Anticipations of the Reaction of Mechanical and Scientific Progress Upon Human Life and Thought [Large Print]

By: Wells, H. G.

Great social critic predicted the future in this fascinating 1901 volume, a mix of shrewd, accurate speculations, and wild misses, full of stimulating ideas. Includes Wells' introduction to the 1914... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Large Print: Yes
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1116900963
• ISBN13: 9781116900965
• Release Date: November 2009
• Publisher: BiblioLife
• Length: 350 Pages
• Weight: 1.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 9.7" x 7.4"

Customer Reviews

Nostradamus ain’t got nothing on HG.

Around the turn of the century, 1901, a famous Sci-fi writer who was well known for predicting the future applied his trade. Instead of taking the word of experts on HG, we get his speculations firsthand. The book starts innocuously by describing how, by turning a "steam pump" on its side, we now have a steam engine. He makes some good points against the wisdom of the time that ideas come together at just the right time to create just the right answer to a problem. From here, he speculates on how mechanized transportation will change society. HG is just warming up as he now speculates on government, military, and social conscience. He used the term “The New Republic” to describe his future world. I may have to take his word on many of the subjects, but I can relate to his military references. It took the Vietnam War to shake the military up enough to make HG’s speculation on an educated, well-oiled military that we have today. It was the generals of the time, the generals of the Vietnam era, who realized that we needed just about everything HG predicted, from technical advances to intelligent soldiers to the concept of “Land, Sea, Air” warfare. Some of his speculations may be a bit strange or maybe just a tad different. It looks like he thinks that democracy will be exchanged for the rule of technocrats. Moreover, he is not too sure of the future domination of the English language. In any event, this book is well worth reading as it is the core of HG’s views of humankind.