Connections

After having consumed the Connections book, television miniseries and audiobook, I would like to comment on the three. In terms of the volume of content, the book is peerless. It is by far more comprehensive than the audiobook or the tele series. It also allows the reader the luxury of re-reading selections or dwelling on areas as needed. This is not the case, of course with the audiobook or tele series, unless of course, you count the pause button. The audio version is my least recommended of the three. It is a very demanding piece to listen to, and is generally too involved for the settings in which other audiobooks are generally consumed: driving, doing housework, etc. It is very difficult to follow and visualize all Burke covers without missing a turn on the road or missing a logical leap and having to rewind. However, it is read by Burke with his unique character. I derive a large degree of enjoyment from Burke's distinctive wit and the frenetic pace at which he presents his material. The very way the tele series is shot showing him forever on the move while on trains, cars, enormous farm equipment, snowmobiles and other vehicles conveys the sense of movement with which progress, science and history are moving forward before our eyes. Actually seeing the processes he describes in the tele series is most helpful. Finally, all 2 versions include his approach of viewing scientific history as a series of interrelated cause and effect relationships which is most refreshing to me. He stands opposed to the standard American practice of glorifying the inventor or innovator, and instead credits the cumulative body of scientific knowledge, and the more than occasional accident. For those interested in the subject matter, the print version offers the most comprehensive coverage. But for those who would like a little more entertainment and sugar with their medicine, the pricier tele miniseries is both enlightening and amusing.

I love James Burke. He is funny, smart, and a little off beat. This book is a great read and the TV series is great too. Also, there is a cd rom game of the same title that I found challenging and educational. Even though this book is not brand new it deals with interesting and little known facts in history and is still as pertinent today as when it was published.

This book suffers from comparisons to Burke's PBS series by the same name probably because this is more of a sampler of his perspectives than a comprehensive treatment. Still, it is an absolutely fascinating look at the history of technology and how a break in the smallest link in the chain of technological development might preclude an invention from ever coming forth.I enjoyed Burke's presentation style, written a bit like a mystery novel, giving us the pieces of the puzzle one at a time leading to the ultimate technology as we know it today. It leaves the reader guessing at each step as to what indispensable modern technology will result.Burke postulates that major technological advancements are not the result of geniuses slaving away in laboratories, but instead the amalgamation of numerous small inventions, mostly created by average folks trying to adapt to everyday problems. While I accept that premise prior to the 19th century and perhaps in certain cases through to the 20th century, I believe that with few exceptions (like Gates invention of DOS for example), most major technological breakthroughs now result from concerted and organized R & D efforts that result from government grants and the corporate profit motive. The only difference today is that the geniuses are working in their den on a PC, and not in a lab. However, with the sophistication and innovativeness necessary to reach the next level in today's complex scientific fields, such breakthroughs are no longer the within the capabilities of the average person. Though one might point to the proliferation of dot com companies as support of Burke's position, I would argue that these are not average people, but rather the geniuses next door.This is a book that makes one ponder the fabric of life and the importance of each individual strand. It is light reading with a heavy point and in that regard it is extraordinarily elegant. I rated it a 9/10. I highly recommend it to anyone with a curious mind.

I still remember me as a kid, sitting in front of the TV set, looking for the program "Connections". It amazed me so much, that it made a difference for me. I started to study history in school more closely, and started to see the "links" where no one could find them. My thinking structure evolved to a four dimensional state: the classical-three-dimmensions, plus time. The book is a great refreshment of that experience, making us remember the way facts that appeared unrelated were closer to each other than we expected...

As a high school science teacher I love having Burke's perspective of how one idea leads to another in often a very indirect line. It also contains so many scrumptious tidbits about the inventors that are fun to bring up in class to catch the students attention and imagination. Anyone who really is interested in the history of science and science teaching should read this book.