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Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 7
by Giorgio Lollino Massimo Arattano Marco Giardino Ricardo Oliveira Silvia PeppoloniThis book is one out of 8 IAEG XII Congress volumes and deals with education and the professional ethics, which scientists, regulators and practitioners of engineering geology inevitably have to face through the purposes, methods, limitations and findings of their works. This volume presents contributions on the professional responsibilities of engineering geologists; the interaction of engineering geologists with other professionals; recognition of the engineering geological profession and its particular contribution to society, culture, and economy and implications for the education of engineering geologists at tertiary level and in further education schemes. Issues treated in this volume are: the position of engineering geology within the geo-engineering profession; professional ethics and communication; resource use and re-use; managing risk in a litigious world; engineering and geological responsibility and engineering geology at tertiary level. The Engineering Geology for Society and Territory volumes of the IAEG XII Congress held in Torino from September 15-19, 2014, analyze the dynamic role of engineering geology in our changing world and build on the four main themes of the congress: Environment, processes, issues and approaches. The congress topics and subject areas of the 8 IAEG XII Congress volumes are: Climate Change and Engineering Geology. Landslide Processes. River Basins, Reservoir Sedimentation and Water Resources. Marine and Coastal Processes. Urban Geology, Sustainable Planning and Landscape Exploitation. Applied Geology for Major Engineering Projects. Education, Professional Ethics and Public Recognition of Engineering Geology. Preservation of Cultural Heritage.
Engineering Geology for Society and Territory - Volume 8
by Giorgio Lollino Daniele Giordan Cristian Marunteanu Basiles Christaras Iwasaki Yoshinori Claudio MargottiniThis book is one out of 8 IAEG XII Congress volumes, and deals with the preservation of cultural heritage. In 1972, the World Heritage Convention linked in a single framework the concepts of nature conservation and the preservation of cultural sites. Since then, engineering geology is enlarging its contributions to national and international projects on this topic and is extending its interests to key issues like: safeguarding of monuments and sites from geotechnical perspectives; advanced monitoring; investigations on cultural landscapes; development of geo-databases for cultural heritage classification; studies on the interactions between humankind, natural landscape evolution and cultural heritage; analysis of weathering and deterioration of rock properties of monuments; risk analysis of sites affected by natural hazards and many others. With the contributions in this book, engineering geologists, conservation scientists and further experts from other natural, social and economic sciences, as well as representatives of international organizations and national and local administrative authorities exchange their ideas and practices on culture heritage preservation by presenting both local case studies and multidisciplinary international projects. The Engineering Geology for Society and Territory volumes of the IAEG XII Congress held in Torino from September 15-19, 2014, analyze the dynamic role of engineering geology in our changing world and build on the four main themes of the congress: Environment, processes, issues and approaches. The congress topics and subject areas of the 8 IAEG XII Congress volumes are: Climate Change and Engineering Geology. Landslide Processes. River Basins, Reservoir Sedimentation and Water Resources. Marine and Coastal Processes. Urban Geology, Sustainable Planning and Landscape Exploitation. Applied Geology for Major Engineering Projects. Education, Professional Ethics and Public Recognition of Engineering Geology. Preservation of Cultural Heritage.
Engineering Geology for Underground Works
by Paola Gattinoni Enrico Maria Pizzarotti Laura ScesiThe construction of tunnels involves the resolution of various complex technical problems depending on the geological and geological-environmental context in which the work fits. Only a careful analysis of all the geological and geological-environmental issues and a correct reconstruction of the conceptual model can lead to optimal design solutions from all points of view (including financial) and ensure the safety of workers during the construction and users in the operation phase. It was therefore felt that there was a need to collect in one volume the state of current knowledge about: all the geological and environmental issues related to the construction of underground works the different methodologies used for the reconstruction of the conceptual model the different risk typologies that it is possible to encounter or that can arise from tunnel construction, and the most important risk assessment, management and mitigation methodologies that are used in tunneling studies.
Engineering Geology of Melbourne
by W. A. Peck J. L. Neilson R. J. Olds K. D. SeddonA compilation of papers describing the geology, engineering properties and the hazards and design issues associated with the substrata of Melbourne and its surrounds. It includes the area from Geelong to Bacchus Marsch to the Dandenongs and Mornington Peninsula.
Engineering geology of the Sydney Region: Published on behalf of the Australian Geomechanics Society
by P.J.N.PELLSThis book brings together in one place as much factual data as possible relating to the engineering geology of the Sydney Region, A huge amount of information resides in the files of various consulting and government organizations from the innumerable site investigations and construction projects in Sydney. This information brought together provides a data source that is the first point of reference for future investigations and construction projects.With the above object in mind subject headings were established based on the stratigraphic sequence of the Sydney Basin. Invitations were extended to potential authors with expertise and experience in these subjects and after some two years, the papers in this volume were produced. Engineering Geology of the Sydney Region is produced by a committee. As such it has the advantage of canvassing a broad range of opinion and experience. A data source has been produced for geotechnical engineers and engineering geologists working in or having a particular interest in the Sydney Region.
Engineering Geophysics
by Anna Bondo Medhus Lone KlinkbyEngineering Geophysics connects onshore geotechnical engineering challenges to the geophysical methods that may be applied to solve them. Unknown geological conditions are a risk in construction projects, and geophysical information can help to identify those risks. The book answers questions on how, why, and when the individual and combined methods provide the results requested. Flowcharts guide the reader to geophysical methods that can be applied for various engineering challenges, and the solutions are illustrated with practical case histories. The book is intended mainly for geotechnical engineers and geologists but also for geophysicists or managers in need of an overview or brushup on geophysical methods and their practical applications. In addition, it can be used by educational institutions in courses both for geotechnical engineers and geologists.
Engineering GNVQ: Intermediate, 2nd ed
by Mike TooleyThis book presents the content of the GNVQ in a way that encourages students to explore engineering for themselves, developing the expertise and knowledge required at this level. As well as a clear and accessible text, emphasis is placed on learning through activities, and self-evaluation through frequent knowledge-checks. Practice questions are also provided, and will prove particularly helpful for externally assessed units.Much of this book is completely new - reflecting a major syllabus revision that has taken place. The inclusion of the key optional unit, Applied Science and Mathematics for Engineering, extends the book in a way that will really make it core reading for all Intermediate GNVQ students. This book is the only text endorsed by Edexcel for Intermediate and Foundation engineering GNVQs. The content of the optional unit has also been designed to match City & Guilds requirements.
Engineering Granular Microbiomes: Bacterial Resource Management for Nutrient Removal in Aerobic Granular Sludge Wastewater Treatment Systems (Springer Theses)
by David Gregory WeissbrodtThis book reports on the ecological engineering of granular sludge processes for a high-rate removal of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus nutrients in compact wastewater treatment plants. It provides novel insights into microorganisms and metabolisms in wastewater microbiomes and the use of microbial ecology principles to manage wastewater treatment processes. It covers a very comprehensive and inter-disciplinary research of systems microbiology and environmental biotechnology. From the initial economic assessment of the aerobic granular sludge technology, concepts of microbiome science and engineering are developed to uncover and manage the microbial ecosystem of granular sludge. Mixed-culture biotechnological processes, multifactorial experimental designs, laser scanning microscopy, molecular microbial ecology and bioinformatics methods, numerical ecology workflows, and mathematical modelling are engaged to disentangle granulation phenomena, microbial selection, and nutrient conversions across scales. The findings are assembled in a guideline for microbial resource management in granular sludge processes to support knowledge utilization in engineering practice. Outputs are integrated in the state of the art of biological wastewater treatment. This book addresses both scientists and engineers who are eager to get insights into and engineer microbiomes for environmental biotechnologies. It makes a valuable contribution to methods for strengthening the role of wastewater treatment plants for recovering safe water and resources, in the context of circular economy and for sustaining health and the environment in an ecologically balanced society.
Engineering Graphics
by Aleksandr Yurievich BrailovThis professionaltreatise on engineering graphics emphasizes engineering geometry as thetheoretical foundation for communication of design ideas with real worldstructures and products. It considers each theoretical notion of engineeringgeometry as a complex solution of direct- and inverse-problems of descriptivegeometry and each solution of basic engineering problems presented isaccompanied by construction of biunique two- and three-dimension models ofgeometrical images. The book explains the universal structure of formalalgorithms of the solutions of positional, metric, and axonometric problems, aswell as the solutions of problems of construction in developing a curvilinearsurface. The book further characterizes and explains the added laws ofprojective connections to facilitate construction of geometrical images in anyof eight octants. Laws of projective connections allow constructing the complexdrawing of a geometrical image in the American system of measurement and theEuropean system of measurement without errors and mistakes. The arrangement ofprojections of a geometrical image on the complex drawing corresponds to anarrangement of views of a product in the projective drawing for the Europeansystem of measurement. The volume is ideal for engineers working on a range ofdesign projects as well as for students of civil, structural, and industrialengineering and engineering design.
Engineering Graphics: Text and Workbook
by Jerry W. Craig Orval B. Craig<p>This book focuses on strengthening 3D visualization skills through sketching exercises. It does not make reference to any particular computer-aided design software package. Points emphasized: <p> <br>1. Shape representation and problem solving using freehand sketching. Assignments can be completed outside class. <br>2. Surface Analysis -- A powerful approach to teaching visualization. <br>3. Establishes a process for solving problems. Students can solve features of objects before they can see; the shapes. <br>4. Challenging problems. Worksheet layouts allow faster progress. <br>5. Students learn how to think about shapes in three dimensions. <br>6. Students can prove every line on a drawing. There is no question whether the answer is correct or not.</br> </p>
Engineering Graphics with SolidWorks 2013
by David C. Planchard Marie P. PlanchardEngineering Graphics with SolidWorks 2013 is written to assist technical school, two year college, four year university instructor/student or industry professional that is a beginner or intermediate SolidWorks user. The book combines the fundamentals of engineering graphics and dimensioning practices with a step-by-step project based approach to learning SolidWorks. The book is divided into two parts: Engineering Graphics and SolidWorks 3D CAD software.
The Engineering Handbook (ISSN)
by Richard C. DorfFirst published in 1995, The Engineering Handbook quickly became the definitive engineering reference. Although it remains a bestseller, the many advances realized in traditional engineering fields along with the emergence and rapid growth of fields such as biomedical engineering, computer engineering, and nanotechnology mean that the time has come to bring this standard-setting reference up to date.New in the Second Edition19 completely new chapters addressing important topics in bioinstrumentation, control systems, nanotechnology, image and signal processing, electronics, environmental systems, structural systems 131 chapters fully revised and updated Expanded lists of engineering associations and societiesThe Engineering Handbook, Second Edition is designed to enlighten experts in areas outside their own specialties, to refresh the knowledge of mature practitioners, and to educate engineering novices. Whether you work in industry, government, or academia, this is simply the best, most useful engineering reference you can have in your personal, office, or institutional library.
Engineering Haptic Devices
by Christian Hatzfeld Thorsten A. KernIn this greatly reworked second edition of Engineering Haptic Devices the psychophysic content has been thoroughly revised and updated. Chapters on haptic interaction, system structures and design methodology were rewritten from scratch to include further basic principles and recent findings. New chapters on the evaluation of haptic systems and the design of three exemplary haptic systems from science and industry have been added. This book was written for students and engineers that are faced with the development of a task-specific haptic system. It is a reference book for the basics of haptic interaction and existing haptic systems and methods as well as an excellent source of information for technical questions arising in the design process of systems and components. Divided into two parts, part 1 contains typical application areas of haptic systems and a thorough analysis of haptics as an interaction modality. The role of the user in the design of haptic systems is discussed and relevant design and development stages are outlined. Part II presents all relevant problems in the design of haptic systems including general system and control structures, kinematic structures, actuator principles and sensors for force and kinematic measures. Further chapters examine interfaces and software development for virtual reality simulations.
Engineering Haptic Devices: A Beginner's Guide (Springer Series on Touch and Haptic Systems)
by Thorsten A. Kern Christian Hatzfeld Alireza AbbasimoshaeiThis is an open access book.In this third edition of Engineering Haptic Devices the software part was rewritten from scratch and now includes even more details on tactile and texture interaction modalities. The kinematics section was improved to extend beyond a pure knowledge explanation to a comprehensive guideline on how to actually do and implement haptic kinematic functions. The control section was reworked incorporating some hands-on experience on control implementation on haptic systems. The system, actuator and sensor design chapters were updated to allow easier access to the content.This book is written for students and engineers faced with the development of a task-specific haptic system. Now 14 years after its first edition, it is still a reference for the basics of haptic interaction and existing haptic systems and methods as well as an excellent source of information for technical questions arising in the design process of systems and components. Following a system engineering approach, it is divided into two parts with Part I containing background and reference information as a knowledge basis. Typical application areas of haptic systems and a thorough analysis of haptics as an interaction modality are introduced. The role of users in the design of haptic systems is discussed and relevant design and development stages are outlined. Part II presents all related challenges in the design of haptic systems including general system architecture and control structures, kinematics, actuator principles and all types of sensors you may encounter doing haptic device development. Beside these hardware and mechanical topics, further chapters examine state-of-the-art interfaces to operate the devices, and hardware and software development to push haptic systems to their limits.
Engineering Heat Transfer
by Donatello AnnaratoneThis book is a generalist textbook; it is designed for anybody interested in heat transmission, including scholars, designers and students. Two criteria constitute the foundation of Annaratone's books, including the present one. The first one consists of indispensable scientific rigor without theoretical exasperation. The inclusion in the book of some theoretical studies, even if admirable for their scientific rigor, would have strengthened the scientific foundation of this publication, yet without providing the reader with further applicable know-how. The second criterion is to deliver practical solution to operational problems. This criterion is fulfilled through equations based on scientific rigor, as well as a series of approximated equations, leading to convenient and practically acceptable solutions, and through diagrams and tables. When a practical case is close to a well defined theoretical solution, corrective factors are shown to offer simple and correct solutions to the problem.
Engineering Hydrology of Arid and Semi-Arid Regions
by Mostafa M. SolimanThe natural scarcity of water in arid and semiarid regions, aggravated by man-made factors, makes it difficult to achieve a reliable water resources supply. Communities in these areas pay the price for thousands of years of water manipulation. Presenting important insight into the complexities of arid region hydrology, Engineering Hydrology of Arid
Engineering in Dependability of Computer Systems and Networks: Proceedings of the Fourteenth International Conference on Dependability of Computer Systems DepCoS-RELCOMEX, July 1–5, 2019, Brunów, Poland (Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing #987)
by Wojciech Zamojski Jacek Mazurkiewicz Jarosław Sugier Tomasz Walkowiak Janusz KacprzykThis book presents papers on various problems of dependability in computer systems and networks that were discussed at the 14th DepCoS-RELCOMEX conference, in Brunów, Poland, from 1st to 5th July 2019. Discussing new ideas, research results and developments in the design, implementation, maintenance and analysis of complex computer systems, it is of interest to researchers and practitioners who are dealing with dependability issues in such systems. Dependability analysis came as a response to new challenges in the evaluation of contemporary complex systems, which should be considered as systems of people – with their needs and behaviours –interacting with technical communication channels (such as mobile activities, iCloud, Internet of Everything) and online applications, often operating in hostile environments. The diversity of topics covered, illustrates the variety of methods used in this area, often with the help of the latest results in artificial and computational intelligence.
Engineering in Plain Sight: An Illustrated Field Guide to the Constructed Environment
by Grady HillhouseEngineering in Plain Sight is a beautifully illustrated field guide with accessible explanations to nearly every part of the constructed world around us.Author Grady Hillhouse is the creator behind the popular YouTube channel Practical Engineering (over 3 million subscribers!) and this book is essentially 50 new episodes crammed between two covers.Engineering in Plain Sight extends the field guide genre from natural phenomena to human-made structures, making them approachable and understandable to non-engineers. It transforms readers' perspectives of the built environment, converting the act of looking at infrastructure from a mundane inevitability into an everyday diversion and joy. Each section of this accessible, informative book features colorful illustrations revealing the fascinating details of how the human-made world works. An ideal road trip companion, this book offers a fresh perspective on the parts of the environment that often blend into the background. Readers will learn to identify characteristics of the electrical grid, roadways, railways, bridges, tunnels, waterways, and more. Engineering in Plain Sight inspires curiosity, interest, and engagement in how the infrastructure around us is designed and constructed.
Engineering in the Confederate Heartland
by Larry J. DanielWhile engineers played a critical role in the performance of both the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War, few historians have examined their experiences or impact. Larry J. Daniel’s Engineering in the Confederate Heartland fills a gap in that historiography by analyzing the accomplishments of these individuals working for the Confederacy in the vast region between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River, commonly referred to as the Western Theater. Though few in number, the members of the western engineer corps were vital in implementing Confederate strategy and tactics.Most Confederate engineers possessed little to no military training, transitioning from the civilian tasks of water drainage, railroad construction, and land surveys to overseeing highly technical war-related projects. Their goal was simple in mission but complex in implementation: utilize their specialized skills to defeat, or at least slow, the Union juggernaut. The geographical diversity of the Heartland further complicated their charge. The expansive area featured elevations reaching over six thousand feet, sandstone bluffs cut by running valleys on the Cumberland Plateau, the Nashville basin’s thick cedar glades and rolling farmland, and the wind-blown silt soil of the Loess Plains of the Mississippi Valley. Regardless of the topography, engineers encountered persistent flooding in all sectors.Daniel’s study challenges the long-held thesis that the area lacked adept professionals. Engineers’ expertise and labor, especially in the construction of small bridges and the laying of pontoons, often proved pivotal. Lacking sophisticated equipment and technical instruments, they nonetheless achieved numerous successes: the Union army never breached the defenses at Vicksburg or Atlanta, and by late 1864, the Army of Tennessee boasted a pontoon train sufficient to span the Tennessee River. Daniel uncovers these and other essential contributions to the war effort made by the Confederacy’s western engineers.
Engineering Information Security
by Stuart JacobsInformation security is the act of protecting information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction. This book discusses why information security is needed and how security problems can have widespread impacts. It covers the complete security lifecycle of products and services, starting with requirements and policy development and progressing through development, deployment, and operations, and concluding with decommissioning. Professionals in the sciences, engineering, and communications fields will turn to this resource to understand the many legal, technical, competitive, criminal and consumer forces and influences that are rapidly changing our information dependent society.If you're a professor and would like a copy of the solutions manual, please contact ieeepress@ieee.org.The material previously found on the CD can now be found on www.booksupport.wiley.com.
Engineering Innovative Products: A Practical Experience
by Roger Woods Karen Rafferty Julian Murphy Paul Hermon"The book provides vital insights into commercial development for engineering students in a highly practical and applied manner. Over the past 3 years, application of the book’s material has allowed the students to develop their commercial literacy and ambition in the University." —Steve Orr, Director, Northern Ireland Science Park CONNECT program which looks to accelerate the growth of knowledge-based companies in Northern Ireland Engineering Innovative Products: A Practical Experience is a pioneering book that will be of key use to senior undergraduate and graduate engineering students who are being encouraged to explore innovation and commercialization as part of their courses. The book will teach the essential skills of entrepreneurship and address the fundamental requirements needed to establish a successful technology company. As well as providing the crucial background and insights enabling students to identify a key market, it also offers a highly practical guide to undertaking genuine product validation and producing a feasibility study, as well as providing vital insights into the challenges and demands in forming a technology based company. Key features: Outlines how to develop and grow an engineering solution which has market potential and covers key business aspects of giving the perfect pitch, sales and marketing, protection of ideas and finance, to offer a complete and practical guide to commercializing ideas. Provides vital insight into the design and innovation processes within engineering and the challenges and pitfalls in translating good ideas into great products. Features contributions from leading experts in marketing, finance, company formation, sales and intellectual protection which provides details of the challenges faced by innovators when commercializing ideas. Includes Ccase studies from engineering students who give insights into how they have successfully developed their own ideas into companies.
Engineering Instruction for High-Ability Learners in K-8 Classrooms
by Alicia Cotabish Debbie DaileyEngineering Instruction for High-Ability Learners in K-8 Classrooms is an application-based practitioners' guide to applied engineering that is grounded in engineering practices found in the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Standards for Engineering Education. The book will provide educators with information and examples on integrating engineering into existing and newly designed curriculum. The book will specify necessary components of engineering curriculum and instruction, recommend appropriate activities to encourage problem solving, creativity, and innovation, and provide examples of innovative technology in engineering curriculum and instruction. Additionally, authors will discuss professional development practices to best prepare teachers for engineering instruction and provide recommendations to identify engineering talent among K-8 students. Finally, the book will include a wealth of resources, including sample lesson and assessment plans, to assist educators in integrating engineering into their curriculum and instruction.
Engineering Intelligent Systems: Systems Engineering and Design with Artificial Intelligence, Visual Modeling, and Systems Thinking
by Barclay R. BrownEngineering Intelligent Systems Exploring the three key disciplines of intelligent systems As artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology continue to develop and find new applications, advances in this field have generally been focused on the development of isolated software data analysis systems or of control systems for robots and other devices. By applying model-based systems engineering to AI, however, engineers can design complex systems that rely on AI-based components, resulting in larger, more complex intelligent systems that successfully integrate humans and AI. Engineering Intelligent Systems relies on Dr. Barclay R. Brown’s 25 years of experience in software and systems engineering to propose an integrated perspective to the challenges and opportunities in the use of artificial intelligence to create better technological and business systems. While most recent research on the topic has focused on adapting and improving algorithms and devices, this book puts forth the innovative idea of transforming the systems in our lives, our societies, and our businesses into intelligent systems. At its heart, this book is about how to combine systems engineering and systems thinking with the newest technologies to design increasingly intelligent systems. Engineering Intelligent Systems readers will also find: An introduction to the fields of artificial intelligence with machine learning, model-based systems engineering (MBSE), and systems thinking—the key disciplines for making systems smarter An example of how to build a deep neural network in a spreadsheet, with no code or specialized mathematics required An approach to the visual representation of systems, using techniques from moviemaking, storytelling, visual systems design, and model-based systems engineering An analysis of the potential ability of computers to think, understand and become conscious and its implications for artificial intelligence Tools to allow for easier collaboration and communication among developers and engineers, allowing for better understanding between stakeholders, and creating a faster development cycle A systems thinking approach to people systems—systems that consist only of people and which form the basis for our organizations, communities and society Engineering Intelligent Systems offers an intriguing new approach to making systems more intelligent using artificial intelligence, machine learning, systems thinking, and system modeling and therefore will be of interest to all engineers and business professionals, particularly systems engineers.
Engineering Interventions in Sustainable Trickle Irrigation: Irrigation Requirements and Uniformity, Fertigation, and Crop Performance (Innovations in Agricultural & Biological Engineering)
by Megh R. Goyal Basamma K. AladakattiImproving agricultural water use efficiency (WUE) is vitally important in many parts of the world due to the decreasing availability of water resources and the increasing competition for water between different users. Micro irrigation is an effective tool for conserving water resources. Studies have revealed a significant water savings, ranging from 40% to 70% under drip irrigation compared with surface irrigation. This new volume, Engineering Interventions in Sustainable Trickle Irrigation: Irrigation Requirements and Uniformity, Fertigation, and Crop Performance, presents valuable research that evaluates crop water and fertigation requirements, examines optimum irrigation and fertigation scheduling, and analyzes the performance of agricultural crops under micro irrigation. <P><P> With an interdisciplinary perspective, this volume addresses the urgent need to explore and investigates the current shortcomings and challenges of water resources engineering, especially in micro irrigation engineering. The volume discusses crop water requirements, fertigation technology, and performance of agricultural crops under best management practices. The chapter authors present research studies on drip irrigated tomato, chilies, cucumber, eggplant, cabbage, garlic, sugarcane maize, cashew nut, sapota, banana, mango, and blueberries. <P><P> Removing the research gap, this volume provides new information that will be valuable to those involved in micro irrigation engineering.
Engineering Invention: Frank J. Sprague and the U.S. Electrical Industry
by Frederick DalzellThe technological breakthroughs and entrepreneurial adventures of Frank J. Sprague during the transformative years of the early electrical industry. Over the course of a little less than twenty years, inventor Frank J. Sprague (1857-1934) achieved an astonishing series of technological breakthroughs—from pioneering work in self-governing motors to developing the first full-scale operational electric railway system—all while commercializing his inventions and promoting them (and himself as their inventor) to financial backers and the public. In Engineering Invention, Frederick Dalzell tells Sprague's story, setting it against the backdrop of one of the most dynamic periods in the history of technology. In a burst of innovation during these years, Sprague and his contemporaries—Thomas Edison, Nicolas Tesla, Elmer Sperry, George Westinghouse, and others—transformed the technologies of electricity and reshaped modern life. After working briefly for Edison, Sprague started the Sprague Electric Railway and Motor Company; designed and built an electric railroad system for Richmond, Virginia; sold his company to Edison and went into the field of electric elevators; almost accidentally discovered a multiple-control system that could equip electric train systems for mass transit; started a third company to commercialize this; then sold this company to Edison and retired (temporarily). Throughout his career, Dalzell tells us, Sprague framed technology as invention, cast himself as hero, and staged his technologies as dramas. He toiled against the odds, scraped together resources to found companies, bet those companies on technical feats—and pulled it off, multiple times. The idea of the “heroic inventor” is not, of course, the only way to frame the history of technology. Nevertheless, as Dalzell shows, Sprague, Edison, and others crafted the role consciously and actively, using it to generate vital impetus behind the process of innovation.