Alexander Graham Bell: The Spirit of Invention

by Jennifer Groundwater

In 1876, at only 29 years old, Alexander Graham Bell completed the invention that would turn him into a household the telephone. In so doing, he forever changed the way people communicate. But the telephone was just one of the many inventions Bell produced and shared with the world. Driven by a deep curiosity and a keen scientific mind, he worked on groundbreaking inventions in an astonishing range of fields, including aviation and medicine. This is the amazing story of his most important discoveries, and his passionate, lifelong quest to improve the way things work.

Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Marleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A young person’s book about the life of a unique and brilliant man, Alexander Graham Bell. Since he and his family did not like sweltering hot weather in the summer when they discovered the town of Braddock on the Atlantic coast, they built their summer home (a mansion). Bell began his career as a teacher of the deaf, of elocution and pronunciation. By all accounts he was a gifted teacher and thoroughly committed to the oral movement. He was also creative and made one of his first sums of money by being able to send two signals at once with the telegraph. He invented the telephone, tried to record music as well as work on on getting man to fly. He had a beautiful marriage to his life partner Mabel. They were often separated and their letters to each other are very touching.

[Jaellayna Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happened to be passing through Badeck, NS on a cold rainy day and needed something to pass the time. Little did I know that there was a National HIstoric Site there - museum, gallery, displays, and ever so much more. Not having enough time to go through the entire site I decided to buy a book to help me learn more later - and this is the book I bought.

Groundwater has written a fascinating story about a man who we may otherwise think we know, largely through his invention of the telephone. But as it turns out, not only is there an engrossing backstory to that but he was involved in ever so much more.

An excellent book with a good story well told. I definitely recommend it.