HN would probably be interested in another book by the author, Witold Rybczynski: One Good Turn: A Natural History of the Screwdriver and the Screw (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0684867303). It's born out of a writing prompt for a newspaper article - what is the most important tool (for construction specifically) of the past millennium? Prof. Rybczynski decided on this answer, and gives a history of the screw, both as a fastener and as a way to regulate motion in a machine. It's short but still quite comprehensive, even involving looking for screws in medieval drawings.

Great read: One Good Turn: A Natural History... https://www.amazon.com/dp/0684867303?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_shar...

A history of the screw. Really interesting around how it was developed. Some machining techniques are far older than you’d expect, and some capabilities far newer.

The books thesis is that the screw is the most important invention.