Lives of Boulton and Watt. Principally from the Original Soho Mss

This is an invaluable work on Boulton and Watt, an early British engineering and manufacturing firm in the business of designing and producing marine and stationary steam engines. It was founded in 1775 as a partnership between the Scottish engineer James Watt and the English manufacturer Matthew Boulton to exploit Watt's patent for a steam engine with a different condenser. The firm played a significant role in Industrial Revolution and evolved to be a prominent producer of steam engines in the 19th century. This work was a result of the memoirs of Boulton and Watt. The writer described the formation and evolution of the company as well as details on how they planned and carried out the operations in simple terms. It's a perfect read for people curious to learn about the engineering practices in the olden days.

Samuel Smiles (1812–1904) was a Scottish author and government reformer whose work in literature predominantly encompassed the Victorian era's ethos of self-help and individual responsibility. A prolific writer, Smiles is widely known for pioneering the genre of 'self-help' with his highly influential book 'Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct' (1859). His writings have been characterized by a belief in the virtues of hard work, thrift, and fortitude, and they often underscored the lives of engineers, inventors, and entrepreneurs who personified these traits. An important entry in his bibliography is 'Lives of Boulton and Watt. Principally from the Original Soho Mss', wherein he forays into the biographies of the industrial revolutionaries Matthew Boulton and James Watt. Smiles's literary style is marked by a combination of moral didacticism and engaging storytelling, as he narrated the achievements of his subjects to inspire his readers to aspire toward self-improvement and industry. His work remains a testament to the cultural values of the 19th century and offers a window into the era's perspectives on progress and success. His influence is seen not only in literature but also in the encouragement of a culture of entrepreneurship and self-directed pursuit of personal achievements within the broader spectrum of societal advancement.