Speaking of industrial history – I must recommend Catherine Gaskell’s North and South. A brilliant novel of England and the industrialism in the 19th century, people, class, relations and a little bit of love. Also written by a lady with a sharp mind. It never turns into a political manifesto, but still manages to describe the time and its people, relations, opportunities and problems. Even if Catherine Gaskell is one of the big writers from that era, her books are not as widely known of as Jane Austen’s novels, but they are, just like Austens novels, still worth reading. North and South was also made into a BBC mini series a while ago, but the book is far better and more nuanced.