I know we've talked about inventions before here (light bulb and the like), so I thought this might be appropriate. I read an article about the new "dual-clutch" technology for cars. In that article, one thing that intrigued me was how long it took for scissors to come into being. The article said:
quote:
Every so often, the Big Earth Clock makes a giant tick, and something that was considered experimental becomes common.
For example, the first mention of scissors seems to be about 3000 B.C. in Egypt, but mass production waited until 1761, thanks to Robert Hinchcliffe in Sheffield, England.
That just goes to show how many people and ideas it takes before something comes to fruition.
The turbine engine was invented in ancient Greece, but it took 3,000 years for technology to catch up with the idea. As for scissors, the forged spring blade shears design is ancient; all Hinchcliffe did was install a pivot in place of the built in spring. Having used both types, I can't say it's an improvement - just different.
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -J. Krishnamurti
but mass production waited until 1761, thanks to Robert Hinchcliffe in Sheffield, England.
I think "mass production" is the key phrase here. That didn't get under way until the second half of the eighteenth century, with the coming of the Industrial Revolution.
People have been making items such as scissors, knives, pottery, cloth, and many others, for centuries, but they were not mass-produced until then.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
He also wrote Troublesome Words which is a style guide which, though no Strunk and White, still has its fair share of bad advice, and Made In America, An Informal History of English In The United States which is very similar in both style and content to Mother Tongue.
I find them entertaining though I would never recommend them to serious students of the English Language.
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
I agree, arnie, that the operative phrase is probably "mass production."
So those of you who don't trust/dislike, or whatever (I hate to put words in your mouth because I'll get called on it. ), do you feel the same way about "In a Sunburned Country?" Shu and I really like that book and often will recommend it.
In terms of accuracy I'd say that Bill Bryson is no better and no worse than any of the other popular pundits. What he is, is a good deal more entertaining than most. Of course his writing lacks academic rigour, because he isn't an academic. You could argue that he should do better research but there are far more inaccurate writers on language out there than him. As for his travel books I love all of them and, as a native, I'd have to say Notes From A Small Island nails Britain perfectly.
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
I agree with pretty well all of Bob's last post. I've read most of his books and enjoyed them all. I realise that there are errors in the language books, just as there probably are in his Short history of nearly everything. They didn't spoil my enjoyment; if I want to learn technical details of language I'll use a modern book by a linguist, just as I'll use a modern book by a professional geologist, biologist, cosmologist, etc. if I want to know the more about the scientific details in the latter book.
BTW, we in the UK have an advantage because Bryson is domiciled here: the new book will be released here on May 27 according to Amazon UK but in the USA on October 5. This message has been edited. Last edited by: arnie,
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
The errors in the preface and first chapter of Bryson's book were not esoteric ones making mistakes while fiddling about linguistic terminology. They were basic journalistic errors in repeating long disproved urban legends and folk etymologies, and the like.
I enjoy a good read, too, but it's hard for me to read something where the author and (alleged) editors did not stop to research the facts. Being a good writer is one half of his duty. Getting the facts straight is the other half. With so many errors how can I trust his writings in other areas, such as travel with which I might not be as familiar? I suppose I should finishing reading the book, cataloging the errors as I go along, and then post about it. I believe somebody on Language Log had something to say about the book, too.
OK, after re-reading the prior discussion, I withdraw my statement about Bryson and his language books. I have no desire to reheat this hash. Read him if you will.
Actually I have been looking at his style guide again and I was just coming round to your point of view. I was about to post saying so and now I can't.
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
Of course you can, Bob, and please do. For some reason we've gotten shy when it comes to discussions where we disagree. If we disagree, so what? As long as people don't get personal or uncivil, things should be fine here. I think the most intellectual and scholarly discussions occur when smart people do disagree. Of course, some don't like confrontations, and that's up to them to stay out of the discussion. But I'd love to hear what you have to say.
For the record, I agree that factual errors in books or papers make me distrust most of that author's work. That's why I abhor it when something I've written is published with errors. It has happened, and I just hadn't caught them before publication. Very recently someone suggested the book,"How the States Got their Shapes" to Shu and me, as we are interested in geography. Shu looked at it in a bookstore to check out their story on Illinois. It was, as z said above, riddled with urban legends. Needless to say, we didn't buy the book.This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,
), do you feel the same way about "In a Sunburned Country?" Shu and I really like that book and often will recommend it.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: arnie, 
