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Thomas Edison: Inventing the Modern World (The True Story of Thomas Edison)
Thomas Edison’s inventions shape every day of a modern man or woman’s life. If today you’ve listened to recorded music, watched a television show or movie, plugged something into an electric socket, had an X-ray, turned on your car, spoke on the telephone, or flicked on an electric light, you have Edison to thank for his pioneering work in these fields, and many more.
Yet Edison is all too often remembered in popular culture only as villain for his feuds with other inventors, most notably the mad genius Nikola Tesla. In this thrilling, compact biography, Alexander Kennedy sorts fact from fiction in the life of the most prolific inventor in human history. We follow Edison, the ultimate self-made man, from his origins as a Michigan telegraph boy to the pinnacle of success as an industrial titan. Along the way, Kennedy carefully explains each of Edison’s key breakthroughs as well as the blots on his record, such as his anti-Semitism and his unhappy family life. The portrait that emerges is a man who is neither hero nor villain, sometimes a saint and sometimes a sinner—but always a genius...
"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." - Thomas Edison
Buy Now to
Buy Now and Read the True Story of Thomas Edison
Thank you in advance for buying our book. We know you'll love it!
Yet Edison is all too often remembered in popular culture only as villain for his feuds with other inventors, most notably the mad genius Nikola Tesla. In this thrilling, compact biography, Alexander Kennedy sorts fact from fiction in the life of the most prolific inventor in human history. We follow Edison, the ultimate self-made man, from his origins as a Michigan telegraph boy to the pinnacle of success as an industrial titan. Along the way, Kennedy carefully explains each of Edison’s key breakthroughs as well as the blots on his record, such as his anti-Semitism and his unhappy family life. The portrait that emerges is a man who is neither hero nor villain, sometimes a saint and sometimes a sinner—but always a genius...
"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." - Thomas Edison
Buy Now to
Buy Now and Read the True Story of Thomas Edison
Thank you in advance for buying our book. We know you'll love it!
100 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 25, 2016
111 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 12, 2022
I enjoy biographies about well-known people--particularly those I learned about in American history. This book was available for free on Amazon Kindle, so I jumped at the chance to try it. It was instructive, reasonably well written and apparently reasonably well researched. Nevertheless, I found it rather disappointing.
First, the book was concise at less than ten chapters. Each had a tneme: a stage of Edison's life or a particular invention or industry the man was focused (or shall I say fixated?) upon. This makes it fairly easy reading. I finished it in a few days.
However, while the author has a bibliography in the back wherein he cites his sources, there are no footnotes or endnotes in the book that allow you to check what he says. This renders it less useful as a serious resource for anyone who might wish to research Thomas A. Edison for a school assignment or something. It's reduced to a mere overview of the inventor's life for the curious.
Third, while I don't dispute the author's conclusions, he does belabor the point that Edison was opinionated, dogmatic and in many ways out of touch with reality--at least so far as the applications of his inventions and the practicality of his projects go. He didn't say so himself, but the impression I got from reading this book is that Edison was small-minded, egotistical, opportunistic and maybe even a bit autistic. He was excellent at spotting and exploiting talent and improving on existing innovations, yet he was not very original, nor efficient. He was a horrible businessman--not recognizing a good thing when he saw one, not willing to hold onto and develop something that didn't seem intrinsically valuable to him, and not willing to let go of something that was of no practical value to others. He sounds like a controlling and demanding fellow who would have been awful to work with; yet some people (notably Henry Ford) worshipped the man!
Although this book was technically alright, it wasn't very engaging or inspiring. The author was frank in his discussion of his subject, but not passionate one way or another. For me, it was disappointing to learn that yet another so-called "hero" of American history was a hard-headed, anti-Semitic fraud who worked hard to prove to himself and others that he was "somebody."
First, the book was concise at less than ten chapters. Each had a tneme: a stage of Edison's life or a particular invention or industry the man was focused (or shall I say fixated?) upon. This makes it fairly easy reading. I finished it in a few days.
However, while the author has a bibliography in the back wherein he cites his sources, there are no footnotes or endnotes in the book that allow you to check what he says. This renders it less useful as a serious resource for anyone who might wish to research Thomas A. Edison for a school assignment or something. It's reduced to a mere overview of the inventor's life for the curious.
Third, while I don't dispute the author's conclusions, he does belabor the point that Edison was opinionated, dogmatic and in many ways out of touch with reality--at least so far as the applications of his inventions and the practicality of his projects go. He didn't say so himself, but the impression I got from reading this book is that Edison was small-minded, egotistical, opportunistic and maybe even a bit autistic. He was excellent at spotting and exploiting talent and improving on existing innovations, yet he was not very original, nor efficient. He was a horrible businessman--not recognizing a good thing when he saw one, not willing to hold onto and develop something that didn't seem intrinsically valuable to him, and not willing to let go of something that was of no practical value to others. He sounds like a controlling and demanding fellow who would have been awful to work with; yet some people (notably Henry Ford) worshipped the man!
Although this book was technically alright, it wasn't very engaging or inspiring. The author was frank in his discussion of his subject, but not passionate one way or another. For me, it was disappointing to learn that yet another so-called "hero" of American history was a hard-headed, anti-Semitic fraud who worked hard to prove to himself and others that he was "somebody."
January 20, 2018
Telas quoted
the New York Times, saying, “If Edison had a needle to find in a haystack, he would proceed at once with the diligence of the bee to examine straw after straw until he found the object of his search… I was a sorry witness of such doings, knowing that a little theory and calculation would have saved him ninety per cent of his labor.” Tesla may have been a bit unkind in his comment. Edison’s legacy is that he achieved his greatest successes by the unrelenting labor of his teams in pursuit of his goals. Yet Edison to some extent would have likely agreed with Tesla’s comment, having once told Theodore Dreiser, “When I have fully decided that a result is worth getting, I go about it, and make trial after trial, until it comes.” Edison added, “I hope I will be able to work right on to the close. I shouldn’t care to loaf.”
the New York Times, saying, “If Edison had a needle to find in a haystack, he would proceed at once with the diligence of the bee to examine straw after straw until he found the object of his search… I was a sorry witness of such doings, knowing that a little theory and calculation would have saved him ninety per cent of his labor.” Tesla may have been a bit unkind in his comment. Edison’s legacy is that he achieved his greatest successes by the unrelenting labor of his teams in pursuit of his goals. Yet Edison to some extent would have likely agreed with Tesla’s comment, having once told Theodore Dreiser, “When I have fully decided that a result is worth getting, I go about it, and make trial after trial, until it comes.” Edison added, “I hope I will be able to work right on to the close. I shouldn’t care to loaf.”
February 21, 2019
Interesting man
Provides good insight into a brilliant yet stubborn man. Never realized how opinionated and stubborn Edison was and how it really held him back from creating real personal wealth.
Provides good insight into a brilliant yet stubborn man. Never realized how opinionated and stubborn Edison was and how it really held him back from creating real personal wealth.
February 2, 2018
Just a fascinating little book about Thomas Edison. It's a very quick read.
March 14, 2019
A fair biography of this important figure.
June 8, 2020
Very short read.. I did find it interesting.
June 30, 2016
I only knew some broad strokes about Thomas Edison, so I was interested in learning more about him. My SO is more informed about him and I thought this book could give us some fun topics to discuss. Starting the book, I realized I knew nothing about his interesting childhood. Actually my SO didn't either, so I had the opportunity to to share this with him.
Reading the book gave me some glimpses into his character and how he thought which I didn't have previously- for example I had no idea how deeply savvy he was about human nature and market needs as a teenager, which makes his seemingly avoidable (at the beginning anyway) conflict with Tesla so odd as well as his periodic overly stubborn or egoistic behavior. Sides to his personalIty were presented that I'd been completely unaware of. The book is written in a very readable style and flows well - it's not stodgy or too textbooky so I think older children and teens would also enjoy it. The author proceeds chronologically through Edison's life. Various partnerships and technological developments (some of which were news to me) were explained well.
I noticed a few problems, such as referring to President Benjamin Hayes instead of President Rutherford Birchard Hayes or stating "as a preliminary" instead of "as a preliminary requirement" or "as a prerequisite technology". There was a section titled "Conflicts threaten growth", but only one conflict was described as the other things mentioned appear to be (from the text) cooperative. I didn't really understand what made an AC system integrated versus the prior AC system from the text -some people may need that more spelled out for them. Very near the beginning of Chapter 5 there's a few somewhat awkward and possibly unnecessary paragraphs which recap some information.
This book felt less polished in a few places than other works I've read published by this company, although the overall quality of writing remains high. I learned a great deal and am glad I read the book. The author conveys a good sense of the historical context in which Edison lived as well as a particularly excellent understanding of his legacy. Perhaps in a later edition of this book why Edison changed from understanding human nature and predicting market trends to regularly missing market trends for which he was particularly well-positioned could be more deeply addressed because it seems like he'd vacillate between a single-minded focus and the ability to multitask problems and the reason for this is unclear to me. I always think it's a good sign when a biography encourages you to be more deeply invested in the subject as this one did. There's also some good sources given to further explore Edison's interesting and influential life. I received this at a free or discounted rate in exchange for my honest review.
Reading the book gave me some glimpses into his character and how he thought which I didn't have previously- for example I had no idea how deeply savvy he was about human nature and market needs as a teenager, which makes his seemingly avoidable (at the beginning anyway) conflict with Tesla so odd as well as his periodic overly stubborn or egoistic behavior. Sides to his personalIty were presented that I'd been completely unaware of. The book is written in a very readable style and flows well - it's not stodgy or too textbooky so I think older children and teens would also enjoy it. The author proceeds chronologically through Edison's life. Various partnerships and technological developments (some of which were news to me) were explained well.
I noticed a few problems, such as referring to President Benjamin Hayes instead of President Rutherford Birchard Hayes or stating "as a preliminary" instead of "as a preliminary requirement" or "as a prerequisite technology". There was a section titled "Conflicts threaten growth", but only one conflict was described as the other things mentioned appear to be (from the text) cooperative. I didn't really understand what made an AC system integrated versus the prior AC system from the text -some people may need that more spelled out for them. Very near the beginning of Chapter 5 there's a few somewhat awkward and possibly unnecessary paragraphs which recap some information.
This book felt less polished in a few places than other works I've read published by this company, although the overall quality of writing remains high. I learned a great deal and am glad I read the book. The author conveys a good sense of the historical context in which Edison lived as well as a particularly excellent understanding of his legacy. Perhaps in a later edition of this book why Edison changed from understanding human nature and predicting market trends to regularly missing market trends for which he was particularly well-positioned could be more deeply addressed because it seems like he'd vacillate between a single-minded focus and the ability to multitask problems and the reason for this is unclear to me. I always think it's a good sign when a biography encourages you to be more deeply invested in the subject as this one did. There's also some good sources given to further explore Edison's interesting and influential life. I received this at a free or discounted rate in exchange for my honest review.
January 7, 2017
Easy read. Good overview of Edision. Would consider something more in depth.
April 11, 2016
http://pebbleinthestillwaters.blogspo...
Edison A Life of Invention by Alexander Kennedy: A Man of 1000 Patents
Edison A Life of Invention by Alexander Kennedy is an interesting read
Alexander Kennedy has drawn an interesting life sketch in Edison a Life of Invention
Find unknown facts in Edison a Life of Invention by Alexander Kennedy
Edison A Life of Invention by Alexander Kennedy is an interesting read drawing out many unknown facts about Thomas Edison who registered more than 1000 patents. We all know the great inventions of Thomas Edison – motion picture camera, electric bulb and so on. He was the founder of General Electric and had more than 1000 patents registered in his name during his active lifespan. But there are a lot of facts that are not known to us that this book promises to acquaint with.
There are 7 interesting chapters in this short, precise and intriguing book. The chapters cover the complete life of Thomas Edison in an effective manner starting with his youth span. You will learn the amount of curiosity this budding scientist had during his youth that prompted him to do so many things in a versatile spectrum. He tried some business ventures, worked on various jobs and put his hands on certain inventions at quite an early stage of his life.
I loved the way the life of Thomas Edison has been presented in a precise manner. That is probably the key feature of Edison A Life of Invention by Alexander Kennedy. It also helped me in getting to know a lot of things about the great scientist that probably has always stayed behind the bushes would have never touched the day of light. It was interesting to know about the first research laboratory that Edison established at Menlo Park. That probably laid the foundation of his future inventions.
Overall, Edison A Life of Invention by Alexander Kennedy is quite an interesting book for every book lover. It promises to motivate you with some great insights of Thomas Edison. You will learn to widen your acceptance level for any ideas generated within. You will learn how and where to find that energy and zeal to make that idea real.
#ThomasEdison
Edison A Life of Invention by Alexander Kennedy: A Man of 1000 Patents
Edison A Life of Invention by Alexander Kennedy is an interesting read
Alexander Kennedy has drawn an interesting life sketch in Edison a Life of Invention
Find unknown facts in Edison a Life of Invention by Alexander Kennedy
Edison A Life of Invention by Alexander Kennedy is an interesting read drawing out many unknown facts about Thomas Edison who registered more than 1000 patents. We all know the great inventions of Thomas Edison – motion picture camera, electric bulb and so on. He was the founder of General Electric and had more than 1000 patents registered in his name during his active lifespan. But there are a lot of facts that are not known to us that this book promises to acquaint with.
There are 7 interesting chapters in this short, precise and intriguing book. The chapters cover the complete life of Thomas Edison in an effective manner starting with his youth span. You will learn the amount of curiosity this budding scientist had during his youth that prompted him to do so many things in a versatile spectrum. He tried some business ventures, worked on various jobs and put his hands on certain inventions at quite an early stage of his life.
I loved the way the life of Thomas Edison has been presented in a precise manner. That is probably the key feature of Edison A Life of Invention by Alexander Kennedy. It also helped me in getting to know a lot of things about the great scientist that probably has always stayed behind the bushes would have never touched the day of light. It was interesting to know about the first research laboratory that Edison established at Menlo Park. That probably laid the foundation of his future inventions.
Overall, Edison A Life of Invention by Alexander Kennedy is quite an interesting book for every book lover. It promises to motivate you with some great insights of Thomas Edison. You will learn to widen your acceptance level for any ideas generated within. You will learn how and where to find that energy and zeal to make that idea real.
#ThomasEdison
May 6, 2016
Great Biography
Alexander Kennedy's Edison: A Life of Invention (The True Store of Thomas Edison)(A Historical Biography) is an excellent e-book. I highly recommend this book as not only a informative book for yourself, but to also share good historical information for your children.
Kennedy presents information in a simple, direct way. His style keeps you interested from page A to Z. So often biographies on people from many generations ago are hard to stay interested in, but Alexander Kennedy presents information in an amazingly interesting and attention keeping way.
This book contains 7 chapters. The chapters include: 1) The Young Entrepreneur, 2) Menlo Park, 3) The War of the Currents, 4) The Flickering Screen 5) The Industrial Giant, 6) The Public Man and 7) Edison's Legacy. These chapters range from his early life to his major accomplishments. The e-book does not stop there it goes into after his death and where his information lead us.
I highly recommend this book.
I must include that I did receive this book at a free or reduced price in exchange for an honest review. At the time i got this I got it through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Alexander Kennedy's Edison: A Life of Invention (The True Store of Thomas Edison)(A Historical Biography) is an excellent e-book. I highly recommend this book as not only a informative book for yourself, but to also share good historical information for your children.
Kennedy presents information in a simple, direct way. His style keeps you interested from page A to Z. So often biographies on people from many generations ago are hard to stay interested in, but Alexander Kennedy presents information in an amazingly interesting and attention keeping way.
This book contains 7 chapters. The chapters include: 1) The Young Entrepreneur, 2) Menlo Park, 3) The War of the Currents, 4) The Flickering Screen 5) The Industrial Giant, 6) The Public Man and 7) Edison's Legacy. These chapters range from his early life to his major accomplishments. The e-book does not stop there it goes into after his death and where his information lead us.
I highly recommend this book.
I must include that I did receive this book at a free or reduced price in exchange for an honest review. At the time i got this I got it through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Read
November 22, 2022An interesting little biography that isn't short on detail
Though the book is indeed 'concise', that doesn't mean that it's lacking. This biography of Edison has plenty to share, and the stories shared are not only well-written, but intriguing. I was hooked from the prologue, which begins with an immediate description of the electrocution of a 'man-killing' elephant. The rest of the book continues with a breathless pace, and was entertaining throughout. A great biography.
Though the book is indeed 'concise', that doesn't mean that it's lacking. This biography of Edison has plenty to share, and the stories shared are not only well-written, but intriguing. I was hooked from the prologue, which begins with an immediate description of the electrocution of a 'man-killing' elephant. The rest of the book continues with a breathless pace, and was entertaining throughout. A great biography.
January 4, 2017
I grabbed this ebook some time ago and just got to finishing it. Very concise and accessible, like a Wikipedia article only detailed and more accurate. It paints a much more honest picture of Edison than you'll get from either public schools or Oatmeal comics. The man was driven, intelligent, stubborn, biased, and headstrong, and some of these things were actually virtues. Still, he had his flaws, and this book is a fair treatment of them.
July 21, 2016
The Inventive Edison
Edison perfected existing ideas in the areas personal music players, motion pictures, and the telephone. A century later Steve Jobs revolutionized music (iPod), video (Pixar) and the smart phone (iPhone.) Interesting parallels...
Edison perfected existing ideas in the areas personal music players, motion pictures, and the telephone. A century later Steve Jobs revolutionized music (iPod), video (Pixar) and the smart phone (iPhone.) Interesting parallels...
July 30, 2016
Surprising facts about Edison
This might be a good read for someone who is into inventing things. Edison had a very poor business sense, though. The read was interesting, but I could have put it down if necessary.
This might be a good read for someone who is into inventing things. Edison had a very poor business sense, though. The read was interesting, but I could have put it down if necessary.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews