Examines the development and history of the first American appliance, the cast-iron stove, which sparked debates on the role of women, industrialization, the definition of social class, and the development of a consumer economy. Sheds new light on the supposedly separate spheres of home and the world in 19th-century America, and considers responses to technological development, the emergence of a consumer ethic, and the attempt to preserve a distinct Anglo-American middle- class culture. The author teaches American studies at the University of South Florida. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)