Advancements in the field of engineering that have led to major inventions and discoveries are built on the foundations of predecessors and their work. In many cases, small steps are taken by a variety of researchers leading ultimately to a very momentous discovery. ""A Biographical Dictionary of People in Engineering Literature"" lists the work and contributions of thousands of people from many countries, representing numerous fields of endeavor, over many centuries. The ancient cultures of people in China, Arabia, India, and Japan; the renaissance culture of the Greeks, Egyptians, Romans; and in addition the European cultures of the Russians, Germans, French and others, all have contributed to what is now called engineering. The terms 'engineer' and 'engineering' are rather recent, but former builders, architects, instrument makers, inventors, discoverers, and shop workers were part of the process. This work contains the necrologies (names, dates, and a brief biography) up to the year 2000 of people who are found in engineering and invention literature. The names were culled from histories, biographies, literature, and handbooks, particularly from those reference titles including words such as: distinguished, honored, leaders, outstanding, pioneers, prominent, recognized, renowned, and respected. The necrologies are necessarily abbreviated with the major employers and dates of employment and specialities listed and references to the sources of information. This book is a must for reference collections and those in the media who cover the field of engineering advancement.
