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.
Book Description
This adventurous work records Robert Edison Fulton's solo round-the-world tour on a two-cylinder Douglas motorcycle between July, 1932 and December, 1933. First published in 1937.
Customer Reviews:
ONE MAN CARAVAN.......2007-04-12
this book was a pleasure to read, since I have been to many of the places he has been. It is true and wonderful and I am glad that from now on it is mine.
Candy for the imagination .........2007-01-10
I really enjoyed this book; it was too soon over.
I have ridden motorcycles for many years and would liked to have seen more comments on the practical aspects of the trip, even though it was many years ago. I suspect that Mr. Fulton did not keep daily notes but probably wrote down his memories at the conclusion of the trip, thus the detail is not always there.
The portrait of the middle East gives something for the people of today something to think about - basic beliefs and attitudes in that region may not have changed at all. Our expectations may need to be adjusted.
A long trip on a motorcycle is an unforgettable experience for anyone, even today. Four or five days from home, and the resources available there, projects the rider into a state of independence and freedom that I have not found any other way - imagine what it was like for Fulton to be riding across the desert, months from home, no road in some cases, towards the unknown, his life dependent upon his machine continuing to run, and totally on his own.
Every rider should get to read this book - a great treat for the imagination.
Best book i have ever read.......2007-01-04
I could not put this one down. The story is so fantastic that you almost can't believe it happened. To see the world a little as it was 70 years ago was truly a window into the past.
Robert Fulton is a suprizingly good author in that the book flows smoothly and he only talks about what he finds interesting.
Great read for 'bikers' and other travellers!.......2005-08-02
In One Man Caravan, Robert Fulton has caught the magic of exploring new places and meeting people from cultures very different to his own. He writes with real fluency and his words evoke the graphic images of the colourful lands through which he takes the reader on this wonderful journey.
The First &The Best.......2004-11-22
Grandson of the Fulton Engine Genius, and Discoverer/Inventor in his own right, rides around the world on a Douglas Twin during his twenties on a bit of a lark. Out of his off-handed remark to impress a young woman we have one of the best motorcycle travel books ever written. Published umpteen times, I can imagine this book spurring on new generations of riders for decades to come.
The writing is excellent and extremely detailed, we get a breakdown of his trip during each section, along with Fulton's own sketchings and maps of the areas and people he met along the way. Photographs, of all things, to boot: images of a bike in the sea of sand, desert nomads and marketplaces; this book feeds your imagination. After 1 year of reading it a memorable item comes immediately to mind: That of Fulton being saluted and waved straight through road-blocks without stopping, to his incredulity, in occupied and dangerous Warizistan (yes, you've heard this place in the news recently), only to find that he shouldn't have made it past the first gate. It was his safari hat and fatigues that made them believe he was Indian-Army/British attache of all things. ;^)
Fulton himself is still living life with adventure. Still kicking with his old Douglas Twin and flying his own plane at the age of 87+.
If you want the best grab the first. You'll never put it down, and you'll go back a few times just to make sure you got it right when you read it there the first time.
[For other two-wheel journey books I recommend Jupiter's Travels by Ted Simon- inspiration for Ewen McGregor's recent "The Long Way Round" and Ted made the trip without cameramen and support crews!]
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.
Book Description
Thomas Edison, one of the world's greatest inventors, is introduced in this fascinating activity book. Children will learn how Edison ushered in an astounding age of invention with his unique way of looking at things and refusal to be satisfied with only one solution to a problem. This book helps inspire kids to be inventors and scientists, as well as persevere with their own ideas. Activities allow children to try Edison's experiments themselves, with activities such as making a puppet dance using static electricity, manufacturing a switch for electric current, constructing a telegraph machine, manipulating sound waves, building an electrical circuit to test for conductors and insulators, making a zoetrope, and testing a dandelion for latex. In addition to his inventions and experiments, the book explores Edison's life outside of science, including his relationship with inventor Nikola Tesla, his rivalry with George Westinghouse, and his friendship with Henry Ford. A time line, glossary, and lists of supply sources, places to visit, and websites for further exploration complement this activity book.
Customer Reviews:
A wonderful resource for science-minded kids (and their parents!).......2006-04-06
Laurie Carlson has done it again! Well known for her history, science and activity books for kids, Carlson has now applied her significant energies to creating a resource for parents, teachers and children to learn more about Thomas Edison's life, times and inventions in an engaging, hands-on manner.
Like her entire catalog of kids' educational activity books, Thomas Edison for Kids provides ample context for the experiments and projects so that children may gain a full understanding of what it is that they're doing and why. Along the way, discussions of Edison's methods, perserverance, constant pursuit of knowledge model an enthusiasm for general scientific discovery not often seen by the young (or any of us, really). Additional historical context is provided by abundant archival photos and examinations of Edison's relationships with his peers, friends and rivals of the time - Tesla and Ford among them.
The activities cover a range of interests and abilities, from constructing an eletrical circuit to testing botanicals. Adults will want to read the directions thoroughly before sitting down with impatient little ones - diagrams for experiments are rather basic for those of us somewhat removed from our science class years. That said, they are usually easy to set-up and generally don't require too much in the way of specialized equipment.
One of the best features of the book is a comprehensive resource list of ideas for field trips and outings, websites, and sources for supplies needed for activities. Along with the time line and glossary they will help parents and teachers satisfy the curiosity about Edison that this book raises in their little scientists.
Book Description
Regarded as the classic standard biography on Thomas Edison. It is the only biography written in the last 40 years to be recommended by the official voice of the caretakers of the Edison Laboratory National Monument in New Jersey which houses all of Edison's original records, sketches, notes, correspondence and memoranda. Depicts Edison as a pivotal figure in America's economic and industrial revolution success and at the same time as a human being, including his exploitative and, at times, crude qualities.
Customer Reviews:
A Masterful Work, about Certainly A MASTER!.......2007-08-04
First:
How re-affirming it is, is it not, when one comes to the biography of a man like this, and we find out his great afflictions and handicaps, and see the unbelievable heights he arose to in spite of these! Simply Inspiring, for sure.
Of late (last 10 years, roughly) I have been on a great "feeding" of history and historical stuff...I hated it in school, and now, I simply cannot get my fill of ALL things historical, especially of the biographical nature...I have spoken with others, and they tell me the same thing in many cases. What is this, that we, apparently with age, wish to come to know more about those that came before us??? If anyone has ideas or suggestions, I certainly would appreciate their contacting me and letting me know.
I read this book (just finished, actually) in a special reprinted edition from History Book Club, which I bought last winter. I must say that I was simply blown away to actually read all the accomplishments of this Great Great Man, and not just the "verbally-quipped stuff", that of the "legends" and the "stories", but the true, hard-copy, black and white, sweat and toil, frustrating, but to him infinately fascinating and challenging quests to solve "the problem" at hand at any given moment in his long and certainly illustrious career.
And, of course, to see the integrity of the man, also behind the "legend". No crooked, attention-getting theatrics from this down-home, quiet spoken, simple man...by that I do not mean simple minded, but the every-day man that he was. To see the way this man began to plan the invention of the electric light, not with an end-result (the light), but with the planning of the system that would have to deliver the power to it, based on something he knew about first hand (where NOBODY before him had gone, and thus, failed), the trunk-lines of the telegraph, and the delivery system of natural gas for the gas lights that were in use at that time. This, truly, is amazing, breath-taking stuff...a kind of thinking that is truly rarely seen, maybe once in a hundred or two hundred years.
And, later, the phonograph, his many episodes of "losing it all" and "building it up again", the motion picture, how many things he had "invented" or "discovered" while trying to do something else, some, not realizing their unbelievable potential. This book is simply one of the most fascinating reads I have had in a very long time.
I could go on, but that would lead me to telling you the whole book, because it is so great, and that would defeat the purpose of this review. I heartily suggest, if you are interested in "How" and "Why" things are, today, the way they are, and work the way they do, that you check out this great biography, about one of the Chief Reasons for our current world of wonderful, electrical appliances, illumination(s), audio/visual toys, etc. If ever there was a Man who Changed the World, this little deaf man, Edison, certainly was the leader of them All! ~operabruin
The Wizard's Life.......2007-03-23
In the December 2006 Atlantic magazine, there was a list of the 100 most influential Americans in history. Nine of the top ten were political figures: Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, FDR, Hamilton, Franklin, John Marshall, Martin Luther King (not a politician, but involved with political movements) and Woodrow Wilson. The tenth person, ranked number nine on the list, was Thomas Edison. Reading Matthew Josephson's biography of Edison, you might feel that there is a good argument to raise him even higher. On the other hand, an argument could be made that he should drop a bit too.
In many ways, Edison personified the American dream. With little formal education, little money and a hearing impairment, he was able to become wealthy and one of the most admired people in the country (and throughout the world). He played a pivotal role in modernizing the United States through electronics.
Although it may seem a tautology, Edison proved that to be a good inventor, you need to be inventive. From an early age, he was constantly tinkering and developing new ways to do things. At first, his jobs with telegraph companies led him to create new methods to speed up his work. Eventually, he would move on to other things, most notably the phonograph, the motion picture and most importantly, the light bulb.
To some extent (and this is why some would drop him lower on the Influentials list), it is exaggeration to fully credit Edison with these inventions. Most of his work was done with people working under him. In addition, other people were also developing similar devices, so even if he had not been around, chances are we would still have had these devices in roughly the same era. (Contrast this with political figures who definitely alter the course of history; the U.S. would be a much different place if someone other than Washington was our first president or if someone besides Lincoln had served during the Civil War.)
But such an argument also sells Edison short. First of all, he may have not done all the work himself (in particular, he hated the theoretical side of things), but he provided both the vision and the leadership. With the light bulb - probably his greatest invention - he (unlike his competitors) thought beyond the device itself and saw how it would fit into an electronic infrastructure. Even in the late 1800s, the era of the true solo inventor was over, but Edison knew how to build a team that would do the inventing together.
As Josephson points out, Edison also had his negative points. As a family man, he was lacking, often ignoring his wife and children for long periods of time when he was consumed with his work. He could also be exceedingly stubborn, which would sometimes lead him from seeing the right way of doing things; the best example of this deals with his failure to acknowledge that alternating current was superior to direct current in creating an electric network.
At almost five hundred pages (plus an index), this book provides as much details about Edison's life as almost anyone would require. Josephson is a good, readable biographer who has obvious affection for his subject, but doesn't let this taint his objectivity. Where Edison fits on your own "most influential" list is a matter of opinion, but this book will help you make that an informed opinion.
Review .......2006-04-17
I felt that this book was somewhat interesting. It was not very difficult to read however, at times it became very boring. It allowed some insight into Edison's professional and personal life. The book also allows for the reader to get great insight into why Edison's projects failed or succeeded. It shows his failures with the DC current and also shows how his family, especially his mother, influenced his adulthood and his experiments. The book also conveys how Edison was able to manipulate the market for electric light bulbs and keep others from using the secrets he invented to make the light bulb.
The book has a novel feel yet is a very easy read and is very interesting. However, the book does become repetitive at some points and irritates the reader. However, overall the book was entertaining and worth reading, if you are interested in Thomas Edison and his inventions. Matthew Josephson gives an accurate description of Edison's life and inventions as well as showing the importance of these creations. The only problem with this book is that it was written over 50 years ago and does not show how today some of the inventions effect today's world.
Awesome!.......2006-04-13
This was an awesome book! Very well written and keeps you interested. I read it in a week and would recomend it to anyone. Matthew Josephson is an excellent writer who gives a wonderful account of Edison's life and his character.
The life story of Edison is just amazing. The challenges that he had to overcome where incredible. His persistance to keep trying and never give up is one of the many great lessons we can learn from his life that are in this book. Absolutly one of the best biographies I have read. His struggles over electricity and what brought him into partnership with JP Morgan are very interesting. The mistakes that he made are also detailed here so the reader can see the full scope of Edison's life. This book also covers the business aspects of Edison and all of his major inventions.
This book shows the great triumph that one can attain when believing that one can make their dreams a reality with some hard work and persistance.
Excellent Book.......2006-02-02
This is really a fantastic book. It's extremely well-written. From what I've seen, it's by far the best, most readable Edison biography. The author does a very good job of cutting through the legends and rumors to report accurate facts... always in such an inviting manner that it's very hard to close the book and take a break from reading. Buy it, you won't be disappointed. I'd give it six stars if I could.
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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ASIN: 0471362700 |
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 timely rags-to-riches story, The Merchant of Power recounts how Sam Insull--right hand to Thomas Edison--went on to become one of the richest men in the world, pivotal in the birth of General Electric and instrumental in the creation of the modern metropolis with his invention of the power grid, which fuels major cities today. John Wasik, awarded the National Press Club Award for Consumer Journalism, had unprecedented access to Sam Insull's archives, which includes private correspondence with Thomas Edison. The extraordinary fall of a man extraordinary for his time is revealed in this cautionary tale about the excesses of corporate power.
Customer Reviews:
The Most Famous Man You've Never Heard Of.......2006-12-06
Subtitled: "The more you know, the more you know you don't know."
Coming across "The Merchant Of Power" by John Wasik, I was intrigued by the title and book jacket, but I half expected this book to be a clever spoof, like a book-bound Zelig. It was hard to believe that one person could have had such an effect on the history of the United States, indeed living a substantial part of his life in New York City, but had been almost erased from history less than a century later. In fact, I Googled Mr. Insull, and found that yes, he did exist, and yes, he was that influential in the modern industrialized America of the late 19th- and early 20th-century.
Insull was the business "brain" behind the eccentric tinkerer, Thomas Edison, who comes across as something of an old fool, and in the New York years, Insull was deeply involved in the Edison/Westinghouse/Tesla/AC/DC controversy, and the bitter J.P. Morgan takeover of Edison Electric (which became General Electric). Getting the heck out of Dodge before things got too dicey, he headed west to a primitive outpost on the edge of the American frontier, Chicago. Finally he was able to work his magic without running up against adversaries like Morgan or George Westinghouse; he bought and consolidated several small electric companies that were serving the city and created the complex electric grid that we know today.
Part biography, part history, part science (or, electrical engineering, at least) and part gossip, the book illuminates a forgotten man, and a never-to-be-forgotten period of the American story.
Edison Invented, and Insull (Who?) Delivered........2006-09-21
Everyone knows the inspired inventor Thomas Edison. Edison was a classic rumpled genius, driven in his eagerness to invent but sloppy in his other habits. He was devoted to the technical aspects of his gadgets, but he had little head for business or making those gadgets pay. The business of his endeavors was as unkempt as his clothing, but lucky for him, he had a young ally to help get his books in order. Samuel Insull, in contrast to Edison, is barely remembered today, but he had a huge role in making the modern world through the electrical inventions that Edison churned out. He was driven to make electricity pay, and he did so in millions of dollars, using all the dubious financial levers through the 1920's until it all went wrong. In _The Merchant of Power: Sam Insull, Thomas Edison, and the Creation of the Modern Metropolis_ (Palgrave), John F. Wasik, a journalist in business and finance, has told Insull's story, one full of ambition and financial spectacle, and leading to the sort of ruin contemporary readers will recognize in, say, the Enron scandal.
Insull was born in London in 1859. He scrambled to improve himself as ever any Horatio Alger hero did, and won his way to New York as Edison's private secretary. His ability to work right through the night and get by on catnaps ingratiated himself to his new boss. As Insull took a firmer grasp of Edison's technological advances, he centered on one in particular, the distribution of electricity that could power the lights and other inventions that Edison had produced. He went on literally to electrify Chicago, using huge generators never imagined before. He initiated the metering of power and other financial innovations, not all of them strictly on the up and up. He actually fled America when the bust of the Depression came, tooling around Europe to avoid extradition. Eventually, he could not avoid coming back and facing trial for fraud. A brilliant defense expounded on his rags-to-riches life story and made credible the idea that although he had brought down thousands of investors, no one had fallen as low as he had himself, and that his financial machinations had been for the purpose of preserving his stockholders' fortunes, failing merely because everything was failing. He was acquitted, but he remained a useful enemy for Franklin Delano Roosevelt's campaign against "big power".
Insull may be forgotten, but the foresight of his role in the electrification of America deserves recognition. He was a major influence in the arts, too, but not in the way he would have wanted in promoting the Grand Opera that was fashionable for patronage in his day. Insull did promote the dramatic career of his wife, well beyond her years or capacity. Herman Mankiewicz had started a venomous review of one of her performances in New York, got drunk, passed out on his typewriter, and couldn't finish the review. When it came time to write the script of _Citizen Kane_, Mankiewicz included the incident as part of Kane's sad advocacy for his wife's opera career. Insull served physically as well, as one of the models for Kane; Orson Welles handed his makeup man a picture of Insull, with his brush mustache, and wanted to look as much like him as possible. It's quite the legacy, but Wasik's book presents a memorable picture of the original, as well as the technological and social life of Chicago in his times.
He Enabled the Construction of Cities.......2006-04-20
This is a rags-to-riches-to-rags story. Sam Insull came to the US with $200, got a job with Thomas Edison. Then he basically designed and set up the electric power grid as we know it today.
Then through a series of misadventures that he couldn't have forseen he was wiped out. He was tried in court because there was at least a hint of fraud. He was found not-guilty on all charges.
Why do we care about such a man -- two reasons:
First, he is the one that made it possible that when we turn on the light switch, the overhead light comes on. This convenience is a major part of the reasons for the advances in the world. Not only light, but medical equipment, tools, motors of all types.
Second, the collapse of his company attracted the attention of the Federal Government. Because of the way his company collapsed the Government passed all kinds of laws forming the Securities and Exchance Commission, requiring quarterly reports of the financial condition of the company and so on.
It's also interesting that this book came out now in the aftermath of all the recent corporate scandals. I guess that there is little that changes in the world.
Wasik is a Five-Star Author.......2006-01-23
I just pre-ordered John Wasik's newest book, The Merchant of Power, and am looking forward to its March 2006 publication. John and I used to work together at Consumers Digest magazine and I have known him since his first book was published in 1987. Since that time he has published numerous personal finance books and hundreds of columns, written award-winning investigative features and has no doubt helped countless readers by giving them the framework for achieving their personal and financial goals.
I find this newest title intriguing because it is a departure from the instructive books that John has previously published. From the little I already know about The Merchant of Power, I expect to find out how Insull built -- and lost -- his fortune and how he to came to be at the center of the first corporate scandal in the U.S.
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!
Average customer rating:
- R&D in the age of innovation
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Edison and the Business of Innovation (Johns Hopkins Studies in the History of Technology)
André Millard
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
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Binding: Paperback
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Edison: A Life of Invention
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Uncommon Friends: Life with Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Alexis Carrel, and Charles Lindbergh
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At Work With Thomas Edison
ASIN: 0801847303 |
Book Description
This is the story of the "other" Thomas Edison--not the heroic lone inventor, but Edison the businessman, industrialist, and successful manager of one of the world's largest industrial research laboratories. Tracing his career from his boyhood to his death in 1931, Edison and the Business of Innovation reveals Edison to be an entrepreneur of extraordinary vision. From extensive research in the Edison archives at West Orange, New Jersey, Andre Millard presents new information about Edison the businessman and provides new interpretations of old issues.
Customer Reviews:
R&D in the age of innovation.......2007-01-29
This book works to cover the evolution of research and development within the American corporation. Borrowing from the understanding of Alfred Chandler it tracks through the machine shops days of free flowing ideas to building up a business based on the innovations developed in R&D. This is not a biography on the life of Edison but it is a biography on his business ventures. While not going into exhausting detail it is possible to see what developed in the Edison labs at the end of the Gilded Age. The companies that survived through the panics and great depressions were those that had their own R&D centers (GE, Westinghouse, RCA, ect). Their efforts at creating a mass production system that could handle all of these new inventions is followed from the stories in this book. The Old Man (Edison) is truly the father of so many inventions that are all chronicled here. The book goes through those that became a success such as generators and phonographs or the ones that became a failure such as the Ore separation business. The drive with which Edison entered all of these businesses was amazing and well worth looking at in further detail. This is a great book for those who just want an overview of the age of innovation.
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