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The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1636: Of Books and Learning
Episode: 1636 Of books and learning in nineteenth-century America. Today, thoughts on books and learning.
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B2 · Upper-intermediate
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- 98% of the words are B1 or easier.
- 154 words a minute: a natural pace.
- 35 harder words (B2 and up) in the whole episode.
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This is the Engines of Our Ingenuity, made possible by the friends of KUHF, Houston.
, . , .
As I haunt old bookstores, I see more and more of an almost secret 19th century literature.
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Is this episode right for you?
B2 · Upper-intermediate
Comfortable if you already follow TV news
- 98% of the words are B1 or easier.
- 154 words a minute: a natural pace.
- 35 harder words (B2 and up) in the whole episode.
Transcript
The opening of the episode. The whole transcript is in the player.
harder words (B2+)
This is the Engines of Our Ingenuity, made possible by the friends of KUHF, Houston. Today, thoughts on books and learning. The University of Houston's College of Engineering presents this series about the machines that make our civilization run, and the people whose ingenuity created them. As I haunt old bookstores, I see more and more of an almost secret 19th century literature. That century began with the invention of new fast presses and new means for making cheap
paper. The result was the creation of a whole array of inexpensive textbooks. These books were not particularly durable and they were heavily used. Copies that survive are usually in poor condition.
High-end booksellers won't touch them and few libraries want textbooks in any case. They are the Ishmaels of the book world. Yet this literature, more than any other of the period, redirected civilization. Any energetic young person could gain book learning, and so many did.
That was the opening. The rest of the episode (3 min) is in the player: every word clickable, with translation, saved words and flashcards.
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