| Preface | vii |
| Acknowledgments | xi |
| Introduction | 1 |
| Science Joins Engineering | 3 |
| I. Discovery | |
| 2. Telegraphy: The Beginnings | 13 |
| 3. Hydroelectric Power: The Irony of Los Angeles | 36 |
| 4. The Flying Machine Problem: The Wright Stuff | 78 |
| II. Innovation | |
| 5. Fossil Fuels, Steam Power, and Electricity: Los Angeles Revisited | 129 |
| 6. Gasoline: From Waste Product to Fuel | 146 |
| 7. Bridge Design: Concrete Aesthetics | 192 |
| 8. Vaccines: Good Intentions Are Not Enough | 245 |
| 9. The Greenhouse Effect: Revolution Involves Risk | 289 |
| 10. Atomic Power: Difficulty in Estimating Cancer Risks | 321 |
| Conclusion | |
| 11. An Intricate Web | 377 |
| Abbreviations, Symbols, and Units | 385 |
| Glossary | 389 |
| Bibliography | 405 |
| Index | 417 |