Rating: 
Summary: Nothing at all like the Connections television show...
Review: I was first exposed to James Burke's Connections series via TDC, TLC, or PBS (I'm not sure which channel it ran on). I also read his column in Scientific American. I loved these works and quickly snapped up this book when I first ran across it.Boy, was I disappointed! This book is nothing at all like the series. It neglects to start with a specific topic, link it to what appears to be a totally unrelated topic, and then come full circle back to the original topic. The book would be best described as a collection of trivia but in no way is it presented with the same flair as the series or column. The worst part of this book for me was that it appeared to be choppy in certaing parts, due I suspect to the edition updates. Try it if you dare but don't expect the same Connections as the series or column!
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Introduction to Technology History
Review: If you've seen James Burke's TV program of the same name, or his
short-lived Scientific American column, you might be taken aback by the
relatively slower pacing of this book. I found that in the TV program
and the magazine column, Mr. Burke ricocheted from colorful personality
or idea to another, in a confusing, dazzling, and ultimately
entertaining way -- giving one the idea that the history of innovation
is that of one large web, but one doesn't get the larger cast of events. However, in the book, he slows down and spends pages upon the
developemnt of infantry tactics and the effects of the use of guns in
battle in Medieval and Renaissance warfare. This book is simply a
history of technology, told in 9 separate, large arcs, coming full
circle from the tenuous and interconnected energy system that resulted
in the unexpected 1965 Northeast American Blackout -- which is used as a
metaphor for the development of technology as a whole. More to the point, this book centers more on the overall social aspects
and developments of different societies; Mr. Burke is British, so one
sees how he comes back again and again to point out how England sprung
ahead or fell behind in certain developments, and why. He does mention
a few more flamboyant personalities in this history, but his thrust is
that techonological progress is more a function of being in the right
location at the right time, and combining the right concepts from those
who came before. As well, he focuses on how technological change
affects society: population and wealth fluctuations due to supply
bottlenecks, how fireplaces broke up the communal manor and inspired
courtly love traditions, how lack of social mobility stifled progress in
England and how cheap land in America meant the first factory works here
would be young women. Sometimes Burke gets mired in the details of the way some of
technological innovations work (I can't quite follow some of the
explanations of how clockworks tick), but it gives one a wider
perspective on what was possible at what time. It's true that each
chapter works chronologically, but overall the arc of the book is not
chronological, but thematic. This is not a scholarly text. However,
this is a good introduction to the history of Western technology - its
connections and its impacts.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Introduction to Technology History
Review: If you've seen James Burke's TV program of the same name, or his
short-lived Scientific American column, you might be taken aback by the
relatively slower pacing of this book. I found that in the TV program
and the magazine column, Mr. Burke ricocheted from colorful personality
or idea to another, in a confusing, dazzling, and ultimately
entertaining way -- giving one the idea that the history of innovation
is that of one large web, but one doesn't get the larger cast of events. However, in the book, he slows down and spends pages upon the
developemnt of infantry tactics and the effects of the use of guns in
battle in Medieval and Renaissance warfare. This book is simply a
history of technology, told in 9 separate, large arcs, coming full
circle from the tenuous and interconnected energy system that resulted
in the unexpected 1965 Northeast American Blackout -- which is used as a
metaphor for the development of technology as a whole. More to the point, this book centers more on the overall social aspects
and developments of different societies; Mr. Burke is British, so one
sees how he comes back again and again to point out how England sprung
ahead or fell behind in certain developments, and why. He does mention
a few more flamboyant personalities in this history, but his thrust is
that techonological progress is more a function of being in the right
location at the right time, and combining the right concepts from those
who came before. As well, he focuses on how technological change
affects society: population and wealth fluctuations due to supply
bottlenecks, how fireplaces broke up the communal manor and inspired
courtly love traditions, how lack of social mobility stifled progress in
England and how cheap land in America meant the first factory works here
would be young women. Sometimes Burke gets mired in the details of the way some of
technological innovations work (I can't quite follow some of the
explanations of how clockworks tick), but it gives one a wider
perspective on what was possible at what time. It's true that each
chapter works chronologically, but overall the arc of the book is not
chronological, but thematic. This is not a scholarly text. However,
this is a good introduction to the history of Western technology - its
connections and its impacts.
Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely Fascinating from start to end
Review: James Burke crafts a unique tour of all history of technology to show how developments in one area later had a significant impact in another area. Conversely, a particular invention could not have been Eurekaed into existance unless at least one of many possible paths had been taken.
Rating:
Summary: Book Describes Relation between Tech and History
Review: James Burke shows the reader how technology effected history, from the plow to the Battle of Hastings, right through modern Computer Revolution. The book is both entertaining and informative, and puncuated by wry wit. The illustrations sucessfully demonstate many of the described principles. However, one does have to look out for Burke's own moral conclusions in the first and last chapters
Rating:
Summary: A great story about history's connections ...
Review: July 16, 1999 I first became aware of James Burke work through the Discovery/TLC channels and when I stumbled across his audio novel Connections I had to try it out. Well the quality of James Burke's work set the stage for what was to become a new age in bedtime stories. My new born son then 3 months was quickly introduced to the art of the audio novel as his bedtime stories. Its been well over a year now and the little guy has now turned 18 months old. The very creative story of Connections still gets a replay every few months and he enjoys it every time. The only sad part about the James Burke audio novels is that I haven't seen a new one in a very long time. I highly recommend this creative story about historyn and the connections which brought us to where we are! Arnold D Veness
Rating:
Summary: A superior book for those who relish the wonders of history.
Review: Mr. Burke's clear and conversational style make this book a comfortable and quick read. If you are a fan of the TV series, this book will not disappoint. If you have never seen the series, this book makes you want to see the video version. Either way, the book stands on its own merits.
Rating:
Summary: Intelligent, funny, diversely knowledgable, and stimulating.
Review: The book is of the same quality as the television series. Definitely worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: A materialist view of history needs illustrations
Review: The point of James Burke's Connections is that material inventions and environmental conditions (not ideas) are the driving force behind the way that societal interaction is structured. As such, Burke reopens the centuries-old Marx-Hegel debate about whether or not our world is structured by the ideas of prominent thinkers (ie: Martin Luther) or the invention of certain objects (ie: the deep plow) and other material conditions (ie: the Black Plauge). While you may or may not agree with Burke, on all levels, he does a great job of supporting his central argument. From the claim that the first cities were formed as the result of the receding ice age to the idea that romance became viewed by society as a "private" thing with the invention of the fireplace, he is consistent in his thinking. And while, the gaping hole in his argument is his failure to acknowledge that it was the *ideas* of certain "gifted" persons (ie: Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers) to put available materials together in a useful way, he still reaffims my conviction that social relations are a function of the material world around us. Bottom line is that we don't structure our world as much as we like to think. Sadly, I found the lack of illustrations in the abridged audio edition had the overall effect of weakening his argument to some degree. I'm really not big on illustrations in texts, but I think to thoughroughly appreciate James Burke's ideas, you have to "see them". For instance, it's very distracting to try to visualize "Volta's Electric Pile" in your head and keep track of what Burke is talking about. I suppose that's why the Mini-series and the book did so well. (5 stars for the now unavailable book, by the way) On the other hand, I take strong exception to the reviewer who claims that Burke "...goes off on tangents..." in Connections. His attention to fine detail is much appreciated as both thoughtful commentary and, more importantly, substatiative evidence to his claims. Reviewers who do not see the value of such introspection perhaps lack the attention-span that is required to read (or listen to, as the case may be) Burke's treatise. In sum, I deduct one star for the audio edition for its lack of illustrations.
Rating:
Summary: A materialist view of history needs illustrations
Review: The point of James Burke's Connections is that material inventions and environmental conditions (not ideas) are the driving force behind the way that societal interaction is structured. As such, Burke reopens the centuries-old Marx-Hegel debate about whether or not our world is structured by the ideas of prominent thinkers (ie: Martin Luther) or the invention of certain objects (ie: the deep plow) and other material conditions (ie: the Black Plauge). While you may or may not agree with Burke, on all levels, he does a great job of supporting his central argument. From the claim that the first cities were formed as the result of the receding ice age to the idea that romance became viewed by society as a "private" thing with the invention of the fireplace, he is consistent in his thinking. And while, the gaping hole in his argument is his failure to acknowledge that it was the *ideas* of certain "gifted" persons (ie: Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers) to put available materials together in a useful way, he still reaffims my conviction that social relations are a function of the material world around us. Bottom line is that we don't structure our world as much as we like to think. Sadly, I found the lack of illustrations in the abridged audio edition had the overall effect of weakening his argument to some degree. I'm really not big on illustrations in texts, but I think to thoughroughly appreciate James Burke's ideas, you have to "see them". For instance, it's very distracting to try to visualize "Volta's Electric Pile" in your head and keep track of what Burke is talking about. I suppose that's why the Mini-series and the book did so well. (5 stars for the now unavailable book, by the way) On the other hand, I take strong exception to the reviewer who claims that Burke "...goes off on tangents..." in Connections. His attention to fine detail is much appreciated as both thoughtful commentary and, more importantly, substatiative evidence to his claims. Reviewers who do not see the value of such introspection perhaps lack the attention-span that is required to read (or listen to, as the case may be) Burke's treatise. In sum, I deduct one star for the audio edition for its lack of illustrations.
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