Richard W. Bulliet taught Middle Eastern history and the history of technology at Columbia University from 1976 to 2015. He is the author of Cotton, Climate, and Camels in Early Islamic Iran: A Moment in World History; Hunters, Herders, and Hamburgers: The Past and Future of Human-Animal Relationships; The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization; Islam: The View from the Edge; and The Camel and the Wheel.

• Acknowledgments 1. Wheel Versus Wheel 2. Why Invent the Wheel? 3. A Square Peg in a Round Wheel 4. Home on the Range 5. Wheels for Show 6. The Rise and Demise of the Charioteer 7. The Princess Ride 8. The Carriage Revolution 9. Four Wheels in China 10. Rickshaw Cities 11. The Third Wheel Notes Glossary Further Reading Index

This is a wonderful book, brimming at once with fascinating tales and with fundamental insights into the nature of invention. -- Patrick Manning, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of World History, University of Pittsburgh A fascinating book. New Scientist This concise and well-executed work is technology history at its best... Simply excellent, this work will appeal not just to history readers but also to those interested in the social and cultural developments that both fuel and are fueled by technical changes. Library Journal (starred review) A deft narrative. Nature A fine contribution to the history of transport. Journal of Interdisciplinary History Bulliet brings a fresh view to a story that interests many: the invention of the wheel, providing new and interesting details about when and why the wheel was first adopted. -- Hermione Giffard History Today

Richard W. Bulliet taught Middle Eastern history and the history of technology at Columbia University from 1976 to 2015. He is the author of Cotton, Climate, and Camels in Early Islamic Iran: A Moment in World History; Hunters, Herders, and Hamburgers: The Past and Future of Human-Animal Relationships; The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization; Islam: The View from the Edge; and The Camel and the Wheel.

• Acknowledgments 1. Wheel Versus Wheel 2. Why Invent the Wheel? 3. A Square Peg in a Round Wheel 4. Home on the Range 5. Wheels for Show 6. The Rise and Demise of the Charioteer 7. The Princess Ride 8. The Carriage Revolution 9. Four Wheels in China 10. Rickshaw Cities 11. The Third Wheel Notes Glossary Further Reading Index

This is a wonderful book, brimming at once with fascinating tales and with fundamental insights into the nature of invention. -- Patrick Manning, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of World History, University of Pittsburgh A fascinating book. New Scientist This concise and well-executed work is technology history at its best... Simply excellent, this work will appeal not just to history readers but also to those interested in the social and cultural developments that both fuel and are fueled by technical changes. Library Journal (starred review) A deft narrative. Nature A fine contribution to the history of transport. Journal of Interdisciplinary History Bulliet brings a fresh view to a story that interests many: the invention of the wheel, providing new and interesting details about when and why the wheel was first adopted. -- Hermione Giffard History Today

Richard W. Bulliet taught Middle Eastern history and the history of technology at Columbia University from 1976 to 2015. He is the author of Cotton, Climate, and Camels in Early Islamic Iran: A Moment in World History; Hunters, Herders, and Hamburgers: The Past and Future of Human-Animal Relationships; The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization; Islam: The View from the Edge; and The Camel and the Wheel.

• Acknowledgments 1. Wheel Versus Wheel 2. Why Invent the Wheel? 3. A Square Peg in a Round Wheel 4. Home on the Range 5. Wheels for Show 6. The Rise and Demise of the Charioteer 7. The Princess Ride 8. The Carriage Revolution 9. Four Wheels in China 10. Rickshaw Cities 11. The Third Wheel Notes Glossary Further Reading Index

This is a wonderful book, brimming at once with fascinating tales and with fundamental insights into the nature of invention. -- Patrick Manning, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of World History, University of Pittsburgh A fascinating book. New Scientist This concise and well-executed work is technology history at its best... Simply excellent, this work will appeal not just to history readers but also to those interested in the social and cultural developments that both fuel and are fueled by technical changes. Library Journal (starred review) A deft narrative. Nature A fine contribution to the history of transport. Journal of Interdisciplinary History Bulliet brings a fresh view to a story that interests many: the invention of the wheel, providing new and interesting details about when and why the wheel was first adopted. -- Hermione Giffard History Today