Reference Reviews

Doug’s Student Reference Room

The Industrial Revolution, by Kevin Hillstrom. 104 pp. Detroit, MI: Lucent Books, 2009. ISBN 13: 978-1-4205-0066-0. ISBN 10: 1-4205-0066-X. $32.45.

On the right hand page of the opening chapter of this volume is a black and white photograph of a young girl, perhaps 8 or 9 years old, standing in front of a power loom in a Vermont textile mill. She has rolled up the sleeves of her too-big dress, which is covered by an oil and grime-stained apron; she rests one of her filthy hands on the loom and innocently gazes toward the viewer. This touching photo helps emphasize the complicated nature of the industrial revolution; advances in technology and business practices extracted social costs even as they propelled the country to greater power and prosperity. The six chapters of this volume describe the hundred-plus years of the industrial revolution, including advances not only in mechanization, but in transportation, communication and business practices. An entire chapter is dedicated to economic and social impacts and includes discussions of immigration, labor rights, women’s roles and rights and the beginnings of modern daily life, from sewer systems, public transportation and skyscrapers to the rise of the consumerist culture. The final chapter looks at American industry today in light of the industrial revolution, noting the country’s shift from manufacturing toward an information-based economy. Succinct and accessible to middle school students and low readers in high school, this volume is highly recommended for school and public libraries.