"The Madness of Chariman Mao," the first essay in this section, argues that Mao's well-spoken ignorance of science and technology contributed to the deaths of tens of millions of Chinese during the 1950s. "Shadows of 1812" analyzes how technological development, including intellectual-property theft, enabled the United States to attain economic independence. "Hus, Luther, and Gutenberg" demonstrates that the development of printing made possible a sustained revolt against the Catholic church, preventing Luther's revolution from being extirpated as earlier reform movements had been. "Barbarians at the Gate" explores China's decline relative to Europe, and the transformation by which Japan, and subsequently other Asian nations, rose to match the Western challenge. "The Philosopher-Kings" discusses how individuals with scientific and engineering backgrounds have made exceptional contributions to political leadership. On a contrary note, "Gin and Tonic" indicates how technological advance can sometimes contribute to societal evils, as when the cotton gin helped to perpetuate American slavery. Finally, offering a dramatic and hopeful counterpoint to the previous chapter, "The Galilean Transformation" demonstrates how the rigor of scientific thought menaces tyrannies.