The Axemaker’s Gift is a compelling look at how the Law of Unintended Consequences applies to technological advances, and how those technological advances shape human destiny. Rather than the propaganda of the steady progress of the human race which Enlightenment thinkers fostered upon us, it is clear that human destiny is more of a staggering lurch, propelled by technological advances which force us into unexpected directions.

James Burke is the author of many books on science history, and two PBS series, Connections and The Day the Universe Changed, and has always been an advocate for science education and history. For decades he has tirelessly campaigned to inform the public about the history of technological advances and their effects. The two PBS series mentioned traced how one technological innovation led to another, and were in the same mould as the Englightenment thinkers: a march of steady progress.

Now in this book, co-authored with Robert Ornstein, he has gone beyond his previous work to point out the ways in which technological innovation has affected humanity in completely unexpected ways: whether how the invention of the printing press led to the concept of nationality, or how axes and writing shaped the human brain, or any of the other technological innovations covered, this book is a fascinating window into how science and history interact with each other. If you haven’t yet read The Axemaker’s Gift, this book should be on your list of books not to be missed. You will never think about science and history in the same way again!