100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Fast Overnight NZ-wide Delivery 🚀

Ponderables Technology

An Illustrated History of Machines From Stone Axes to Robotics and AI
Series: Ponderables
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Ponderables Technology offers an essential guide to the history of technology, exploring how tools have shaped civilisation and could transform our future. It traces technological advancements from ancient hand axes to modern materials like silicon, highlighting the evolution and impact of technology across ages. The book also contemplates future innovations such as superconductors, smart materials, and nanorobots.
Read More
Format: Hardback
$6300

International Supplier

This title is in-stock with overseas suppliers. While it is not available locally, we fly books in weekly from the US and UK to our Auckland warehouse for immediate dispatch.

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 2-3 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book is ideal for readers interested in the history of technology, engineering enthusiasts, and anyone curious about how technology connects past and future developments.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Here is the essential guide to the history of technology, an authoritative reference book and timeline that examines how tools have built our civilisation, changed our environment, and could even alter our species. The term technology is frequently associated with modernity and the possibilities of the future. However, we have been using technologies since before the dawn of history. Even then we were machine builders. A neolithic hand axe is a wedge-shaped cutter that works in essentially the same way as a razor blade, while a potter's wheel is the same as the gear transmission of a Formula-1 car.

The difference is simply the application of novel materials, and the many ages of technology are closely linked to them: bronze, iron, steel, glass, silicon... What will be the materials of tomorrow's technology? Superconductors that carry current with perfect efficiency, smart materials that alter their shapes to suit the conditions, or nanorobots built from just a few dozen atoms, that work unseen everywhere, even inside our bodies? Only time, and a lot of invention, will tell.

Ponderables: Technology by Tom Jackson offers a fascinating insight into these questions and more, providing a comprehensive look into the past, present, and future of technology.

Series: Ponderables

View all
  • Psychology - Ponderables
    Here is the essential guide to psychology, an authoritative reference book and timeline that examines how we learned to understand ourselves. Psychology - Ponderables is a young science. While great thinkers have pondered the nature of thought itself for centuries, the idea of using scientific experiments to examine the way we think, make decisions, and behave was only arrived at...
    Hardback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 1 week
  • Biology
    Here is the essential guide to Biology, an authoritative reference book and timeline that examines how we have uncovered the secrets of life—the most complex process in the Universe. From the workings of molecules to the way entire oceans or continents of lifeforms interact, biology seeks to understand how it is that something can be alive, how it fends off...
    Hardback
    $6200
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Ponderables Engineering
    Here is the updated essential guide to engineering, an authoritative reference book and timeline about how technology has given shape to our civilisation. Engineering predates humanity; Homo habilis was knapping hand axes from fist-sized flints more than a thousand centuries before the dawn of modern humans. Admittedly, the development of technology was slow back then, but we've made up for...
    Hardback
    $6200
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Ponderables Mathematics
    Here is the updated essential guide to mathematics, an authoritative reference book and timeline that explores the work of history's greatest mathematicians. These include the teasing genius of Pierre de Fermat, who said he knew the answers but rarely gave them up, and the helpful guidance of Fibonacci, whose 13th-century compendium for bookkeepers proved to be a valuable tool for...
    Hardback
    $6200
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Philosophy
    Both art and science attempt answers to the big questions—what is truth, how to be good, and where did we come from?—but philosophy is the interpreter we turn to verify it all. We need it to make sense of the simplest maths and the most esoteric of poetry, and it has even created a science of information itself. We begin...
    Hardback
    $6100
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Ponderables Technology
    Here is the essential guide to the history of technology, an authoritative reference book and timeline that examines how tools have built our civilisation, changed our environment, and could even alter our species. The term technology is frequently associated with modernity and the possibilities of the future. However, we have been using technologies since before the dawn of history. Even...
    Hardback
    $6300
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Ponderables Computer Science
    Here is the updated essential guide to computers, an authoritative reference book and timeline about the most powerful tools ever devised. Computing has been the sharp end of cutting-edge technology for a generation and it now permeates all our lives. But to many, computer science remains something of a mystery. Our story begins long before the silicon chip, when the...
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • Ponderables Physics
    Here is the updated essential guide to physics, an authoritative reference book and timeline that examines the foundations upon which all scientific knowledge rests. Without physics, everything else—from astronomy to zoology—would be meaningless conjecture. Our journey begins with the first attempts to understand reality, Mother Nature—or as the ancient Greeks called it, physis. Follow the journey through history as great...
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • Ponderables The Elements
    Here is the updated essential guide to the Periodic Table, an authoritative reference book and timeline with at-a-glance information for every element. The Periodic Table, set out by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869, is the result of centuries of accumulated knowledge. It is a powerful yet elegant tool that opens a window onto the very stuff of nature—stars, rocks, life, and...
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • Physics
    Here is the essential guide to physics, an authoritative reference book and timeline that examines the foundations upon which all scientific knowledge rests. Without physics, everything else - from astronomy to zoology - would be a meaningless conjecture. Our journey begins with the first attempts to understand reality, Mother Nature - or as the ancient Greeks called it, physics. Follow...
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • The Brain
    The brain's cells are wired together with 100 trillion connections. That makes each and every human brain a contender as the most complex system in the universe, a system that endows us with an intellect that far outstrips that of any other creature. However, there is one difficult question remaining: Are we intelligent enough to understand our own brains? Follow...
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • Ponderables - Mathematics
    Legend has it that the first magic square, where all lines and diagonals add up to the same figure, was revealed more than 2,000 years ago when a river turtle appeared to have ancient Chinese numerals inscribed on sections of its shell. Patterns are everywhere in nature, and counting, measuring, and calculating changes are as old as civilisation itself. Here...
    Hardback
    Sold Out

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781627951654

Publisher: Shelter Harbor Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 01 November 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: Shelter Harbor Press

Illustration: 144-page book plus a 12-page removable fold-out Timeline History and 12-page fold-out showing The Pictorial Snapshot History of Engine Technology Illustrations: approx. 300

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 235.0mm

Height: 285.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 168

About the Author

Tom Jackson is a science writer based in the United Kingdom. Tom specializes in recasting science and technology into lively historical narratives. After almost 20 years of writing, Tom has uncovered a wealth of stories that help create new ways to enjoy learning about science. He studied at the University of Bristol and still lives in the city with his wife and three children.

Also by Tom Jackson

View all
  • The Magnificent Book of Reptiles and Amphibians
    This beautiful book will have you captivated! From a terrifying king cobra to a tiny red-eyed tree frog, a rare Galapagos tortoise to a bright Parson's chameleon, The Magnificent Book of Reptiles and Amphibians is the perfect introduction to these fascinating creatures. Each stunning, detailed illustration is accompanied by intriguing facts, amounting to a wonderful keepsake that you will revisit...
    Hardback
    $3000
    Available
    Ships in 1 week
  • Psychology - Ponderables
    Here is the essential guide to psychology, an authoritative reference book and timeline that examines how we learned to understand ourselves. Psychology - Ponderables is a young science. While great thinkers have pondered the nature of thought itself for centuries, the idea of using scientific experiments to examine the way we think, make decisions, and behave was only arrived at...
    Hardback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 1 week
  • The Magnificent Book of Dinosaurs
    Travel back in time to meet the most magnificent dinosaurs in close up. The Magnificent Book of Dinosaurs takes you back to prehistoric times to meet 36 incredible beasts. From the terrifying T. rex to the speedy Velociraptor, this book depicts some of the most incredible dinosaurs in stunning and accurate original illustrations. Intriguing facts accompany every illustration, so you...
    Hardback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • How Do We Stop Climate Change?
    A unique and beautiful approach to understanding climate change with practical actions to help protect the planet. Climate change is an important, yet complicated, subject. How Do We Stop Climate Change? makes it accessible for all ages, from the 8+ year-olds inspired by Greta Thunberg to parents and teachers. Beautiful illustrations from noted picture book illustrator Dragan Kordic combine with...
    Hardback
    $3500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Magnificent Book of Prehistoric Beasts
    Journey back in time to see the world’s most magnificent prehistoric beasts close up. The Magnificent Book of Prehistoric Beasts takes you on a journey back in time to an ancient world, where peculiar beasts roamed the Earth and swam in the seas. Meet the mighty woolly mammoth with its huge tusks for finding food, a saber-toothed cat with teeth...
    Hardback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 1 week
  • The Magnificent Book of Dangerous Animals
    Learn about 36 dangerous animals in this beautifully illustrated reference book filled with fascinating facts. The Magnificent Book of Dangerous Animals takes you into the wilderness where you will encounter all sorts of wild and dangerous creatures. From predatory orcas powering the waves to green anacondas ready to deliver a deadly hug, The Magnificent Book of Dangerous Animals captures a...
    Hardback
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Magnificent Book of Ocean Creatures
    Dive into the world’s oceans, exploring sunlit coral reefs, wide open seas, and the murky depths to meet 36 magnificent ocean creatures. Take a journey through oceans and seas to discover 36 magnificent marine animals, from the immense blue whale to speedy flying fish. Encounter fierce predators like the great white shark and orca, as well as truly bizarre creatures...
    Hardback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Magnificent Book of Horses
    This beautifully illustrated series will have you captivated. Stunning illustrations, intriguing facts, and a large format make an engaging reference to revisit time and again. From stocky Shetland ponies and gentle Welsh cobs to energetic Arabian horses and muscular destriers, dozens of horse breeds are depicted in beautiful full-colour illustrations. Accompanied by a selection of intriguing facts about each horse,...
    Hardback
    $3999
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Astronomy (Ponderables)
    Here is the essential guide to astronomy, an authoritative reference book and timeline that traces how, over many centuries, great minds have figured out where we and our planet fit in the great expanse of the Universe. Since time immemorial, people have looked out into the night sky and brought back knowledge on how the Universe works. Gradually, astronomers have...
    Hardback
    $6200
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Biology
    Here is the essential guide to Biology, an authoritative reference book and timeline that examines how we have uncovered the secrets of life—the most complex process in the Universe. From the workings of molecules to the way entire oceans or continents of lifeforms interact, biology seeks to understand how it is that something can be alive, how it fends off...
    Hardback
    $6200
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Insect Architecture
    The essential illustrated guide to the ingenious techniques that insects use to construct an astounding array of natural structures, from nests to shelters to traps Insect Architecture takes you inside the amazing structures that insects build, from the paper galleries of yellowjacket wasps to elaborate termite mounds complete with royal chambers and air-conditioning systems. Each chapter focuses on a group...
    Hardback
    $7000
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Ponderables Engineering
    Here is the updated essential guide to engineering, an authoritative reference book and timeline about how technology has given shape to our civilisation. Engineering predates humanity; Homo habilis was knapping hand axes from fist-sized flints more than a thousand centuries before the dawn of modern humans. Admittedly, the development of technology was slow back then, but we've made up for...
    Hardback
    $6200
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks

More from Engineering & Technology

View all
  • On Sale
    17% off
    New Release
    The Age Code
    What if the food you eat could rewind your biological clock? 'Clear and compelling' — Chris van Tulleken 'Really interesting and insightful' — Joe Wicks 'Fascinating' — Tim Spector From the rising incidence of cancer in the under-50s to increased infertility rates, there are signs everywhere that growing numbers of us are ageing too quickly. Why? Many believe there’s one...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    12% off
    Roadmap to Property Success
    Ready to ditch the 9-to-5 and build lasting wealth through property? In Roadmap to Property Success, seasoned investor and coach Steve Goodey shares the exact strategies that helped him – and thousands of Kiwis – build sustainable property portfolios from scratch. With real-life lessons, hard-won wisdom, and zero sugar-coating, this is your no-BS guide to property investing in New Zealand....
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Kitchen Confidential
    The classic bestseller from the star of Parts Unknown and No Reservations: 25th Anniversary edition, with a new introduction by Irvine Welsh. BEFORE THERE WAS THE BEAR, THERE WAS BOURDAIN. ‘Elizabeth David written by Quentin Tarantino’ — A.A. Gill ‘Fantastic: as lip-smackingly seductive as a bowl of fat chips and pungent aioli’ — Daily Telegraph After twenty-five years of sex,...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies
    The founder of the field of AI risk explains why superintelligent AI is a global suicide bomb and we must halt development immediately. AI is the greatest threat to our existence that we have ever faced. The technology may be complex but the facts are simple. We are currently on a path to build superintelligent AI. When we do, it...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    20% off
    A Man & His Watch
    “I’ve paged through stacks of books on the history of watches. . . . But I hadn’t come across a book that actually moved me until I picked up A Man and His Watch. The volume is filled with heartfelt stories.”—T: The New York Times Style Magazine Paul Newman wore his Rolex Daytona every single day for 35 years until...
    Hardback
    $6500
    Elsewhere:
    $9000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Diddly Squat: The Farmer's Dog
    It's been another memorable year on Diddly Squat Farm - and another book full of hilarious stories. Clarkson's farm is the gift that keeps on giving, and now our hero has decided to bring his misunderstood entrepreneurial flair to bear on a new venture—a pub. Let the doors open on The Farmer's Dog. All British produce, Hawkstone beer on tap,...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Hunger Code
    From the author of the multi-million-copy bestseller The Obesity Code comes The Hunger Code. For generations, we've accepted the story that weight loss never lasts - that as soon as you go off your diet or stop taking your medication you will revert to your old self and regain weight, and the dieting journey will start all over again. But...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Buy to Win
    Diddly Squat
    Jeremy Clarkson takes us into the pitfalls (and pratfalls) of his new life as a gentleman farmer in this thigh-slapping collection of stories from a year on Clarkson's Farm. Welcome to Clarkson's farm. It's an idyllic spot, offering picturesque views across the Cotswolds, bustling hedgerows, woodlands, and natural springs. Jeremy always liked the idea of being a farmer. But, while...
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Baked to Perfection
    WINNER OF THE FORTNUM & MASON FOOD AND DRINK AWARDS 2022WINNER OF THE GUILD OF FOOD WRITERS SPECIALIST SUBJECT AWARD 2022FINALIST IN THE IACP AWARDS 2022 'I have nothing against gluten, but this book is just full of recipes I long to make' — Nigella Lawson The only gluten-free baking book you'll ever need, with delicious recipes that work perfectly...
    Hardback
    $5299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    20% off
    Apple
    On April 1, 1976, two scruffy twentysomethings, both named Steve, founded a startup. Their goal: To bring the revolutionary power of computers to everyone. Over the next five decades, Apple reshaped the technology and cultural landscapes, introducing the public to breakthroughs like the mouse, laser printing, CD-ROM, WiFi, digital video, home networking, touchscreen phones, and tablets. Jobs’s obsessive eye for...
    Hardback
    $6400
    Elsewhere:
    $9000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    18% off
    Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
    There's no better guide through mind-expanding questions such as what the nature of space and time is, how we fit within the universe, and how the universe fits within us than Neil deGrasse Tyson. But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in...
    Hardback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $3599
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • On Sale
    19% off
    Material World
    A bold new story of human progress, told through six materials that built our world and will transform our future. For fans of Tim Marshall, Lewis Dartnell, Jared Diamond and Yuval Harari. The Sunday Times Bestseller and Radio 4 Book of the Week An Economist, Financial Times, Times and New Statesman Book of the Year Shortlisted for the FT Business...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.