Dear Doc:
I’m going to the beach and I am tired of re-reading old spy novels. Know any exciting books about intellectual property law?
Signed,
Eccentric Beachbum
Dear EB:
Absolutely! The “Doc” just loves a good suspenseful mystery, and in the Doc’s opinion, there is none better than William Rosen’s The Most Powerful Idea in the World: A Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention. Who doesn’t love steam engines? This book seems, at first, to be a rather dry history of the beginnings of the industrial revolution in England. Give it a chance, though, because it quickly becomes a rather dry history of the beginnings of the industrial revolution in France, England and a few other places. By about page 40 though, it’s a real page-turner. I won’t spoil it for you, but here’s the clue: the most powerful idea in the world is NOT the steam engine!
Rosen is an engaging historian, and his depiction of the epic battles and monumental forces that reshaped our world in the early 19th Century echo in today’s world of globalization and disruptive shift. If, as they say, history does not repeat itself, but certainly rhymes, then Rosen’s book should be required reading. If you, like the Doc, are fascinated by technology and business, as well as strong characters who shape the societies in which they live, you’ll enjoy it. Trust the Doc.
— Lawrence A. Husick, Esq.