Book, Mastodons: the story of the factory and the construction of the world m[LS]

The emergence of the factory changed everything forever: from the economy to life expectancy, from the way our cities are organized to our relationship with the natural world. Average annual per capita growth in global economic output between the birth of Jesus and the first English textile mills of the 18th century was basically zero. After the installation of factories, first in the Old World, then in the United States and other nations, everything changed. In this fascinating book, historian Joshua B. Freeman tells the story of these gigantic centers of consumer goods production and the multitudes of people who helped build them - with sweat, ideas and willpower.