This book looks at the men and women whose ideas and creations have changed our lives, from the earliest people who made weapons out of sticks and stones, to the masterminds of the computer age. it traces the history of technological developments, revealing the successes and failures of inventors all over the world. This book is packed with illustrations and photographs of inventions as diverse as Stephenson's Rocket and the electron microscope. Step-by-step guides, reconstructions and detailed cutaway diagrams help capture the excitement of discovery and the thrill of innovations.