vz58 -- which replaced the vz52/57 -- was, and is, chambered in the 7.62x39 Soviet round.

Also, he barely mentions some variations of the AK -- such as the Egyptian and Bulgarian models.

The Complete Kalashnikov Family Of Assault Rifles.......2005-10-19

A tired rehash .
Very few pictures mostly line drawings
Totally out of date.

Interesting Story of the Most Influential Rifle in History.......2003-03-13

The AK-47 may not have been the very first "assault" rifle created to fill the gap between smaller sirearms and largerer machine guns in the military, but it is certainly the most influential and important rifle in the history of the 20th century. Duncan Long's tale explains the gun's origins, functioning, and its influence on the design and construction of such vaunted modern firearms as the FN-FAL (a weapon used heavily in Europe and by UN forces), the Galil (the Israeli assaut rifle), etc.

Is this book a manual on how to care for your Kalashnikov rifle or a catalog of its varied accessories? No--and it's not meant to be. Instead, it is a thorough and very readable history of the AK-family, from the AK-47's origins as a successor to the not-so-good SKS to its endurance as one of the best weapons ever designed to its successor the AK-74 and beyond.

If you have an interest in this fine firearm, please give Long's book a read--you'll enjoy it.

Too BAD.......1999-04-20

this is not a book for starters cause it does not has any meaning in it

This book is the backbone of any AK47 historian........1998-10-20

I have always found the AK47 and its spinoffs to be among the most fascinating, absorbing, and attractive firearms in existance. It's the 1911 of long-arms. This book serves as the perfect source of information for those who are in the same position as I am. Long writes in a manner which is extremely readable, and he sticks to the topic without digressing. Even though some of the info contained has been obsoleted by recent gun-control legislation in the U.S. and the further modernization of the AK in the form of the AK100 series, it provides the most complete compilation of the AK family around, from infantry to sniper, including even the smallest technical detail. I highly recommend it.

Customer Reviews:

Elizabeth harvested!.......2002-01-22

This centenary series of the Complete Works is a major accomplishment. Volume I ('I Have Found God') goes right to the heart of Elizabeth's mystical vocation with a positively riveting General Introduction by Conrad De Meester, O.C. D., followed by a brilliant translation of Elizabeth's writings by Alethia Kane. Elizabeth's four major spiritual treatises being written in the last three months of her life, it's difficult to go anywhere but to the distinct heart of her message. I doubt that I've ever read a more enlightened essay on Elizabeth than De Meester's. If you look to understand who this woman was, read his perfect Introduction; taken together with a brief biography, he produces an ancient Elizabeth in an essential light. His appreciation burns with real insight into an obscured message and an authentic modern mystic. Kane leaves Elizabeth's voice alone, as other translators have not, making Kane's courageous, and ultimately peerless contribution the more valuable by leagues. Highest recommendation for Vols. I & II-- it's a champion series.

Book Description

6.5 x 9.5 in.

80 illustrations
English/French

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