Founder connections
- Bill GatesPositive review
“Prime Movers of Globalization is another remarkable book by Smil”
Gates reviewed the book on October 26, 2011. He praises its account of the people behind the inventions and how incremental technical advances changed trade and travel.Source
Summary
Vaclav Smil traces the history and impact of diesel engines and gas turbines, two technologies behind modern ocean shipping and air travel. He follows their development, commercial use and spread, and compares their efficiency and scale with earlier sources of power such as sail and steam. The book connects gradual engineering advances to large changes in international trade and travel.
Why read it Our view
Useful for understanding the machinery behind global supply chains. The book draws attention to the long work between an invention, commercial use and broad adoption, and to the economic changes that follow better performance.