This sounds like a fascinating read, will try and get hold of a copy.
Time for a controversial statement and some navel gazing.
The rate of progress for 50 years from this book until 1962 is phenomenal. By 1962 the Cessna 150 was cutting edge, instructors would allow their students to fly above 30 feet (!), we had jet powered commercial airliners and Concorde was in the early planning stages.
What happened to progress in the following 50 years ? Was it that the engineering impetus gave way to accountants ? Or the potential engineers all went into software instead ? Or is it that the progress is of a less obvious nature ? Or has aviation simply reached a plateau/shallower development curve having achieved all that it ever could do ?