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Invention and Innovation: A Brief History of Hype and Failure

Vaclav Smil

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  • Bill GatesRecommended
    Gates selected this book for his 2023 holiday list. He says Smil improves his thinking even when they disagree, and challenges Smil’s view of recent AI and some energy technologies.
    Source

Summary

Vaclav Smil distinguishes having an invention from turning it into useful, lasting change. He examines technologies that failed to meet expectations, such as airships and supersonic flight, and others that caused serious harm, including leaded gasoline. Historical cases test claims of rapid progress, while a list of needed inventions turns attention to problems that remain unsolved.

  • SourceInvention and Innovation: A Brief History of Hype and Failure — The MIT Press · Book description and author/title metadata
  • SourceInvention and Innovation — Penguin Random House Higher Education / MIT Press · Description: airships, supersonic flight, leaded gasoline and innovation wish list

Why read it Our view

Compare invention with adoption at scale through cases such as leaded gasoline, supersonic transport and nuclear power. Use the cases to examine the gap between technical promise and economic viability.