"It is a provocative, enlightening, sometimes frightening story."--Thomas Sugrue, New York Times "Many people have wondered what mechanization is doing to man; nobody yet has investigated, documented, and illustrated the question to the extent of this enormous and fascinating book."-- Time "Giedion reveled in the splendor of such humble things, the stuff of ordinary life. He studied them lovingly and sought to convey to his readers a sense of their inner beauty, mystery, and wonder."-- Technology and Culture "A fascinating and equally surprising work that exposes the roots of the United States' rise as a nation built on technological progress."-- Journal of Architectural Education.