The Wizard of Menlo Park
Book description
Thomas Edison’s greatest invention? His own fame.
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. Starting with the first public demonstrations of the phonograph in 1878 and extending through the development of…
Why read it?
3 authors picked The Wizard of Menlo Park as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
It is impossible to overestimate the breadth and importance of Edison’s contributions to our lives. But Stross gave me a much better picture of Edison as a relentless competitor who often struggled to develop the business practices and processes to achieve commercial success with his numerous inventions.
The fact that I could visit the Menlo Park historical site in NJ to see things for myself made the book come alive.
From Howie's list on innovators and innovation.
The Wizard of Menlo Park tells the Thomas Edison story frankly and compellingly, combining the tale of America’s most famous inventor with the story of a man who worked extremely hard to achieve what no one else could.
I learned a lot from his book about an amazing idea man, but also about someone who knew how to translate ideas into reality, break through barriers to achieve a goal, and persevere when success seemed impossible.
When we pay our electric bills, many of us send them to “Edison” because he set a new standard of brilliance and productivity. This is…
The Wizard of Menlo Park is written with a deep appreciation for the genius of Thomas Edison, following him from his youthful enterprises to his ground-breaking inventions. Edison was a fascinating character, brilliantly described in this full biography. If anyone had a full slate of aha! moments, it was Thomas Edison.
From Bryant's list on famous scientists, focusing on their aha! moment.
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