Wiebe E. Bijker

I think I'm probably not alone in disliking academic books with a lot of sociological theory: I always want to get at the meat of the book without learning a lot of jargon to describe concepts that are usually quite simple. I usually feel that the authors are trying to artificially distinguish themselves from predecessors who have utilized essentially the same ideas, but that's my point of view as an outsider to the discipline.

Having said that, I was really impressed by the way that theory is packaged in this book. Bijker keeps switching back and forth between historical narratives and sociological theory, employing the latter in small doses and only when it becomes relevant. For someone like me, his approach made it a lot easier to digest the abstract concepts and understand their application. He also is great at explaining the necessary scientific concepts in a manner that is quick and easy to grasp.

This book is worth reading even if you're just interested in getting some bite-sized chunks of technological history delivered by a responsible historian. I undertook the reading as an unwelcome chore, since I needed some background in constructivist views on technological artifacts in society. It turned out to be great fun to read, and I finished the book with the sense that I learned something important.… (meer)