The Living Rock, by A.J. Wilson. Published by Woodhead Publishing, Abington Hall, Abington, Cambridge, England CB1 6AH. 320 pages. 35 (US$65) plus postage.
In his new book, subtitled “The Story of Metals since their Earliest Times and their Impact on Civilization,” Wilson claims that the history of metals is the history of civilization. The two are inseparable; each depends on the other for development, and when one stumbles, the other falters. The author concentrates on the social and economic effects that metals have had on community life and on wider historical developments. He bases his thesis on the results of metallurgists and other scientists and looks at the advancement of societies as a direct result of their newfound technology.
Be the first to comment on "BOOKS IN REVIEW — Metals and civilization"