Book Description
At the height of his fame Thomas Alva Edison was hailed as “the Napoleon of invention” and blazed in the public imagination as a virtual demigod. Newspapers proclaimed his genius in glowing personal profiles and quipped that “the doctor has been called” because the great man “has not invented anything since breakfast.” Starting with the first public demonstrations of the phonograph in 1878 and extending through the development of incandescent light, a power generation and distribution system to sustain it, and the first motion picture cameras—all achievements more astonishing in their time than we can easily grasp today—Edison’s name became emblematic of all the wonder and promise of the emerging age of technological marvels.
But as Randall Stross makes clear in this critical biography of the man who is arguably the most globally famous of all Americans, Thomas Edison’s greatest invention may have been his own celebrity. Edison was certainly a technical genius, but Stross excavates the man from layers of myth-making and separates his true achievements from his almost equally colossal failures. How much credit should Edison receive for the various inventions that have popularly been attributed to him—and how many of them resulted from both the inspiration and the perspiration of his rivals and even his own assistants? How much of Edison’s technical skill helped him overcome a lack of business acumen and feel for consumers’ wants and needs?
This bold reassessment of Edison’s life and career answers these and many other important questions while telling the story of how he came upon his most famous inventions as a young man and spent the remainder of his long life trying to conjure similar success. We also meet his partners and competitors, presidents and entertainers, his close friend Henry Ford, the wives who competed with his work for his attention, and the children who tried to thrive in his shadow—all providing a fuller view of Edison’s life and times than has ever been offered before. The Wizard of Menlo Park reveals not only how Edison worked, but how he managed his own fame, becoming the first great celebrity of the modern age.
Customer Reviews:
The Man Behind the Myth.......2007-07-01
Thomas Alva Edison was probably the greatest inventor of all time. However, he was also one of the worst businessman to ever run a business. Yes, he invented the phonograph, but then was beaten in the market by the Victor company because he micromanaged the decisions for the selection of the artists to record. In fact, initially, he wanted to use his invention as a dictation device. Many consider him to be the inventor of electricity and the light bulb, and yet, many inventors were working on this at the same time. And, ultimately, Westinghouse beat his company in the market because he pursued the more costly direct current while they pursued the more cost efficient alternating current. Alternating current is what is used today. His life was that of a creative genius who pursued what he was interested in and not what was important to the market, thereby missing many opportunities. However, pursuing what he was interested in resulted in great advances in many fields that were important in the development of the modern world. I think the most important statement of his importance to our world was provided when the US government requested that all people turn off their lights at the time of his funeral in 1931. He was very important to the modern world, but the myths that arose since his death, that resulted in him being close to a deity, were not correct. This book provides the man behind the myth, doing in a very credible and readable fashion. Consequently, I highly recommend this book.
Excellent Re-Look at An American Icon.......2007-04-19
The Wizard of Menlo Park is an reexamination of the life and career of one of the most famous American inventors, Thomas Alva Edison.
It is a myth that Thomas Edison is the sole inventor of the lightbulb. In any event, it was not even his most famous invention. That honor goes to the phonograph that singlehandedly set the stage for the development of the modern music insustry.
Thomas Edison lacked the kind of business acumen that was needed for him to capitalize on his being the pioneer of sound recording. Edison failed to capitalize on his fame. He allowed himself to be distracted from his work to the point that he allowed his lab to become a popular tourist destination.
Although Edison was a remarkable man who was rightfully credited with many useful inventions, the hype surrounding him has actually obscured his real creativity.
This is an excellent book.
The Wizard Invents Himself.......2007-04-17
The greatest American inventor, most would agree, was Thomas Alva Edison, but it may be that his greatest invention was himself, as image in the newspapers and as "Thomas A. Edison", a phrase that was an important addition to any marketable gadget. In _The Wizard of Menlo Park: How Thomas Edison Invented the Modern World_ (Crown), Randall Stross has looked at the mechanical and electric inventions, few of which Edison single-handedly originated or developed, but has concentrated mostly on his fame. "Once brought into being," Stross writes, "Edison's image inhabited its own life and acted autonomously in ways that its namesake could not control." Stross, a historian who is a professor of business, makes the case that Edison discovered the importance of the application of celebrity to business. We had celebrities before, of course, presidents and generals, and contemporary with Edison were famous figures like Mark Twain and P. T. Barnum. Edison's celebrity exceeded them all, and oddly, he was famous because he was an inventor. When celebrity came to him, he was not an inventor who had made a practical gadget like a cotton gin, a telegraph, or an elevator; he had invented (and had come far short of perfecting) the phonograph. It was the celebrity from this particular machine that carried him through many ups and downs in his long life.
This is not a complete biography, but a welcome look at particular qualities of Edison's celebrity and its effects on his life and business practices. Edison jumped from the most modern technology of the time, telegraphy, and was working on improved telephones, not on voice recording in 1877. The world was dazzled by the prospect of a machine that could talk, but the phonograph sat in its unperfected form for another ten years as he went about other projects, and this was despite a clamor for the machine and an elevation of Edison in the public mind to "mythic inventor hero". Edison was happiest when he was tinkering wherever his whimsy carried him; he was good at coming up with new ideas, bad at working on perfecting them, and terrible at making them pay. He understood the importance of his fame, and used it, although he could not control all the ways others put it to use or all the ways that it took time out of his other activities. He made himself available to the press, and reporters loved interviewing the plain-talking inventor who would chew tobacco throughout such visits. He loved the role of wise advisor, and the press liked him to pontificate on all sorts of matters that had nothing to do with his areas of expertise, like diet.
Edison was no charlatan. Even though he took credit when it actually belonged to those who worked for him, and even though the public insisted on crediting him for inventions others had perfected, he did have a real role in innovating gadgets. As time went on (he lived until 1931) and his public persona as a wizard continued, people tended to forget his many failures; all of his most famous inventions were early in his career, and all amounted to little while he was the one in control of their manufacture and marketing. It would be unfair to judge him just on his earnings, but one of his sons was probably right when he bitterly complained, "You should have been... a millionaire 10 times over if you knew how to handle your own achievements." Such a skill was not within his wizardry, however. Stross shows that Edison could not focus on a new project and bring it to commercial fruition without getting distracted by other endeavors, and that often the distracting endeavor was that of making himself a celebrity. He was wildly successful in this, but it proved to be a strain that he could not enjoy or control. Stross sums up: "Edison failed to invent a way to free himself from unrealistic expectations produced by his own past."
Thomas Edison is human........2007-04-04
The author brings Thomas Edison to life in these pages exposing all of his brilliance, ineptness, and stubborness. No one can doubt the genius that is Edison, while at the same time appreciating all of the business opportunities lost due to his quirks of personality and failure to recognize them when they are right before his eyes.
It is a fascinating look at someone who I have admired for years from reading about his accomplishments, but now I feel I know him as a person. I had a hard time putting the book down. A must read for anyone and especially people who are innovative and entrepreneurial.
Genius is what genius does.......2007-03-20
Having met a genius in gambling - the Captain - I have become fascinated in what makes certain men or women reach such high levels of achievement. This is a stunningly excellent book that will rivet you to its pages.
Frank Scoblete: author of Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution! and Golden Touch Dice Control Revolution!
Customer Reviews:
Very Interesting........2006-08-08
What a lucky man, to have lived and shared the time he did, with those incredible people. Mr. Newton tells it like he lived it, you get the distinct impression, from reading this book, that Mr. Newton saw these men as both great leaders and great men. It is impressive today to be able to get a cross section of turn of the century greatness, all rolled up in one place. Interestingly enough, Mr. Newton has a strong sense of faith that worked it's way into all of these relationships, yet he incorporates it into the text with minimal overtones. I would recommend this book to anyone, like me, that only has a passing knowledge of these people and their times, it helped to color these people in as human.
Fascinating & stimulating.......2003-07-16
This book gives insight in many discussions on business, theology and philosophy among five extraordinary people. But I find it regrettable that the belief of Edison, Ford & Lindbergh in reincarnation is rather superficially worked out. Perhaps because of the religious stance of his wife and the author.
I deem it also regrettable that no mention is made of the membership of Edison of the Theosophical Society while it is obvious he was much inspired by the books of Blavatsky.
Apart from a few inaccuracies (on p. 10: Edison is attributed to have received as a gift every new car that ran from the Ford assembly line, among which the first V8. But the V8 was introduced after the demise of this great inventor, p. 100) I find this book very readable and stimulating.
A Fascinating Book on the Lives of Five Great Men.......2001-08-20
This book originally caught my eye as an addition to another book I read called Edison: A Life of Invention by Paul Israel. I wanted a book that would cover a little more of Edison's personal life, and this book did just that. However, James Newton's close, dedicated friendships with all of these great men of the twentieth century is truly amazing, and I learned more than I would probably learn otherwise about some of these important historical figures.
The entire book is fascinating, and surely different parts will appeal to different readers. I was particularly enchanted with a poignant description of how Charles Lindbergh handled dying as he lay on his deathbed. I was also fascinated with how environmentally conscientious some of these men were, particularly Edison and Lindbergh, but also Ford. For example, Ford was very interested in making automobile parts out of soybeans in order to reduce the need for metal parts. It seems that all of these men had numerous ideas and ideas for inventions that were way ahead of their time - perhaps some of them still are.
Newton's writing is quite good, and I only have one very minor criticism: it seems that he preaches a little bit and dwells on the religious facet of his relationships with these people. Of course, I'm sure this was a very important part of his relationship with these men and their families, but it seems that there is a grand, overarching agenda he has in constantly illustrating their connection to God and religion.
If you are interested in any of these historical figures and their fascinating relationships with each other, this book is definitely the best book you will find on the subject.
A Truly Fascinating Book on the Lives of a Five Twentieth Ce.......2001-08-20
This book originally caught my eye as an addition to another book I read called Edison: A Life of Invention by Paul Israel. I wanted a book that would cover a little more of Edison's personal life, and this book did just that. However, James Newton's close, dedicated friendships with all of these great men of the twentieth century is truly amazing, and I learned more than I would probably learn otherwise about some of these important historical figures.
The entire book is fascinating, and surely different parts will appeal to different readers. I was particularly enchanted with a poignant description of how Charles Lindbergh handled dying as he lay on his deathbed. I was also fascinated with how environmentally conscientious some of these men were, particularly Edison and Lindbergh, but also Ford. For example, Ford was very interested in making automobile parts out of soybeans in order to reduce the need for metal parts. It seems that all of these men had numerous ideas and ideas for inventions that were way ahead of their time - perhaps some of them still are.
Newton's writing is quite good, and I only have one very minor criticism: it seems that he preaches a little bit and dwells on the religious facet of his relationships with these people. Of course, I'm sure this was a very important part of his relationship with these men and their families, but it seems that there is a grand, overarching agenda he has in constantly illustrating their connection to God and religion.
If you are interested in any of these historical figures and their fascinating relationships with each other, this book is definitely the best book you will find on the subject.
Great Minds - Can Still Teach Us Today!.......2001-05-02
This is one of the best books I've ever read. It takes you on a tour of the lives of some incredible men whose work and personalities still have influence on us years after their deaths. Prior to reading this book, I had no idea that all of these men not only knew each other, but had such strong personal connections. I have recommended this book to many friends and will recommend it strongly to anyone who wants a book to enjoy that also provides such a wonderful and personal look at history through the minds of arguably some of the wisest men of the 20th century.
Average customer rating:
- Great Lakes
- The Life Of Thomas A. Edison
- "The Wizard of Menlo Park"
- Thomas A. Edison
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Thomas Edison: Young Inventor (Childhood of Famous Americans Series.)
Sue Guthridge
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ASIN: 0020418507 |
Customer Reviews:
Great Lakes.......2007-01-10
We are using this book with our Literature Study. The girls have enjoyed all of Thomas's creativity. We have also gotten to experiment with several of his projects. They are lot of fun! Great book to learn to be more creative in life.
The Life Of Thomas A. Edison.......2004-02-24
Thomas A. Edison is about a boy who likes to ask questions. He came into his gooses nest and sat on her egg. Isn't that weird. He wanted the egg process to go faster. Tom is a good boy. You would like this book if you read it. It is funny and it is exciting. While you are reading it, you won't even know that you are learning. I was supposed to read it as a book report and I am glad I chose to read it. Tom was dedicated to make what he is working on come true. He messed up a couple of times like the time he told his friend to drink these two chemicals mix together so his friend could fly like a bird. Instead, hisd friendf got sick. I laughed. I give this book 5 points!
"The Wizard of Menlo Park".......2002-01-25
Have you ever tried to sit on an egg and hatch it? Thomas Alva Edison did! He was a young who was curious about the world around him. He was born in a city near New York City. His family did not have much money, but they made a great effort to send young Thomas to school. At his first school that he attended, he was expelled for asking too much questions to her teacher. At his other 2 schools that he went too, he was also expelled for asking too many questions. At a young age Thomas would sell newspapers at a railroad. At the young age of 23, Thomas invented the phonograph, which is the grandfather of the Compact Disk. Then a couple of years later Thomas after 7 attempts invented the Light bulb. Years after inventing the light bulb, New York City was entirely lighted by light bulbs thanks to Thomas. He was even called "The wizard of Menlo Park".
This hilarious biography will make you want to keep reading and reading. The only thing that can stop you is the end of the book! The author, Sue Gut ridge, really makes you feel like if you were really Thomas Edison and by the way she describes him, you feel sad when Thomas is sad and you feel happy when Thomas is happy. This book is for someone that likes to laugh and feel really emotional at the same time.
Thomas Edison is a motivating biography that makes you feel better about yourself. When I read this book I felt muck better about my family and myself. I realized that I could be anyone if I wanted to by just closing my eyes and having a good imagination. Read it, buy it; you will have hours of unstoppable fun while you read this marvelous book and it has a marvelous ... price.
Thomas A. Edison.......2000-11-04
This book is wonderful for ages 8 - 12 who want to read about Thomas Edison's childhood and important things about his adult life. Each chapter has exciting stories that happened to this inquisitive boy. He was a very curious boy who would always ask questions. His parents, mother in particular, are very supportive of his curiosity. There are interesting events that happen like when Thomas gets his first ice skates and when he rides on a steam engine train. If you are interested in the world around you and maybe interested in science, then this is the book for you. It's fascinating to read about Thomas Edison as a young boy and as he grows into an adult because the only info I had before was a listing of his inventions. By the way, it would be very fast reading for an adult, and it might be nice if your child is reading this that you read it, too.
Average customer rating:
- wonderful series
- Great subject for a children book.
- Great Introduction to Edison
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Who Was Thomas Alva Edison? (Who Was...?)
Margaret Frith
Manufacturer: Grosset & Dunlap
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0448437651 |
Book Description
One day in 1882, Thomas Edison flipped a switch that lit up lower Manhattan with incandescent light and changed the way people live ever after. The electric light bulb was only one of thousands of Edison's inventions, which include the phonograph and the kinetoscope, an early precursor to the movie camera. As a boy, observing a robin catch a worm and then take flight, he fed a playmate a mixture of worms and water to see if she could fly! Here's an accessible, appealing biography with 100 black-and-white illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
wonderful series.......2007-05-13
Whenever I see a new book in this series, I buy it. I have yet to be disappointed. The information is presented in an easy to read format and contains a wide variety of information as well as pictures. I once had a reluctant reader who became a reader after reading one of these for a project I had assigned in my classroom. His mother was forever grateful.
Great subject for a children book........2007-03-25
Great subject for a children book. I got this series of books for my daughter and she really enjoyes reading them. Great read and educational too.
Great Introduction to Edison.......2006-04-14
Edison's contributions to modern society are impressive: the light bulb, phonograph, improvements to the telegraph, telephone and motion picture technology. Very enjoyable book!
Book Description
Working at Inventing offers a fascinating study of research and development at Thomas Edison's Menlo Park (New Jersey) laboratory during the six years between 1876 and 1882 that transformed American life. Edison and his associates developed ideas that led to more than four hundred patents and made major contributions to telegraphy, telephony, and the duplication of texts. They also made breakthrough innovations in two age-old human quests: conquering the darkness of night and preserving and replaying sound. In the process, Edison demonstrated how to combine technological innovation and business strategy. Afterward, research and development became essential corporate activities.
Six experts on Edison's work deal in turn with the working conditions and the experiences at Menlo Park; the work culture of machinists and their impact on innovation; the role that telegraphy played in forming the lab's inventive activities; Edison's use of mental models in developing the telephone; the importance of visual communication in technology; and the significance of Menlo Park as a model of scientific and technological development. William Pretzer's introduction to the volume provides the context of Edison's career, while an epilogue explains the public interpretation of the Menlo Park laboratory as reconstructed by Henry Ford in his outdoor museum, Greenfield Village.
Book Description
From the lightbulb, to the phonograph to the movies, Thomas Edison was the mastermind behind many inventions that are taken for granted today. But how did he grow up to be a legendary inventor? Michael Dooling explores the origins of Edison's scientific genius: his interest in mixing chemicals--sometimes with explosive result--his diligence in his work as a paperboy, and his difficulty paying attention in school. Through his clear text and stunning illustrations. Dooling presents a fascinating and compelling portrait of the man who has been called America's greatest inventor and entrepreneur.
Customer Reviews:
A wonderful Example of what a young child's historical book should be.......2007-01-17
I have been scouring our public library looking for high quality, unbiased historical literature to shore up our personal homeschool library. Unfortunately, most historical literature is either too dry, has too many words on a page to hold a child's attention, too politically correct (dishonest)or the artwork is poor or nonexistent. This book exceeded all of our expectations. The author presented Thomas Edison from child to adult in an honest, humorous way, not shying away from the events in his life that might be considered controversial, such as the fact that he was homeschooled due to the cruelties and of his teacher and the basic dumbing down of school in general(a refeshing change- I'm usually dodging "school propaganda" in children's literature); that his mother was convinced his son was too smart for school and a devout Christian. In fact, I learned more about Thomas Edison's accomplishments, and why he was so successful throughout his life, than I learned in all my years in school. We will be looking for more of the same high quality from this author/illustrator who is top notch. It is literature of this quality that instills a love of history in a child. The illustrations drew us right into the story, almost as though we were stepping through pages of time as we read it. Exquisite! We are eager to have our own copy of this one!
Average customer rating:
- If you want to know Edison, you MUST see it.
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The Story of Thomas Alva Edison (Landmark Books)
Margaret Cousins
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
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Albert Einstein: Young Thinker (The Childhood of Famous Americans Series)
ASIN: 0394848837
Release Date: 1981-08-12 |
Book Description
Beginning with Thomas Edison’s childhood, when he set up his first laboratory in his basement as a 10-year-old, and following through his many jobs before he was able to support himself as an inventor, this is the true story of the man who brought the world the phonograph, motion pictures, and even the electric light bulb—revolutionary inventions that forever changed the way people live.
“One of the most critically acclaimed, best-selling children’s book series ever published.”—The New York Times
Margaret Cousins is also the author of the Landmark Book Ben Franklin of
Old Philadelphia.
Customer Reviews:
If you want to know Edison, you MUST see it........1998-11-17
I like to read his story because by this way I saw a lot of his successful experiments and magical inventions, I also saw his spirit of doing them. He never gave up and never feel sorry even when he knew that what he thought was wrong. he liked to find out the secrets of nature. I recommend this book, by reading this book, I learned lots about Thomas Edison, I stared to understand how special he was, and what a person he was. You will see how a genius struggled with his carreer and his hobbies. you will also see how he looked at this world different and how he insist on what he want.
Average customer rating:
- Great detailed biography
- Edison - a research project
- The Wizard of Menlo Park
- Gird yourself for a long, slow march
- superb scholarly and technical treatment
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Edison: A Life of Invention
Paul Israel
Manufacturer: Wiley
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0471529427 |
Book Description
The definitive biography of the century's godfather of invention-from the preeminent Edison scholar
"Israel's meticulous research and refusal to shy away from the dodgier aspects of Edison's personality offers a fresh glimpse into the life of the inventor."-New Scientist
"Remarkable."-Nature
"An authoritative look into Edison's working methods, here leavened by enough personal detail to give the achievements shape."-Publishers Weekly
"Highly recommended."
"Israel's book should go a long way toward taking Edison out of the shadows and placing him in the proper light."-Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"Exhaustively researched, with strong emphasis on Edison's methods and achievements."-Kirkus Reviews
The conventional story of Thomas Edison reads more like myth than history: With only three months of formal education, a hardworking young man overcomes the odds and becomes one of the greatest inventors in history. But the portrait that emerges from Edison: A Life of Invention reveals a man of genius and astonishing foresight whose career was actually a product of his fast-changing era. In this peerless biography, Paul Israel exposes for the first time the man behind the inventions, expertly situating his subject within a thoroughly realized portrait of a burgeoning country on the brink of massive change. Informed by Israel's unprecedented access to workshop diaries, notebooks, letters, and more than five million pages of archives, this definitive biography brings fresh insights to a singularly influential and triumphant career in science.
Customer Reviews:
Great detailed biography.......2007-05-07
I liked this book a great deal. You should consider that this is not a fictional story, and is the very essence of a research work.
Great insights about his life, religious views, and his business of invention. Well treated subject and a great read.
Edison - a research project.......2007-03-15
This book is very authoritive and well researched, and even more important is that it provides end notes for the reader to verify the author's assertions. If you want a quick overview of Edison's life or just the highlights, this is not the book for you; but if you need to know the man, this is the best book I've read. Paul Israel presents Edison's achievments and failures, in inventions, human relationships and finances in a dispassionate manner.
The Wizard of Menlo Park.......2006-07-10
I've always been interested in reading the biographies of famous inventors. Edison was one I knew little about, so I purchased this book. It is very interesting and takes you through his entire life. You see how Edison begins as a skilled telegraph operator. But he is not content with the status quo, he is always improving what he is working with. But he is also a businessman and gets his ideas patented, and forms partnerships and businesses to profit from them.
The book also includes many pictures form different periods in his life. If you are interested in Edison, this is a great book.
Gird yourself for a long, slow march.......2005-06-07
Reading this book has been an experience for me. I wanted to find out more about the life of one of America's most famous inventors, and this book has helped me along the way, so I give it credit for that. However, I have felt like I am trudging into a mighty windstorm, reaching deep into my soul to plunge each forward step as I slowly turn the pages in this book. There are pockets of enlightenment throughout the book, but it really is a relaying of facts about Edison's life, which is technically what a biography should do, but this book does not come alive in my hands like others have.
To be fair, I did accomplish my goal of learning more about this great man. I learned that a lot his inventions were a result of not just great intellect, but of great work ethic and stick-to-it-iveness. Also, one of his greatest contributions was a corporate model for delegating work among his subordinates. The speed of the development of his inventions was the key, as several other inventors were working on similar ideas at the same time.
Anyway, I recommend the book as a good introduction to the life of Tom, but I am sure that there is a book out there that will give you the same enlightenment without making you feel as though you've crawled on your hands and knees through the Sahara, with a canteen full of lukewarm water that leaks at a very slow rate.
superb scholarly and technical treatment.......2004-01-07
I was given this book for a writing project and dutifully plowed through it over the Christmas holidays. Overall, I must say that it was an absolutely excellent holiday book as well as chock full of useful ideas for my scholarly purposes. This is an extremely difficult balance to strike and Israel has done it better than I thought possible - I was prepared for a long dry slog and instead found a great and exciting story.
Edison, Israel argues, was not just a lone little-educated tinkerer of genius as he is often portrayed, but the creator of the prototype for the modern corporate research lab - he knew how to find talent, how to organize it to get the most out of people, and how to beat the competition by both speed and in the creation of entire new systems of technology. He also knew how to manipulate the media and build on his fame, creating a myth to which he had to live up. That being said, he had a pitch-perfect intuitive sense not only of potential new markets, but of how to create technical solutions to exploit them. He learned from his failures and strove to apply his less-successful inventions elsewhere, often to great effect. Taken together, this was true business genius and Israel explains it all succinctly, including the exposure of Edison's many weaknesses in management and his financial affairs and his many flops (such as the mining experiments that nearly bankrupted him). Furthermore, the basics of his major inventions - improvements to the telegraph and telephone, the light bulb, commerical electricity generation systems, to mention a few - are covered with competence, always with an eye to the management of it all and what it took, all of which are of great use. This adds up to a masterpiece of scholarship and popular writing in my view, crossing a plethora of disciplines in very readable prose and at a good pace of storytelling.
However, there are many things that make this a challenging read and in some ways disappointing. Even though I know a lot about science and engineering from my own writing, I found the many passages explaining the nuts and bolts of his inventions hard to follow and ultimately rather dry. If the reader is not interested in these highly technical details, he can skim them without losing the narrative thread. Moreover, Edison as a person does not always come thru, though really he was his work and not much else. You also do not learn much about the fate of his enterprises or even his personal financial fortune after his death, which is also a part of his legacy that should be explored. Finally, Israel addresses somewhat rarified questions in the concluding chapter regarding whether Edison was a "scientist" and how industrial research was changing (developing specialties that required far more education than inventors of Edison's "heroic invention" epoch) to make the emergence of generalist, self-taught inventors like him far more difficult and with limited horizons; while I enjoyed this a great deal, it is of limited interest to those who were never steeped in "science policy."
All in all, highest recommendation. It is a great achievement and will stand as one of the definitive biographies of this great and difficult man.
Book Description
A fast-paced biography of Thomas Edison, the scientist who perfected the light bulb and propelled America into the twentieth century.
Customer Reviews:
A Fine Biography.......2006-02-21
This interesting biography with excellent illustrations and primary source photographs provides facts and fun! An excellent index and table of contents provides easy navigation. The chapters are well-written, beginning with a interest-grabbing first chapter describing Edison's introduction of the electric lights to the public. Historical events and settings build a broad understanding of the lives and times of inventors and builders who paved the way for modern times.
Book Description
His inventions included the phonograph, light bulb, and movie camera.
Customer Reviews:
A Fun Book to Stimulate Interest in History.......2002-01-31
This is a fun book that should help your youngster develop an interest in American History. It is easy to read an has great illustratiions. You will not be disappointed with this purchase. Look for others by the same author.
Well-focused, well-balanced and entertaining.......2000-04-13
I bought this book for my 5-year-old nephew, and already I can hear him laughing at the illustrations of Edison sitting on goose eggs in his father's barn, causing a chemical fire in a baggage car, and courting teacherly reprisals for his apprarent boredom in a conventional classroom. These all-too-human mishaps from the great inventor's life mix well and bring interest to the charmingly illustrated discussion of his accomplishments: lighting up New York City, inventing the phonograph, inventing the first movie camera and making the first movies with a story. More than just providing a laundry list of his accomplishments, though, this little book explains in simple terms how he worked his way up to owning his own laboratories in Menlo Park, first as a candy butcher turned telegrapher, and finally coming into some money with his invention of the stock ticker. Thomas Edison's accomplishments are something to admire, and I'm definitely happy to start my nephew off learning about him with this book.
Adler biography series is wonderful!.......2000-04-09
Have you ever needed a short and sweet biography for younger students yet could only find books for independent readers? Adler has solved the problem. This book is a wonderful introduction for K-3 graders who need information but cant handle those lengthy chapter books. Abundantly illustrated to keep little eyes busy while listening to the story. Loaded with biographical information and includes a timeline of important dates. Other titles in the series include; Thomas Jefferson, Abe Lincoln, Christopher Colombus, George Washington, Martin Luter King Jr. and others.
Books:
- Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold
- Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.
- Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs: Official Companion Book to the Exhibition sponsored by National Geographic
- Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 10: Hollywood
- When Dreams Come True: A Love Story Only God Could Write
- Where People Fly and Water Runs Uphill: Using Dreams to Tap the Wisdom of the Unconscious
- Wide Open: Inspiration & Techniques for Art Journaling on the Edge (Book & Card Kit)
- A Blistered Kind of Love: One Couple's Trial by Trail (Barbara Savage Award Winner)
- A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
- Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism
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