It was not subtle, nor was it slow. The Industrial Revolution in America took on every aspect of life in short order and created an entirely new national identity. In addition, individuals had to completely reorder their families, public lives and identities. This nine-volume set for general readers considers how technologies affected lives and concludes with these three volumes. The two on communications and on agriculture and meatpacking describe innovations and inventions, major entrepreneurs and companies, the lives of the workers, labor organizations and reform movements, impacts on the environment and the effects of immigration, the influence of communications technologies on society, art and literature, and comparisons to the modern era. The overview/comparison volume follows the same sequence, comparing the effects of the Industrial Revolution on iron and steel, railroads, steam shipping, textiles, mining and petroleum, automobiles, agriculture and meatpacking and communications. Includes full citations. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)