Edison: His Life and Inventions, Vol. 2

by Frank Lewis Dyer, Thomas Commerford Martin

This is volume two of a two-volume set.

At the time of original publication in 1910 the publisher said:

“Here is indeed the real Edison book. No single figure of our time has influenced more intimately our daily lives. Yet the full and authoritative story of Edison's own life has never been written until now. In this book one may hear and see Edison. One of the authors is his counsel - both practically share Edison's life. The entire manuscript has been read and revised by Edison himself. This is the personal story of Edison - his birth in Ohio, his boyhood in Michigan, his experience as a newsboy, and his work as a telegraph operator, winning his way upward. Edison's establishment in Newark, the invention of the phonograph, and his removal to Menlo Park in 1876 lead to one of the most absorbing stories in the history of discovery - the invention of the incandescent lamp. This is told for the first time. We see days and nights spent developing storage batteries, the phonograph industry, application of Portland cement, moving pictures, etc. Not as an abstract genius, but as a man, Edison is made known and his personal human side is set before us.”

Includes many portraits and illustrations.

544 pages, Paperback

First published May 27, 2007

Reviews

[Samuel Pratt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a long one, and it has a lot of long winded explanations about mechanics for specific inventions that didn’t make much sense to me, BUT it was interesting, I learned a lot about Edison and his character. My respect for him increased a lot, and it really made me want to focus on embracing failure in my life as a way of learning. That is a great way to sum up Edison’s life! So to sum that up- good book, though it’s dry at times and very long

[Ger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good overview of Edison by authors who knew him, talked with him and his associates. I was amazed at the number of things Edison worked on. Modern society owes him much. The description of movie making around 1908 was amusing compared to what we have today. Edison's early years were very interesting as well as the way he approached each new challenge.

The authors, however, tended to ramble on, repeat themselves and go off into tangents that weren't very interesting. The description of the furniture at one of his homes, for example. Who cares? By the time I got the to appendix I had to quit.

[Lindamarie]

on Kindle