Technology has been called the art of the twentieth century. It is the expression of everything that makes us human. Our myths and rituals, our fantasies and creativity all find expression in our technology. The ability to forge tools by the fashioning of metal in its 'white heat' state was preceded by the creation of tools in stone. This was the first indication of humanity's capacity to shape and use the raw materials available to it. It reached its peak in the industrial revolution of the nineteenth century and today its momentum can be seen in every part of our lives. It is this combination of technological creativity and human passion which Carroll Pursell pursues in White Heat.

Professor Pursell explores technology not as a succession of gadgets and gizmos but as a study of how society's values are embedded in them. Written to accompany a major television series and illustrated with some surprising and fascinating photographs, his book reveals a new layer of meaning to the devices, tools and machines which have been developed throughout human history.