Rating: 
Summary: Tool of the millenium?
Review: A history of the screw and screwdriver has the potential for being really boring; fortunately, this brief book is not. Instead, it is an interesting look at this commonplace tool.In general working backwards from modern to ancient times, Rybczynski not only explores the origins of the screw and screwdriver, he also describes what he had to go through to discover these origins. It shows how when something is such an everyday item, its very commonality may obscure its history. The main flaw with this book is that he tends to ramble about quite a bit, so instead of moving straight back in time, he often darts in other chronological directions. This can be a bit distracting. Nonetheless, this is overall a good book which shows that in the hands of a decent writer, even minor objects can become important.
Rating: 
Summary: if Bob Vila and James Burke had a son
Review: A New York Times editor asked Mr. Rybczynski to write an article about his choice for best tool of the millennium. One would think that this would involve deciding on a tool, researching its history and uses, and writing it up. But that would be too linear. Instead, the author takes us on a rambling walk through the toolbox. We learn not only about the development of many tools and machines (adze, augur, hammer, lathe, gears and presses), but about the scientists and inventors, even financiers, who contributed to the development of the screwdriver, and the applications (early firearms and clocks) that helped (literally) shape the device. We learn about the Phillips versus the Robertson screw, and the limitations of earlier lathes, which led to the first screws being handmade. Many interesting facts like this entertain and inform. As a librarian I appreciated the author's friendly discussion of the references he found useful for his research. There are many black-and-white line drawings to help you visualize the items being discussed, as well as a notes section, a good index, and illustration credits. Weaknesses: I would have liked to have read a brief discussion of the (seven?) Simple Machines, as I think many were discussed here, and it would have been an interesting reminder of things from physics class that I've forgotten. In addition, I looked up a quote by Plutarch in the Notes section, and the citation began "Quoted by E. J. Dijksterhuis .... " with no information about the actual source -- not much help! This was a fun read. If you are the kind of person who enjoys browsing through the dictionary or a bookstore, you will probably enjoy this little gem of a volume by this handyman-storyteller. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Screw Up Your Courage and Dive into Screwdrivers!
Review: Although I had no interest in screwdrivers and screws when I started this book, the text provided a pleasant reading experience and I learned more than I thought I would. All in all, it was well worth the time spent. I think you will feel that way too, unless you have no interest at all in mechanical devices and the process of innovation. My favorite parts related to the innovations. This book is composed of equal parts (1) why the author chose the screwdriver as the tool of the millennium for his article in the Sunday New York Times Magazine (2) where you have to go to find out about screwdrivers from the past (3) how he developed the information for this history of the screwdriver and screws and (4) the geniuses who developed the key advances in the technology of these useful devices. The style is a bit rambling, much like what would happen if you were chatting about the subject over a barbecue in the back yard with plenty of time on your hands. I can assure you this must be the most complete and authoritative book about screwdrivers and screws ever, especially since the author points out the virtual absence of any prior material turning up in his research. Let me summarize the key areas. He picked the screwdriver as the tool of the millennium not because he thought of it, but because his wife told him that it was the one tool that she always kept around. After having gone through his own tool kit, he had not even thought of the screwdriver. The first place where much shows up on the screwdriver in older texts is Diderot's Encyclopedia. In those days screwdrivers were called turnscrews. To get a flavor of the screwdriver in the middle ages, when it seems to have appeared, you have to look into armor and early guns. The screw goes back much further, showing up in useful form for Archimedes in Greek times as a way to raise water. Screws later played many other important roles, especially in presses (including, of course, printing presses). Lathes turned out (pun intended) to be an important related technology for making screws precise and consistent. I learned about some interesting related technologies, including Greek mechanical devices with gears for calculating the orbits of heavenly bodies. Then, we finally get down to gears and the development of improved lathes and the Robertson and Phillips screw heads. He prefers the Robertson (which I had never heard of before) which uses a socket top to screw in and remove screws. At the end is a nice set of illustrations along with a glossary of tools. This book is probably going to be a classic Father's Day gift for decades, along with a Robertson screwdriver, socket set, and screws. Overcome your misconception that you know all you need to know about screwdrivers. You'll be pleasantly surprised by this gentle and unassuming book. When you are done, pick something else you think you probably know enough about and search around to find a good book on that topic as well to expand your own knowledge further. Keep doing that, and some wonderful learning awaits you! Donald Mitchell (donmitch@irresistibleforces.com)
Rating:
Summary: More than an essay
Review: An amazing review of the history of tools and a look into how a serious writer chooses and researches his subject. This little book is not just an essay, but an interesting dissertation on the process of writing. This is one of my favorite authors. I have read all of his books, given several away, and kept copies of my favorites.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting stuff but extremely poorly organized
Review: As a person interested in history, a person interested in technology and most importantly a person interested in tools, I really thought this book would be right up my alley. The history of the screwdriver and the screw is full of really interesting tidbits, plot twists and characters. Rybczynski does a great job of digging into the history of these seminal inventions and figuring out exactly where they came from. However, this is one of the most poorly organized books I have read in the last year. Instead of telling the reader the story as it happened, Rybczynski instead tells the story of his investigation of the history of the screwdriver. He jumps from the 19th century to the 15th and back again, making it really hard to follow. This book took a really fascinating story and killed it through a terrible presentation.
Rating: 
Summary: a history of the research of the history of the screwdriver
Review: i kept waiting for him to stop writing about his research and start writing the history of the screwdriver.
Rating:
Summary: Pleasant Little Book
Review: Just read the professional reviews; this is an absolutely pleasant little book. It is small, and only 145 pages of main text; the rest is illustrations, notes & sources, and is not an in-depth treatise on any specific person, place or instrument. However, I believe it is well researched and if you seek further information there are plenty of sources to follow up on. The writing is excellent, conversational and engaging, scholarly, clear, direct and not intimidating or off-putting. The author starts out with a conversation on why and how he started looking into the history of the screwdriver. Through the chapters he branches into the screw, the auger, and predecessors through history. The talks quickly about who invented what, what we know from original publications, the scientific or engineering implications of the inventors and their inventions. All very quick, but with lots of sources of you desire further reading.
Rating:
Summary: Pleasant Little Book
Review: Just read the professional reviews; this is an absolutely pleasant little book. It is small, and only 145 pages of main text; the rest is illustrations, notes & sources, and is not an in-depth treatise on any specific person, place or instrument. However, I believe it is well researched and if you seek further information there are plenty of sources to follow up on. The writing is excellent, conversational and engaging, scholarly, clear, direct and not intimidating or off-putting. The author starts out with a conversation on why and how he started looking into the history of the screwdriver. Through the chapters he branches into the screw, the auger, and predecessors through history. The talks quickly about who invented what, what we know from original publications, the scientific or engineering implications of the inventors and their inventions. All very quick, but with lots of sources of you desire further reading.
Rating:
Summary: One Good Turn Deserves to be read.
Review: Let's get the main question out of the way: Can an entire book devoted to the history of the screw and scredriver possibly be worth reading? The answer is an unqualified yes. This small book takes an unusual, almost reverential, look at the the nature of tools and the mind of the inventor and innovator. Rybczynski recounts his research into the origins of this ubiquitous tool, so it is also a tale of the research process. He tells the story in a casual, personal style, making it an easy read. The book is not tightly focused on its subject, filled with many digressions and asides which are as interesting as the main narrative. One of my favorites concerns the invention of the the shirt button. It seems like the epitome of simplicity, and could have been made thousands of years ago, yet it took until the 1300's for some unknown genius to make the "leap of imagination" and conceive of the device, which seems simple but is not at all intuitive. The author asks the reader to imagine trying to explain the the "twist and flip" motion to some one who has never used one. Its nuggets like this, which make the reader look at common items from an entirely different perspective, that makes the book shine. It turns out that one of the first uses of the screw dates back to the Middle Ages, as a method of fastening the the brutally abused armor of jousting knights, and later to secure the matchlock mechanisms of the earliest firearms. However, in exploring the concept of the helix, the basis of the screw, the author reaches much further back in time, to the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians, who undestood the shape and put it to use in irrigation and wine pressess. My only peeve is that although the book is loaded with temporal dates, I still found them lacking in certain places where they were sorely needed to put events in perspective. Aside from that minor short-coming, this is a book about much more than just the screw and screwdriver, full of pleasant suprises and delightfull "twists". A must read.
Rating:
Summary: I'm turning into a crotchety old man before your eyes ...
Review: Seems more like a rambling diary of the author's quest to research a piece he did for the NY Times Millenium Issue. The history and connections are quite interesting, but it seems his notes needed a lot more editing. For example, the division of material into chapters seems very arbitrary and not particularly helpful. The narrative is choppy in many parts. One is not sure where he is going with his assorted findings of references to screws through the ages. He jumps around, back and forth, delving in the 1700's, then the middle ages, then the 1800's, then Roman times, then to the 1500's...it's quite confusing to follow the thread, if there is one. I don't think the author took the time to reflect on all he had found and tell a clear story of it. Rather he revels (understandbly) in the fun and frustrations of researching the material. Also, his assertion that the inventor of the screw was clearly a mathematical genuis is not very convincing. Yes, the helix is elegant. But the screw itself is an ancient invention that was clearly an interative development. Just because some mathematicians like Hero describe in those terms doesn't mean he invented it. Another aspect is that the illustrations are a bit stingy and could have been better placed throughout the book. It would have made the material easier to follow. And how about a timeline chart? That would surely have helped! The bottom line is that there are parts of the book that I found interesting, and other I found frustrating. A mixed review is the best I can offer. Your level of curiosity will determine how desirable a read it is.
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