Philosophy of Manufactures (Hardback)

Andrew Ure (1778-1857) was a professor at the University of Glasgow and an enthusiast for the Industrial Revolution's new systems of manufacturing.

As we know, a consequence of these new developments was the redundancy of many workers, just as we are experiencing today with `downsizing' and `reengineering'. This study details the creation of the general education system as an answer to the need for less self-willed and intractable workmen, which were unfit to become "components of a mechanical system".

In our times of permanent technological revolution, this is an excellent insight into the roots of industrial progress. Understanding rural workers' shock and their need to readapt to a new urban, factorial reality, and the white collar workers' dilemma of social security or entrepreneurship is achieved by this fascinating and important book.