Julie Wosk examines the role of machines in helping women reconfigure and transform their lives. She takes her readers through a gallery of fiction and high and low art which depicts women in their association with machines.

"'Who is Rudolph Carl Gorman?' A passing glimpse into his life reveals an interesting person who lived an unconventional life. But the profound answer for this idiosyncratic character is intriguingly complex. 'Which Gorman we are referring to?' A child born into poverty. A young man trying to survive in a prejudiced society. A struggling artist who, against insurmountable odds, separated himself from the pack. A creator of one-of-a-kind art to inspire...