The Telephone Patent Conspiracy of 1876: The Elisha Gray-Alexander Bell Controversy and Its Many Players

Customer Reviews:

A quick read for those in the patent field........2003-11-29

This book will be a quick read for those in the patent field. After one or two sittings, you'll discover that you've effortlessly reached page one hundred. Although the author does not reveal his credentials or experience, it is clear that he does have some writing experience, as the journey through the pages is a smooth one. The book focuses on details, but also frequently steps back to show you the big picture. For example, there is periodic commentary on the many telegraphic and telephonic machines produced by other inventors around the world, at the time of Bell. Although the footnotes to the first chapter are not inspiring (they include an encyclopedia; scholars would never cite a watered-down tertiary source like an encyclopedia), the sources cited for later chapters are better, e.g., legal depositions. If there could be any improvement in the book, it would be to include step-by-step instructions on how to assemble one or two of the early devices described in the text, e.g., the acidic water device shown on page 96. The author acknowledges Stephen Mican as a helper. Mr. Mican is an experienced patent attorney, having worked on about 40 patents for companies in Milwaukee, Rockford, Chicago, and Rockville, MD, and for the U.S. Navy. Mr. Mican is also an inventor, being listed as the sole inventor of U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,393. One wonders if the book would have been substantially different if it had been written by a historian or by a patent attorney. Readers familiar with patent law will find this book to be filled with intrigue and insights into the history of the USPTO, but other people would probably rather be doing other things with their time.

Technology History Revisited.......2001-12-05

To appreciate the history of technological invention it's important to understand society and the scientific community at the time the inventors lived, as well as the political and industrial forces.

The Telephone Patent Conspiracy of 1876 is a good introduction to understanding science and society at the time Thomas Alva Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and a lot of their contemporary inventors, engineers and scientists changed the world by introducing electric lighting and telecommunicatins to the homes and offices.

The book may appear somewhat biased against Bell and focus mainly on the battle between Bell and Gray. People like Emile Berliner and Edison get only cursory treatment, and Antonio meucci is hardly mentioned. At times the author treats information from newspaper clippings with the same authority as official records. Readers are adviced to check the footnotes.

Customer Reviews:

Historic Insight Into Current Communication Standoff.......2004-11-20

Having just entered this world of deaf and Hard of Hearing, this book was especially insightful. It presents the argument that the same polarization that faced both Alexander Bell and Edward Gallaudet are still with us today.

I never knew much about either of these productive individuals, but what Winefiled provides in this work is substantial. The parallels of their upbringing and the differences are chronicled in easy-to-read text. Winefield is able remarkably to remain aloof from adding his own view and let's these two giants of the debate speak with their lives and their opinions.

Integration in the hearing world versus full individual potential are laid out, leading up to and beyond confrontation between these two innovators of educating deaf children. The oralist versus the combined method continue to be debated and tested.

One salient point brought out in this fine work is that the attitudes and expectations of each individual will determine his response to this debate. A fine work to aid in beginning to understand the complexities of this yet resolved historical communications issue.

A Wonderful Look Into the History of Deaf Education!.......2003-09-01

Whether you believe education should be ASL only, oral only, SEE, total communication, simultaneous communication, or any derivitive, this book will provide for you a very in-depth and interesting history of Galluadet and Bell and their philosophies.

It seems clear that the author has his personal opinions (as anyone in the field would), but he certainly doesn't force them, or even mention them, to the readers. Presented in a fair and unbiased format, this book tells of the history of the leaders in deaf education at that time and then explains their personal beliefs and presumptions of oralism or manual learning.

This book will get your blood boiling at times, as you read about the thinking of people whose opinion differs from yours, but you'll walk away a more knowledgeable and insightful person. Relatively easy to read (I read it in two days), it also features a few photographs and illustrations of the founders of deaf education in the United States.

Customer Reviews:

For whom Bell tolls?.......2006-07-29

I began reading this wondering what I was going to have for dinner that night. In the end I called a Chinese take out. I suspect Master Alexander had something to do with that decision. After dinner I was in an MSG stupor and couldnt keep my eyes open to finish the book. Years later when cleaning my domicile I literally stumbled on the book and thought hey no time like the present ! What I found was a vertible saga of epic proportions! No, I hadnt picked up the wrong book! You see the great thing about Alexander Graham Bell was not his minor leage baseball career, nor his stint in the Royal Air Force, his greatness lie in his fantastic beard! Come on! Who among us can do that??

Alexander Graham Bell ( Rookie Biographies).......2005-08-27

The title of this book is an excellent description. "Rookie" aka for very early grades or Pre-School.
I purchased this for my 8YO, and realized that this just would not work nor be enough for her.
But.....if you are looking for something easy to understand with some very wonderful photographs then this is the book for you. :)

The Gray Matter : The Forgotten Story of the Telephone

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The fascinating history of two American inventors

The Gray Matter : The Forgotten Story of the Telephone
Burton H. Baker
Manufacturer: Telepress
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Telephone Patent Conspiracy of 1876: The Elisha Gray-Alexander Bell Controversy and Its Many Players

ASIN: 061511329X

Book Description

Alexander Graham Bell filed a patent application and Elisha Gray filed a caveat, both on February 14, 1876. Bell obtained information from the caveat, then amended his application and made his first speaking telephone. That was the start of the complete telephone business in our country.

Customer Reviews:

The fascinating history of two American inventors.......2003-09-21

The Gray Matter: The Forgotten Story Of The Telephone by Burton H. Baker is the fascinating history of two American inventors, Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray, two men who, independently of one another strove to come up with the means to improve upon the telegraph. Yet only one man could utilize their researches and discoveries to earn the coveted and incredibly profitable telephone patent involved with the creation of a newly emerging communications industry. Comprising the absorbing and little-known 1876 American saga of a remarkable invention which became a technological staple of modern life, The Gray Matter is a true and very highly recommended history of judicial inquiries, conflicts, congressional investigation, and perhaps some ethically questionable dealing.

Time For Kids: Alexander Graham Bell (Time For Kids)

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Time For Kids: Alexander Graham Bell (Time For Kids)
Editors Of Time For Kids
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060576197
Release Date: 2006-02-21

Book Description

Take a close-up look at Alexander Graham Bell, an inventor and teacher of the deaf. Interviews with experts and lively writing deliver the accurate reporting you expect from TIME For Kids ^®. Historical and contemporary photographs capture the life of this compassionate man and show how his innovative inventions still help us today.

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Matthew's review
I Love Blast to the Past!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bell's Breakthrough (Blast to the Past)
Stacia Deutsch , and Rhody Cohon
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689870264

Customer Reviews:

Matthew's review.......2006-02-01

I liked Blast to the Past, Bell's Breakthrough. It's mostly about Alexander Graham Bell quitting inventing the telephone. Kids go back in time and try to convince him to invent the telephone. It was a little bit funny, like when there was a fire and then a kid said "call 911" but there was no telephone! I learned about Alexander Graham Bell. It was interesting because they said he might have stolen the idea of the telephone from some other inventor. I would recommend this book

I Love Blast to the Past!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-10-16

Wow! They did it again. This book rocked. What a great job the authors of Blast to the Past did. They made "Bell's Breakthrough" educational and exciting. Just think what would have happened if Alexander Graham Bell didn't invent the telephone? Life would be much different. I would recommend this book to everyone!

Alexander Graham Bell (On My Own Biography)

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Alexander Graham Bell (On My Own Biography)
Victoria Sherrow
Manufacturer: Carolrhoda Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1575055333

Reluctant Genius: Alexander Graham Bell and the Passion for Invention

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A complex individual emerges from these pages, making for a satisfying read indeed.
A Famous Man, of Whom Little is Really Known

Reluctant Genius: Alexander Graham Bell and the Passion for Invention
Charlotte Gray
Manufacturer: Arcade Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1559708093

Book Description

A major new biography of one of the giants of the golden age of invention whose innovations revolutionized the modern world. The popular image of Alexander Graham Bell shows an elderly American patriarch, memorable only for his paunch, his Santa Claus beard, and the invention of the telephone. In this magisterial reassessment, Charlotte Gray delves into the private life that supported his genius.

Customer Reviews:

A complex individual emerges from these pages, making for a satisfying read indeed........2007-02-08

Both general-interest libraries strong in biographical representation and college-level science collections where inventor biographies are strong will want Reluctant Genius: Alexander Graham Bell and the Passion for Invention. It represents the first major biography on Bell in thirty years and probes the life of a man whose inventions changed the world. Born of a deaf mother, Bell developed a passion for sound at an early age, investigating the science of sound and joining the race to invent the first 'speaking telegraph'. While he's best known for inventing the telephone, he also participated in the race to develop the airplane, and invented the hydrofoil - as well as investigated a president's murder. A complex individual emerges from these pages, making for a satisfying read indeed.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

A Famous Man, of Whom Little is Really Known.......2006-11-16

It is common knowledge that Bell invented the telephone. (Although as many times as I got called during this last election I'm not so sure it was a good idea.) But it was a time when great advances were being made in such devices. There were other inventors such as Meucci in Europe and Oki in Japan who were doing the same thing.

What is less known is that Bell was an inventor in many areas, rather like Edison or Tesla, he worked in many areas: sonar, ultra sound, iron lung, electric heating, and many more.

Perhaps as outstanding was his subsequent creation of The Bell Telephone Company. He had the ability to make the fundamental invention and then to capitalize on it to create a giant company where there had been nothing before, rather like Bill Gates was able to do in our time.

This is a major biography, it contains original research and understanding into his life combined with an excellent writing style that brings his life to life.

Alexander Graham Bell: An Inventive Life (Snapshots: Images of People and Places in History)

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Alexander Graham Bell: An Inventive Life (Snapshots: Images of People and Places in History)
Elizabeth MacLeod
Manufacturer: Kids Can Press, Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1550744585

Book Description

"One would think that I had never done anything worthwhile but the telephone," complained Alexander Graham Bell. No wonder he was annoyed; Bell invented the phone when he was just 29 and went on to lead a long and inventive life. This photo-biography chronicles the life and many remarkable achievements of Alexander Graham Bell, including his work with the hearing impaired and experiments with flight, iceberg locators and, of course, the telephone.

Average customer rating:

A fascinating look at one of America's greatest inventors.

Always Inventing
Tom L. Matthews
Manufacturer: National Geographic Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Electricity & Electronics | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0792273915
Release Date: 1999-02-01

Book Description

Period photographs as well as pages from Bell's original notebooks help paint a vivid portrait of the man who -- from his first invention at age 11 (a tool to clean husks from wheat kernels) to his patent on hydrofoil improvements 64 years later -- was always inventing.

Customer Reviews:

A fascinating look at one of America's greatest inventors........1999-04-03

Packed full of outstanding historical photos and wonderfully written text this fascinating biography clearly illlustrates the life of one of the greatest inventors in America - a man who was always searching for ways to help his fellow men. A wonderful addition to any library.

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