At the turn of the 20th century, industrial manufacturing was expanding dramatically while factory buildings remained fire-prone relics of an earlier age. That is, until a 28-year-old civil engineer finally achieved what engineers around the world had unsuccessfully attempted. Working in his brother's basement in Detroit, Julius Kahn invented the first practical and scientific method of reinforcing concrete with steel bars, which finally made it possible to construct strong, fireproof buildings. After Kahn founded a company in 1903 to manufacture and sell his reinforcement bars, his system of construction became the most widely used throughout the world.

Drawing upon Kahn's personal correspondence, architectural drawings, company records, and contemporary news and journal articles, Michael G. Smith reveals how this man--whose family had immigrated to the US to escape antisemitism in Germany--played an important role in the rise of concrete. Concrete not only turned the tide against widespread destruction of buildings by fire, it also paved the way for our modern economy. Concrete Century will delight readers intrigued by architecture and construction technology alike with the true origin story of modern concrete buildings.

This engaging survey of the Space Age links science and technology with politics and popular culture, war and peace, and crises and controversies. It examines the history of spaceflight as a mirror of human thought and action across the Earth.

The volume encompasses the new astronomy and sciences of the modern era, the early dreamers and pioneers after 1903, the national competitions of the First World War, the rocket states that prepared for the Second World War, the rivalries and space race of the Cold War between the US and USSR, as well as more recent developments including the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station, national space programs, orbital technologies, transhumanism, and military and commercial ventures in space. It also stresses the importance of geography in the geopolitics of spaceflight competition and in the nature of the planetary biosphere. Taking a chronological approach to lived human experience and threshold achievements, the chapters show how these themes have been reflected in literature, art, music, film, and our new digital worlds.

This book is essential reading for students of the history of the Space Age, as well as an excellent companion to courses on twentieth-century science and technology, the Cold War, and American history.

The Rocket Lab: Maurice Zucrow, Purdue University, and America's Race to Space focuses on the golden era of space exploration between 1946 and 1966, specifically the life and times of Purdue University's Dr. Maurice J. Zucrow, a pioneering teacher and researcher in aerospace engineering. Zucrow taught America's first university course in jet and rocket propulsion, wrote the field's first textbook, and established the country's first educational Rocket Lab. He was part of a small circle of innovators who transformed Purdue into the country's largest engineering university, which became a cradle of astronauts. Taking a chronological and thematic approach, The Rocket Lab weaves between the local and national, drawing in rival universities, especially Harvard, MIT, Princeton, and Caltech. Also covered is Zucrow's role in the national project system of research and development through World War II and the Cold War. At Aerojet, he was one of the country's original project engineers, dedicated to scientific-technical expertise and the stepwise approach. He made vanguard power plant contributions to the Northrop Flying Wing, as well as the Corporal, Nike, and Atlas missiles, among others. Zucrow's work in propulsion helped to improve the country's arsenal of ballistic missiles and space launchers, and as a teacher, he educated the first generation of aerospace engineers. This book elevates Zucrow and the central role he played in getting the United States to space.

The Rocket Lab: Maurice Zucrow, Purdue University, and America's Race to Space focuses on the golden era of space exploration between 1946 and 1966, specifically the life and times of Purdue University's Dr. Maurice J. Zucrow, a pioneering teacher and researcher in aerospace engineering. Zucrow taught America's first university course in jet and rocket propulsion, wrote the field's first textbook, and established the country's first educational Rocket Lab. He was part of a small circle of innovators who transformed Purdue into the country's largest engineering university, which became a cradle of astronauts. Taking a chronological and thematic approach, The Rocket Lab weaves between the local and national, drawing in rival universities, especially Harvard, MIT, Princeton, and Caltech. Also covered is Zucrow's role in the national project system of research and development through World War II and the Cold War. At Aerojet, he was one of the country's original project engineers, dedicated to scientific-technical expertise and the stepwise approach. He made vanguard power plant contributions to the Northrop Flying Wing, as well as the Corporal, Nike, and Atlas missiles, among others. Zucrow's work in propulsion helped to improve the country's arsenal of ballistic missiles and space launchers, and as a teacher, he educated the first generation of aerospace engineers. This book elevates Zucrow and the central role he played in getting the United States to space.

You may have heard of the infamous dog snatches baby case that happened in Kentucky in July 2009. Just three days old, Baby AJ was fast asleep in his crib after a morning feeding. With his parents downstairs preparing for the rest of the day, Dakota and Nikita, two of the family dogs, snuck upstairs and opened the back door to the bedroom. Dakota then took AJ out of his crib and proceeded out back into the woods, carrying AJ in her mouth. The mother, Chrissie, is a British citizen and the father, Michael, was born in Indiana. Together they give a brief account of their lives prior to the accident followed by excruciating details of the accident itself including the 15 minutes it took to find their son and the nightmare they had to endure afterwards. Starting with the accident and the 911 call, followed by the emergency room and AJ's stay in Pediatric Intensive Care, Michael and Chrissie give a very personal account of the feelings and emotions they experienced along with pictures from their private collection. Although the story generated a massive media storm and immediately made national news, the public was generally shielded from the private details the couple had to deal with in the background. Michael and Chrissie intimately share those private details including social services and Sheriff investigations that ultimately resulted in information brought before the grand jury and formal child neglect charges filed against the couple. Michael and Chrissie gives you a chance to step into their shoes and experience what it was like to not only live through a horrifying accident of this nature but for all of the parents out there with newborns, wonder whether or not, Could This Happen To You?

This engaging survey of the Space Age links science and technology with politics and popular culture, war and peace, and crises and controversies. It examines the history of spaceflight as a mirror of human thought and action across the Earth.

The volume encompasses the new astronomy and sciences of the modern era, the early dreamers and pioneers after 1903, the national competitions of the First World War, the rocket states that prepared for the Second World War, the rivalries and space race of the Cold War between the US and USSR, as well as more recent developments including the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station, national space programs, orbital technologies, transhumanism, and military and commercial ventures in space. It also stresses the importance of geography in the geopolitics of spaceflight competition and in the nature of the planetary biosphere. Taking a chronological approach to lived human experience and threshold achievements, the chapters show how these themes have been reflected in literature, art, music, film, and our new digital worlds.

This book is essential reading for students of the history of the Space Age, as well as an excellent companion to courses on twentieth-century science and technology, the Cold War, and American history.

Rockets and Revolution offers a multifaceted study of the race toward space in the first half of the twentieth century, examining how the Russian, European, and American pioneers competed against one another in the early years to acquire the fundamentals of rocket science, engineer simple rockets, and ultimately prepare the path for human spaceflight.

Between 1903 and 1953, Russia matured in radical and dramatic ways as the tensions and expectations of the Russian revolution drew it both westward and spaceward. European and American industrial capacities became the models to imitate and to surpass. The burden was always on Soviet Russia to catch up--enough to achieve a number of remarkable firsts in these years, from the first national rocket society to the first comprehensive surveys of spaceflight. Russia rose to the challenges of its Western rivals time and again, transcending the arenas of science and technology and adapting rocket science to popular culture, science fiction, political ideology, and military programs.

While that race seemed well on its way to achieving the goal of space travel and exploring life on other planets, during the second half of the twentieth century these scientific advances turned back on humankind with the development of the intercontinental ballistic missile and the coming of the Cold War.

Shines a light on Detroit architect Wirt Rowland who, until now, has largely slipped into obscurity.

In the early 1900s, Detroit was leading the nation in architectural innovation and designer Wirt Rowland was at the forefront of this advancement, yet few are even aware of his substantial contribution to the evolution of architectural style. It is widely believed that celebrated local architect Albert Kahn designed many of Detroit's structures, such as the General Motors and First National Bank buildings. In fact, while Kahn's efforts were focused on running his highly successful firm, it was Rowland, his chief designer, who was responsible for the appearance and layout of these buildings--an important point in appreciating the contributions of both Kahn and Rowland. During the early twentieth century, Rowland devised a wholly new or modern design for buildings, one not reliant on decorative elements copied from architecture of the past. As buildings became more specialized for their intended use, Rowland met the challenge with entirely new design methodologies and a number of improved technologies and materials that subsequently became commonplace.

Designing Detroit: Wirt Rowland and the Rise of Modern American Architecture begins with a brief overview of Rowland's early life and career. Author Michael G. Smith goes on to analyze Rowland's achievements in building design and as a leader of Detroit's architectural community throughout both World Wars and the Great Depression. The interdependence of architecture with the city's fluctuating economic prosperity and population growth is explored, illuminating the conditions for good architecture and the arts in general. The author identifies the influence of Jay Hambidge's dynamic symmetry in Rowland's work and how it allowed him to employ color as a modern replacement for traditional ornamentation, leading to the revolutionary design of the Union Trust (Guardian) Building, for which he receives nearly unanimous praise in national media. This book is concerned primarily with Rowland's influence on Detroit architecture, but spans beyond his work in Michigan to include the designer's broad reach from New York to Miami. A comprehensive appendix includes extensive lists of Rowland's publications, locations he had designed, and jobs taken on by his firm during his tenure.

This book represents new research and insights not previously discussed in either scholarly or general audience texts and will be of interest to casual readers of Detroit history, as well as architecture historians.

You may have heard of the infamous dog snatches baby case that happened in Kentucky in July 2009. Just three days old, Baby AJ was fast asleep in his crib after a morning feeding. With his parents downstairs preparing for the rest of the day, Dakota and Nikita, two of the family dogs, snuck upstairs and opened the back door to the bedroom. Dakota then took AJ out of his crib and proceeded out back into the woods, carrying AJ in her mouth. The mother, Chrissie, is a British citizen and the father, Michael, was born in Indiana. Together they give a brief account of their lives prior to the accident followed by excruciating details of the accident itself including the 15 minutes it took to find their son and the nightmare they had to endure afterwards. Starting with the accident and the 911 call, followed by the emergency room and AJ's stay in Pediatric Intensive Care, Michael and Chrissie give a very personal account of the feelings and emotions they experienced along with pictures from their private collection. Although the story generated a massive media storm and immediately made national news, the public was generally shielded from the private details the couple had to deal with in the background. Michael and Chrissie intimately share those private details including social services and Sheriff investigations that ultimately resulted in information brought before the grand jury and formal child neglect charges filed against the couple. Michael and Chrissie gives you a chance to step into their shoes and experience what it was like to not only live through a horrifying accident of this nature but for all of the parents out there with newborns, wonder whether or not, Could This Happen To You?

No detailed description available for Language and Power in the Creation of the USSR, 1917-1953.