Great Inventions

In The Invention of the Modern Dog, Michael Worboys, Julie-Marie Strange, and Neil Pemberton explore when, where, why, and how Victorians invented the modern way of ordering and breeding dogs. Though talk of "breed" was common before this period in the context of livestock, the modern idea of a dog breed defined in terms of shape, size, coat, and color arose during the Victorian period in response to a burgeoning competitive dog show culture.

In this high-stakes heist novel, an alchemologist and a con man team up to steal a rare necklace—but complicated feelings of attraction and deception threaten to destroy everything and everyone they love—for fans of Alexandra Bracken and Judy I. Lin. Within the dazzling halls of London’s...

Nine remarkable men produced inventions that changed the world. The printing press, the telephone, powered flight, recording, and other innovations have made the modern world what it is. But who had these ideas and made realities of them? As David Angus explains, they were very different: quiet, boisterous, confident, or withdrawn. But all had a moment of vision that they combined with single-minded determination to battle through numerous obstacles and produce something that really worked.

One thing that hasn't changed much at all in the last 10,000 years is the human brain. The relentless curiosity of the human mind, combined with our ability to solve problems, has resulted in huge innovation and change. Here, then, are some of the most revolutionary ideas of the last 300 years.

The spectacular story of the Great Centennial Exhibition of 1876—held in the shadow of a highly contested presidential election that triggered the collapse of Reconstruction and laid the foundations of the Republican Party we know today “Those who were there felt that the wheel of history...

Zaria and Kane, alchemologist and con man, are a match made in hell—yet they'll have to team up again to stay out of jail, as new threats arise and rival kingpins clash throughout London's slums. Zaria Mendoza doesn't think she'll ever see Kane Durante again. In fact, she thinks he's dead...

“An engrossing introduction for young adult readers to the chillingly topical subject of man vs. microbe.” —The Wall Street Journal Did the Black Death destroy medieval Europe? Did cholera pave the way for modern Manhattan? Did yellow fever help end the slave trade? Remarkably, the...

The Industrial Revolution was a period of shift in Britain, continental Europe, and the USA from around 1760 until at some point between 1820 and 1840, when new production innovations were introduced. The shift from hand to device production, new chemical and iron production strategies, increased use of steam and waterpower, the development of device tools, and the rise of the mechanized factory system were all part of this change. The Industrial Revolution also introduced a period of remarkable population growth.