A History of Everyday Things in England; the Rise of Industrialism, 1733-1851

This idea of this book is to contrast these two modes of living the simple, natural methods of the eighteenth century, which first began in England when Neolithic man planted his crops on the lynchets and tended his flocks on the Downs, and the modern Industrialism, which is so recent, and difficult, and complicated. We cannot of course do more than touch on the many problems with which Man has been confronted, but we shall pay especial attention to the difficulties which he has had to overcome. Man is a cantankerous animal, very frequently wrong-headed and perverse; despair, but he is Ingenious and skilful-so much must be admitted.