text: I found stale recounting of very well-known facts about 20th century technologies and their economics, with no insights.  Since it covers the gamut from plastics to jet engines to microprocessors, and it's only 200  pages in a fairly large typeface, I wasn't expecting historical depth.  But  I was expecting at least one fresh idea.  I bought it on the strength of a  much earlier book by Nathan Rosenberg (about technology in the economy of  the 19th century).  I was disappointed.  I get the feeling the book is  intended as a brief survey for people who just came down in the last shower  -- college freshmen born in the 1980s.  I'll bet they find it kinda stodgy
  