In 1709 Abraham Darby invented a way to produce cast iron in a furnace fired by coke. Prior to this charcoal had been used a product requiring coppicing of forests that proved limited in supply. The cheap production of iron led to the Industrial Revolution. It bloomed in England, not only because of native ingenuity, but because raw material w...
Years ago I worked with an economist on a project. He told me his 'art' (he refused to claim it was science) was akin to driving backwards the wrong way down a motorway - blindfold. It was a difficult project commercially and politically, which was perhaps a reason for his gloomy reflection. Unfortunately, the economic history of the world rather s...
