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Accessory to War
by Neil deGrasse Tyson • 2018
GPS guides your car and a missile; the alliance that built both goes back centuries.
3.65
5k+
Accessory to War Summary
Accessory to War 90%
GPS guides your car and a missile; the alliance that built both goes back centuries.
by Neil deGrasse Tyson 2018
3.65
5k+ ratings
The Imagineers of War
by Sharon Weinberger • 2017
DARPA gave us the Internet and lost Vietnam. The same faith in technology drove both.
3.69
565
The Imagineers of War Summary
The Imagineers of War 89%
DARPA gave us the Internet and lost Vietnam. The same faith in technology drove both.
by Sharon Weinberger 2017
3.69
565 ratings
Skunk Works
by Ben R. Rich • 1994
No bureaucracy. No interference. A handful of engineers in a shed built planes invisible to radar.
4.46
17k+
Skunk Works Summary
Skunk Works 88%
No bureaucracy. No interference. A handful of engineers in a shed built planes invisible to radar.
by Ben R. Rich 1994
4.46
17k+ ratings
Wright Brothers, Wrong Story
by William Elliott azelgrove • 2018
Wilbur Wright solved flight alone. Orville Wright spent decades burying that fact.
3.66
130
Wright Brothers, Wrong Story Summary
Wright Brothers, Wrong Story 88%
Wilbur Wright solved flight alone. Orville Wright spent decades burying that fact.
by William Elliott azelgrove 2018
3.66
130 ratings
The Girls of Atomic City
by Denise Kiernan • 2013
The young women of Oak Ridge built the atomic bomb. None of them knew it.
3.73
32k+
The Girls of Atomic City Summary
The Girls of Atomic City 88%
The young women of Oak Ridge built the atomic bomb. None of them knew it.
by Denise Kiernan 2013
3.73
32k+ ratings
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
by Richard Rhodes • 1986
Physics made the bomb inevitable long before any general asked for it.
4.40
25k+
The Making of the Atomic Bomb Summary
The Making of the Atomic Bomb 88%
Physics made the bomb inevitable long before any general asked for it.
by Richard Rhodes 1986
4.40
25k+ ratings
Tide of War
by David R Petriello • 2018
Rain sank a fleet, mud trapped knights, fog saved an army. Weather is warfare's quietest general.
3.39
23
Tide of War Summary
Tide of War 88%
Rain sank a fleet, mud trapped knights, fog saved an army. Weather is warfare's quietest general.
by David R Petriello 2018
3.39
23 ratings
The Perfectionists
by Simon Winchester • 2018
From cylinders to microchips: the hidden pursuit of perfect smoothness that built the modern world.
4.15
7k+
The Perfectionists Summary
The Perfectionists 88%
From cylinders to microchips: the hidden pursuit of perfect smoothness that built the modern world.
by Simon Winchester 2018
4.15
7k+ ratings
Ignition!
by John Drury Clark • 1972
A fuel that won't corrode, explode, or poison: the inside story of the chemists who found it.
4.12
3k+
Ignition! Summary
Ignition! 88%
A fuel that won't corrode, explode, or poison: the inside story of the chemists who found it.
by John Drury Clark 1972
4.12
3k+ ratings
The Breath of the Gods
by Simon Winchester • 2025
Polynesian canoes, the Spanish Armada, and Japan's salvation all turned on wind. Its full biography.
3.79
616
The Breath of the Gods Summary
The Breath of the Gods 88%
Polynesian canoes, the Spanish Armada, and Japan's salvation all turned on wind. Its full biography.
by Simon Winchester 2025
3.79
616 ratings
Code Warriors
by Stephen Budiansky • 2016
Math, machines, and moral compromise: the NSA's secret Cold War against the Soviets.
3.72
760
Code Warriors Summary
Code Warriors 88%
Math, machines, and moral compromise: the NSA's secret Cold War against the Soviets.
by Stephen Budiansky 2016
3.72
760 ratings
The Idea Factory
by Jon Gertner • 2012
A phone monopoly's lab produced the transistor, the laser, and the digital age. How it worked.
4.21
9k+
The Idea Factory Summary
The Idea Factory 88%
A phone monopoly's lab produced the transistor, the laser, and the digital age. How it worked.
by Jon Gertner 2012
4.21
9k+ ratings
Inside the U.S. Government Covert UFO Program
by James Lacatski • 2026
A covert Pentagon study linked UFOs to poltergeists and psychic contact. Then it went black.
4.13
16
Inside the U.S. Government Covert UFO Program Summary
Inside the U.S. Government Covert UFO Program 87%
A covert Pentagon study linked UFOs to poltergeists and psychic contact. Then it went black.
by James Lacatski 2026
4.13
16 ratings
Geons, Black Holes and Quantum Foam
by Kenneth W. Ford • 1998
He rushed to build the bomb. Decades later, he named black holes and chased quantum foam.
4.16
352
Geons, Black Holes and Quantum Foam Summary
Geons, Black Holes and Quantum Foam 87%
He rushed to build the bomb. Decades later, he named black holes and chased quantum foam.
by Kenneth W. Ford 1998
4.16
352 ratings
The Bomber Mafia
by Malcolm Gladwell • 2021
They believed a bombsight could make war humane. The jet stream laughed, and Tokyo burned.
4.02
65k+
The Bomber Mafia Summary
The Bomber Mafia 87%
They believed a bombsight could make war humane. The jet stream laughed, and Tokyo burned.
by Malcolm Gladwell 2021
4.02
65k+ ratings
Operation Paperclip
by Annie Jacobsen • 2014
To beat the Soviets, America recruited 1,600 Nazi scientists and buried their crimes.
4.15
11k+
Operation Paperclip Summary
Operation Paperclip 87%
To beat the Soviets, America recruited 1,600 Nazi scientists and buried their crimes.
by Annie Jacobsen 2014
4.15
11k+ ratings
A People’s History of Computing in the United States
by Joy Lisi Rankin • 2018
The PC erased a decade of shared computing where users were creators, not customers.
3.49
193
A People’s History of Computing in the United States Summary
A People’s History of Computing in the United States 87%
The PC erased a decade of shared computing where users were creators, not customers.
by Joy Lisi Rankin 2018
3.49
193 ratings
How to Invent Everything
by Ryan North • 2018
Stranded in the past with nothing but your wits, and the flowchart says you're before 50,000 BCE.
4.14
6k+
How to Invent Everything Summary
How to Invent Everything 87%
Stranded in the past with nothing but your wits, and the flowchart says you're before 50,000 BCE.
by Ryan North 2018
4.14
6k+ ratings
The Light Ages
by Seb Falk • 2020
Eclipse math, precision clocks, a six-foot computer: the medieval laboratory inside the monastery.
3.67
2k+
The Light Ages Summary
The Light Ages 87%
Eclipse math, precision clocks, a six-foot computer: the medieval laboratory inside the monastery.
by Seb Falk 2020
3.67
2k+ ratings
Tesla
by Margaret Cheney • 1981
How the inventor of the twentieth century wound up alone with a white pigeon.
3.71
7k+
Tesla Summary
Tesla 87%
How the inventor of the twentieth century wound up alone with a white pigeon.
by Margaret Cheney 1981
3.71
7k+ ratings
Wizard
by Marc J. Seifer • 1996
Electrified the world, outsmarted by rivals, bankrupted by a giant tower: the Nikola Tesla story.
3.73
7k+
Wizard Summary
Wizard 87%
Electrified the world, outsmarted by rivals, bankrupted by a giant tower: the Nikola Tesla story.
by Marc J. Seifer 1996
3.73
7k+ ratings
The Theory That Would Not Die
by Sharon Bertsch McGrayne • 2011
Statisticians said it was dead. Turing used it to crack Enigma. Computers made it unstoppable.
3.77
3k+
The Theory That Would Not Die Summary
The Theory That Would Not Die 87%
Statisticians said it was dead. Turing used it to crack Enigma. Computers made it unstoppable.
by Sharon Bertsch McGrayne 2011
3.77
3k+ ratings
Area 51
by Annie Jacobsen • 2011
The UFO at Roswell was real. The bodies were human. The secret was darker than aliens.
3.86
11k+
Area 51 Summary
Area 51 87%
The UFO at Roswell was real. The bodies were human. The secret was darker than aliens.
by Annie Jacobsen 2011
3.86
11k+ ratings
Command and Control
by Eric Schlosser • 2013
One dropped socket in an Arkansas missile silo exposes seventy years of nuclear near-disasters.
4.27
15k+
Command and Control Summary
Command and Control 87%
One dropped socket in an Arkansas missile silo exposes seventy years of nuclear near-disasters.
by Eric Schlosser 2013
4.27
15k+ ratings
Longitude
by Dava Sobel • 1995
Parliament offered millions for longitude. A clockmaker delivered. Astronomers moved the goalposts.
3.99
76k+
Longitude Summary
Longitude 87%
Parliament offered millions for longitude. A clockmaker delivered. Astronomers moved the goalposts.
by Dava Sobel 1995
3.99
76k+ ratings
The Infernal Machine
by Steven Johnson • 2024
Dynamite was meant to destroy governments. It built the most powerful one: the surveillance state.
4.03
2k+
The Infernal Machine Summary
The Infernal Machine 87%
Dynamite was meant to destroy governments. It built the most powerful one: the surveillance state.
by Steven Johnson 2024
4.03
2k+ ratings
Vector
by Robyn Arianrhod • 2024
Your GPS and AI depend on a 19th-century algebra that broke the rules of arithmetic.
4.05
163
Vector Summary
Vector 87%
Your GPS and AI depend on a 19th-century algebra that broke the rules of arithmetic.
by Robyn Arianrhod 2024
4.05
163 ratings
The Longest Line on the Map
by Eric Rutkow • 2019
A century-long quest to link the Americas by road was stopped cold by a 250-mile jungle.
3.04
258
The Longest Line on the Map Summary
The Longest Line on the Map 87%
A century-long quest to link the Americas by road was stopped cold by a 250-mile jungle.
by Eric Rutkow 2019
3.04
258 ratings
The Ice at the End of the World
by Jon Gertner • 2019
Greenland's ice holds a climate archive; it shows the planet can flip in a human lifetime.
4.17
1k+
The Ice at the End of the World Summary
The Ice at the End of the World 87%
Greenland's ice holds a climate archive; it shows the planet can flip in a human lifetime.
by Jon Gertner 2019
4.17
1k+ ratings
Broad Band
by Claire L. Evans • 2018
Women created the first program, the first compiler, and the early web. Then they were erased.
3.93
2k+
Broad Band Summary
Broad Band 87%
Women created the first program, the first compiler, and the early web. Then they were erased.
by Claire L. Evans 2018
3.93
2k+ ratings
How We Got to Now
by Steven Johnson • 2014
Six ordinary breakthroughs built the modern world; their biggest consequences were never planned.
4.12
16k+
How We Got to Now Summary
How We Got to Now 87%
Six ordinary breakthroughs built the modern world; their biggest consequences were never planned.
by Steven Johnson 2014
4.12
16k+ ratings
The Gun
by C.J. Chivers • 2010
Designed by a Soviet committee to crush uprisings, the AK-47 armed global terror.
3.95
3k+
The Gun Summary
The Gun 87%
Designed by a Soviet committee to crush uprisings, the AK-47 armed global terror.
by C.J. Chivers 2010
3.95
3k+ ratings
Decoding the Heavens
by Jo Marchant • 2009
Sponge divers pulled a 2,000-year-old computer from the sea. Decoding its gears took a century.
4.10
566
Decoding the Heavens Summary
Decoding the Heavens 87%
Sponge divers pulled a 2,000-year-old computer from the sea. Decoding its gears took a century.
by Jo Marchant 2009
4.10
566 ratings
Boyd
by Robert Coram • 2002
The F-16 and the Gulf War were born from a fighter pilot's study of thermodynamics.
4.19
8k+
Boyd Summary
Boyd 87%
The F-16 and the Gulf War were born from a fighter pilot's study of thermodynamics.
by Robert Coram 2002
4.19
8k+ ratings
The Woman All Spies Fear
by Amy Butler Greenfield • 2021
She cracked Nazi spy rings and sank Prohibition crime empires. The government erased her name.
4.19
2k+
The Woman All Spies Fear Summary
The Woman All Spies Fear 87%
She cracked Nazi spy rings and sank Prohibition crime empires. The government erased her name.
by Amy Butler Greenfield 2021
4.19
2k+ ratings
At Home
by Bill Bryson • 2010
Every room in your house conceals a history of bloodshed, invention, and empire.
3.99
99k+
At Home Summary
At Home 87%
Every room in your house conceals a history of bloodshed, invention, and empire.
by Bill Bryson 2010
3.99
99k+ ratings
Whatever Happened to the Metric System?
by John Bemelmans Marciano • 2013
A tale of revolutions, divine measures, and why a global standard stopped at America's shores.
3.62
321
Whatever Happened to the Metric System? Summary
Whatever Happened to the Metric System? 87%
A tale of revolutions, divine measures, and why a global standard stopped at America's shores.
by John Bemelmans Marciano 2013
3.62
321 ratings
Know My Name
by Chanel Miller • 2019
A dentist touched her jaw and it broke. The paint that made her glow was radioactive.
4.68
263k+
Know My Name Summary
Know My Name 87%
A dentist touched her jaw and it broke. The paint that made her glow was radioactive.
by Chanel Miller 2019
4.68
263k+ ratings
In Plain Sight
by Ross Coulthart • 2021
While the public got weather balloons, the military studied alien crash retrievals for decades.
4.27
2k+
In Plain Sight Summary
In Plain Sight 87%
While the public got weather balloons, the military studied alien crash retrievals for decades.
by Ross Coulthart 2021
4.27
2k+ ratings
Concorde
by Jonathan Glancey • 2015
The most beautiful aircraft in history was a commercial failure. The story of what went wrong.
3.61
131
Concorde Summary
Concorde 87%
The most beautiful aircraft in history was a commercial failure. The story of what went wrong.
by Jonathan Glancey 2015
3.61
131 ratings
The Alchemy of Us
by Ainissa Ramirez • 2020
We invented quartz clocks, steel rails, and silicon chips. Then they reinvented us.
3.90
1k+
The Alchemy of Us Summary
The Alchemy of Us 87%
We invented quartz clocks, steel rails, and silicon chips. Then they reinvented us.
by Ainissa Ramirez 2020
3.90
1k+ ratings
The Evolution of Useful Things
by Henry Petroski • 1994
Annoyance, not function, gave us forks, zippers, paper clips. The real driver of everyday design.
3.52
1k+
The Evolution of Useful Things Summary
The Evolution of Useful Things 87%
Annoyance, not function, gave us forks, zippers, paper clips. The real driver of everyday design.
by Henry Petroski 1994
3.52
1k+ ratings
To Risk It All
by James G. Stavridis • 2022
Nine naval crises and the decision code each reveals for leading when the stakes are catastrophic.
3.98
684
To Risk It All Summary
To Risk It All 87%
Nine naval crises and the decision code each reveals for leading when the stakes are catastrophic.
by James G. Stavridis 2022
3.98
684 ratings
The Origins of Victory
by Andrew F. Krepinevich • 2023
Precision warfare gave America dominance. That revolution is over. The next one has already begun.
4.12
315
The Origins of Victory Summary
The Origins of Victory 87%
Precision warfare gave America dominance. That revolution is over. The next one has already begun.
by Andrew F. Krepinevich 2023
4.12
315 ratings
The Pencil
by Henry Petroski • 1992
A pencil hides centuries of engineering failures, global trade, and the secret to good design.
3.80
657
The Pencil Summary
The Pencil 87%
A pencil hides centuries of engineering failures, global trade, and the secret to good design.
by Henry Petroski 1992
3.80
657 ratings
The Wright Brothers
by David McCullough • 2015
No college, no funding, a bicycle shop: two brothers who beat the world to powered flight.
4.18
100k+
The Wright Brothers Summary
The Wright Brothers 87%
No college, no funding, a bicycle shop: two brothers who beat the world to powered flight.
by David McCullough 2015
4.18
100k+ ratings
The Elephant in the Universe
by Govert Schilling • 2022
Eighty-four percent of matter is invisible. A century-long hunt has yet to catch it.
4.07
265
The Elephant in the Universe Summary
The Elephant in the Universe 87%
Eighty-four percent of matter is invisible. A century-long hunt has yet to catch it.
by Govert Schilling 2022
4.07
265 ratings
Chip War
by Chris Miller100 • 2022
One island makes nearly every advanced computer chip. Everything else is up for grabs.
4.40
43k+
Chip War Summary
Chip War 87%
One island makes nearly every advanced computer chip. Everything else is up for grabs.
by Chris Miller100 2022
4.40
43k+ ratings
Freedom's Forge
by Arthur Herman • 2012
The decisive American weapon in World War II wasn't the atomic bomb; it was the assembly line.
4.33
3k+
Freedom's Forge Summary
Freedom's Forge 87%
The decisive American weapon in World War II wasn't the atomic bomb; it was the assembly line.
by Arthur Herman 2012
4.33
3k+ ratings
Tesla
by W. Bernard Carlson • 2013
The same mental discipline that electrified the world also led Nikola Tesla to ruin.
3.87
2k+
Tesla Summary
Tesla 87%
The same mental discipline that electrified the world also led Nikola Tesla to ruin.
by W. Bernard Carlson 2013
3.87
2k+ ratings
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