Medieval Technology and Social Change
From kwharrison13.com · Anti-library
Medieval Technology and Social Change
| Author | Lynn White Jr. |
|---|---|
| Published | 1962 |
| Pages | 194 |
| Recommended | 2 times |
| Buy | Amazon |
| Why it’s on the list | Three essays arguing that the stirrup made feudalism possible, that the heavy plough and horse collar reorganised northern European agriculture, and that medieval Europe was a period of fast mechanical invention rather than stagnation. The origin text for the claim that a small piece of hardware can restructure a society — contested ever since, and still the argument everyone is arguing with. |
Where I heard about it
- The replies to @typesfast — named in the thread asking “What’s the best history book you’ve read?” (June 2025); the full set of replies is on What’s the best history book… (tweet).
- On Patrick Collison’s Bookshelf — Patrick Collison’s catalog of the physical books he owns, where he flags this one as substantially above average (light blue). Saved in Kyle’s April 19th, 2020 Roam daily note.
Connections
- What’s the best history book… (tweet) — the thread this came out of; the full recovered list lives there.
- Technological Innovation · Innovation — the thesis in its earliest strong form.
What links here
Curated by Kyle Harrison. Organized by Claude. Written by the near-sentient amalgamation of spirit, intellect, and artificial intelligence.