“A tour de force when it first appeared nearly twenty-five years ago, John Kasson's Civilizing the Machine has become a classic, and it remains required reading for anyone interested in the larger implications of the industrial revolution in America. A brilliant, pathbreaking work.” —Merrit Roe Smith, Massachusettes Institute of Technology

“A first-rate contribution to our understanding of one of the deepest, most troubling issues in American life: Is the machine our servant or our master?” —Alan Trachtenberg, Yale University

“This admirably balanced and judicious book is invaluable for understanding the initial phase of America's love/hate relationship with industrial technology.” —Leo Marx, Massachusettes Institute of Technology

“A brillant and original achievement.” —Lewis Mumford

“A provocative and important book. In an America brimming once again with technological enthusiasm and with new questions about republican values, it seems especially appropiate to consider the ways which technological dreams and American society have interacted throughout American history. More than any other book, Civilizing the Machine shows how these issues shaped American thought and culture.” —Steven Lubar, National Museum of American History

“A brilliant work of cultural history and criticism, now a classic.” —Thomas Bender

“A refreshing and compelling examination.” —Neil Harris, The New Republic