This book defines what the industrial revolution was and is, how it developed in several major societies around the world, and how it varied in each case. Stearns stresses the massive impact of the industrial revolution on the course of world history since the early 19th century, examining both the larger power relationships and the very human experiences of work and family life.

The second edition features fully revised sections on postindustrialization, causation, and non-Western societies, further strengthening Stearns's discussion of complex industrial and international trends.