List of illustrations -- Introduction: defining the industrial revolution -- The first phase, 1970-1880 -- Britain's revolution -- New causes -- The industrial revolution in western society -- The social impact of the industrial revolution -- The industrial revolution outside the West -- The second phase, 1880-1950 -- The industrial revolution changes stripes, 1880-1950 -- The industrial revolution in Russia -- The industrial revolution in Japan -- New developments in western societies : a second revolution? -- The industrial revolution in international context -- The third phase, 1950s-2000s -- The industrial revolution in the past half century -- New industrial revolutions -- The less industrial world -- Postindustrial : societies and global balance -- Global industry and the environment -- Globalization and global industrial societies 1880-1950 -- Conclusion -- Index.