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This magazine is devoted to American inventions and technology that have affected our lives. In essence, this magazine is a historical magazine about American technology. Within each issue are multiple articles about a historical invention. The articles can either focus on the technology or focus on an individual who has been a key contributor to the progress of that technology. Typically, each issue also has an interview with an inventor or inventors whose contributions have materially affected our lives or society.

The scope of the magazine is broad. There have been articles on the Trans-Canada highway. Another recent issue had an brilliant article on tunnel dull machines. In yet another article the development of refinery cracking was described in the context of the development of higher performance engines. The contribution of high octane gasoline to the winning of the air war was mentioned, an fascinating piece of trivia of which I was previously unaware.

The scope of the magazine is beyond the physical sciences. Biology and the development of medical technology are also covered. While the magazine is written at a level that an educated non-expert can know, some of the biology related articles challenge my attention.

This magazine is an brilliant fund of technological history. But, while the technical jargon used is that apt to a technology, this magazine is not light reading for those unfamiliar with a specific field. As an example, I had to read parts of the article on refinery cracking a couple of times to know the general description of how the cracking process facility. Therefore, while I highly recommend this magazine to anyone with an interest in the history of technology, realize that for some readers, for example elementary school students, this magazine could present a reading challenge.

Most articles also provide pictures or other artwork. Frequently this artwork is unavailable from any other magazine fund because there are so few magazines that deal with technological history. The feature of the images varies because many of the pictures have not been well-preserved, but in many cases they are the only pictures available.

This magazine frequently mentions the Inventor’s Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio, which is sponsored by the United States Patent & Trademark Office. A number of articles have covered inductees to the Inventor’s Hall of Fame, showing that while the articles are historical in nature, they are also currently relevant.

There are a large number of magazines that are either about technology, or have had articles about technology. There are a large number of trade magazines that cover technology. Sometimes these magazines even have articles about the history of an invention. But, the “American Heritage of Invention & Technology” is the only magazine of which I am aware the covers the history of invention and technology. While the focus of the articles is American technology, it is inevitable that the relationship of foreign invention is covered occasionally as well when that technology was valuable in the development of American technology. I deliberate this magazine to be brilliant for anyone with an interest in historical technology, and is an brilliant complement to other historical magazines.

Rating: 5 / 5

I wish this magazine came out more often (as another reviewer said). It would be fascinating for anyone with the slightest interest in the history of technology and engineering. Recent articles have covered vacuum tubes, their history, and why some are still used now, and nuclear power and how that industry hindered in America. I remember reading another article in the mid-’90s about a guy in New York City who shoveled coal for a public school furnace. He clarified his job and how hard it was to buy a coal shovel (the hardware store people couldn’t believe it). A few years later they followed up with a note that all public schools in NYC had been converted from coal, and that the coal-shoveler’s job was MUCH simpler maintaining the new furnace. Tales on iron bridges and how Necco wafers are made (with the same machine for 100 years or so) and how buttons are made from seashells and how paper clips are made and how a Hollywood actress designed a frequency-jumping weapons guidance logic and all sorts of others are built-in. Lots of cool articles about how everyday (and not-so-run of the mill) technologies went from thoughts in someone’s mind to products that are ready for use.
Rating: 5 / 5

I must add a few words of praise for this Magazine. Very few magazines capture my interest throughout its pages — this one does. I lean far more heavily toward publications that teach something, and, I’m sorry to say, most of the science and technology magazines are pure fluff. This magazine really adds to my knowledge of historical actions and life-changing inventions. One article dealt with the design of golf balls. Another dealt with the designing and successful deployment of the Mars rovers. A recent one dealt with Abraham Lincoln being the only US President to ever hold a patent. The breadth of discussions in these articles goes on and on — the vast margin of which are fascinating. And you’re not bludgeoned with advertisement after advertisement.

Too many magazines are full of pretty ads — but when you add up the total number of pages that really offer any consequential information, they are very much lacking.

This is not one of them.

You will not be disappointed in subscribing to this one. You will keep each and every issue. You will read it from cover to cover. And your kids will like you for it. The letters that are written in by people who were really there during some of these history-building actions add fascinating insights. This is truly a unique publication.
Rating: 5 / 5