Paths of Innovation: Technological Change in 20th-Century America

Mowrey and Rosenberg investigate 20th century innovation in America through the lenses of internal combustion engines, chemistry, and electricity/electronics. I feel like these fields are rather ad hoc, compared to the ‘carrier branch technologies’ of a Kondratiev Wave. They make some interesting observations about the shift from an internal corporate-level R&D to the modern state supported defense R&D system, and the role of anti-trust law, but don’t really go into it rigorously.

As for why America won the innovation race in the 20th century, it’s because we won WW2. We didn’t have our industrial base bombed, we looted German scientists post-war, we had access to overseas resources and could afford to pay for them. The interplay of military dominance, scientific expertise, and a rising middle class is very important, but only really alluded to.

Not that it is a bad book, it’s just not as good as the other books on my innovation shelf.