Download or read book The Wizard of Menlo Park written by Randall E. Stross and published by Crown. This book was released on 2008-03-25 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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 incandescent light and the first motion picture cameras, 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? This bold reassessment of Edison’s life and career answers this 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.
Download or read book The Papers of Thomas A Edison written by Thomas Alva Edison and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 727 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The third volume of this widely acclaimed series reveals the breath-taking intensity, intellectual acumen, and vast self-confidence of twenty-nine-year-old Thomas Edison. In the depths of the 1870s depression, he moved his independent research and development laboratory from industrial Newark to pastoral Menlo Park, some fifteen miles to the south on the main line of the railroad from New York to Philadelphia. There, equipped with resources for experimental development that were extraordinary for their time, Edison and a few close associates began twenty months of research that expanded their well-established accomplishments in telegraphy into pioneering work on the telephone. Edison's ideas and techniques from telegraph message recording and the telephone next led to his invention of the phonograph, the first patent for which was filed in December 1877. This invention ultimately gave Edison a world-wide reputation--and the nickname "the wizard of Menlo Park."
Download or read book Edison s Electric Light written by Robert Friedel and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2010-07-19 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In September 1878, Thomas Alva Edison brashly—and prematurely—proclaimed his breakthrough invention of a workable electric light. That announcement was followed by many months of intense experimentation that led to the successful completion of his Pearl Street station four years later. Edison was not alone—nor was he first—in developing an incandescent light bulb, but his was the most successful of all competing inventions. Drawing from the documents in the Edison archives, Robert Friedel and Paul Israel explain how this came to be. They explore the process of invention through the Menlo Park notes, discussing the full range of experiments, including the testing of a host of materials, the development of such crucial tools as the world's best vacuum pump, and the construction of the first large-scale electrical generators and power distribution systems. The result is a fascinating story of excitement, risk, and competition. Revised and updated from the original 1986 edition, this definitive study of the most famous invention of America's most famous inventor is completely keyed to the printed and electronic versions of the Edison Papers, inviting the reader to explore further the remarkable original sources.
Download or read book Timeless Thomas written by Gene Barretta and published by Henry Holt and Company (BYR). This book was released on 2012-07-17 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What do record players, batteries, and movie cameras have in common? All these devices were created by the man known as The Wizard of Menlo Park: Thomas Edison. Edison is most famous for inventing the incandescent lightbulb, but at his landmark laboratories in Menlo Park & West Orange, New Jersey, he also developed many other staples of modern technology. Despite many failures, Edison persevered. And good for that, because it would be very difficult to go through a day without using one of his life-changing inventions. In this enlightening book, Gene Barretta enters the laboratories of one of America's most important inventors.
Download or read book Wizard of Menlo Park Thomas Edison written by Cynthia Parker and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2015-04-07 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Short, Yet Interesting, Biography! Learn More About This Visionary Inventor, Industrialist, and Businessman! Ever wanted to learn more about Thomas Edison, but never felt you had the time to read a comprehensive work? Here author Cynthia A. Parker removes that pain by offering an opportunity to Get-to-Know the Wizard of Menlo Park to learn of his youth and upbringing, his early career, and of course his pivotal role as in inventor, industrialist, and businessman! Turn these pages and enjoy the opportunity to learn history, but better yet to come to know Edison better through Parker's amazing ability to describe his life, his eccentricities and above all, his accomplishments; making this an enjoyable and interesting Quick-Read Biography.
Download or read book The Papers of Thomas A Edison written by Thomas A. Edison and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 976 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the Association of American Publishers's Excellence in Professional and Scholarly Publishing, Architecture and Urban Planning AwardThe Making of an Inventor, volume 1 of the monumental The Papers of Thomas A. Edison, takes us through Edison's life from early childhood to age twenty-six, when his work in telegraphy laid the groundwork for some of his best-known inventions. An 1868 telegraph design by the twenty-one-year-old Edison, for instance, reveals the now-familiar drum and stylus that reappeared in the phonograph of 1877 and in his earliest motion picture design. The Making of an Inventor contains 90 percent of all known documents relating to Edison's boyhood and early career, including every entry from his Newark lab notebooks. Illustrated with nearly 600 of the inventor's own drawings and sketches, it provides a comprehensive account of the origins of Edison's creative genius. Praise for previous volumes of The Papers of Thomas A. Edison:"Those interested in America's technological culture can eagerly look forward to the appearance of each volume of the Edison Papers."--Technology and Culture"The essence of the volume is Edison's technical notebooks, a window onto the inventor's workshop. His lucidity comes through everywhere . . . His writing and drawing come together as a single, vigorous thought process."--Russell McCormmach, New York Times."A mine of material . . . Scrupulously edited . . . No one could ask for more . . . A choplicking feast for Edison biographers--well into the next century, and perhaps beyond."--Fred Howard, Washington Post."A triumph of the bookmaker's art, with splendidly arranged illustrations, essential background information, and cautionary reminders of the common sources on which Edison's imagination drew."--David Joravsky, New York Review of Books."In the pages of this volume Edison the man, his work, and his times come alive . . . A delight to browse through or to read carefully."--Thomas J. Misa, Science.
Download or read book The Story of Thomas Alva Edison Inventor written by Margaret Davidson and published by . This book was released on 1990-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An accessible biography that explains the basic scientific principles behind Edison's discoveries as well as his joys, tragedies, and amazing successes.
Download or read book Thomas Edison The Wizard of Menlo Park written by and published by . This book was released on with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Time Inc. New Media presents a biographical sketch of Thomas Edison, as part of the "LIFE" magazine Hall of Heroes. American inventor Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) patented over 1000 inventions, including the phonograph and the electric lamp.
Download or read book Edison A Biography written by Matthew Josephson and published by Plunkett Lake Press. This book was released on 2019-07-31 with total page 537 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A great folk hero in American history, Edison is viewed by the public as a facile inventor, the electrical wizard and the perfect symbol of the self-made and practical creator. But he was also a paradoxical figure: deaf, impoverished and with no formal education as a youngster, Edison nevertheless became a fertile and versatile inventor, accumulated fortunes for himself and others but remained indifferent to wealth except as a means towards more inventions. Edison’s key contributions include the carbon microphone, the electric light bulb, electricity distribution systems, the phonograph and the motion-picture camera. Edison’s methods were also remarkable: halfway between the craftsman-tinkerer of the early 19th century and the scientist of today, he established and ran pioneering research laboratories with large staffs, yet lacked training in mathematics or the basic sciences. Matthew Josephson’s Edison: A Biography won the Society of American Historians’Francis Parkman Prize in 1960. “This is an outstanding biography... [Josephson] establishes the developing relationship between finance and invention which constitutes the basis for Edison’s success... [He] has mastered the substance of Edison’s inventive activity and has written of it quite authoritatively and vividly.” — Thomas P. Hughes, Technology and Culture “... It is clear that there is reason to welcome yet another book about a man of whom so much has been written. It must have been precisely because so much in the Edison record is myth, fostered by adulators and by Edison himself that Mr. Josephson turned his skillful, corrective hand to a saga that may have seemed more familiar than it actually is. From his well-presented, well-written findings emerges a giant without whom much of life as we live it would simply not exist. It is a first-rate job that needed doing.” — John K. Hutchens, New York Herald Tribune “A well-researched account of the life of one of America’s authentic folk heroes--Thomas Alva Edison--an original creator with a genius for strategic invention... Thoroughly absorbing, this significant volume is a competent contribution to the history of American science, and gives not only a sharply drawn picture of this self-educated giant of invention, but also of the beginnings of the telegraph, electrical, record, motion picture and automobile industries, as well as the sociological changes that were wrought by Edison’s practical discoveries.” — Kirkus Review “A biography that is dignified, detailed, and objective, sprinkled with moments of humor, pathos, and drama... One of the chief virtues of this book is the care taken by the author to build up a realistic picture of Edison the man.” — F. Garvin Davenport,The American Historical Review
Download or read book The Story of Thomas Alva Edison Inventor written by Margaret Davidson and published by . This book was released on 1990 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Easy to read story of the real-life adventures of Thomas Edison who went from newsboy to famous inventor.
Download or read book Edison written by Paul Israel and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2000-03-01 with total page 565 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ein Bestseller jetzt neu als Broschurausgabe! Die gebundene Ausgabe erzielte hervorragende Kritiken im Daily Telegraph, New Scientist, The Independent und in der Sunday Times - um nur einige zu nennen. Israel hatte erstmals Zugang zu Werkstatt-Tagebüchern, Briefen und mehr als fünf Millionen Seiten Archivmaterial. Auf der Basis dieser Informationen hat er die erste maßgebende Biographie von Edison verfaßt. Zum ersten Mal wird Edisons Karriere als Erfinder systematisch untersucht und bewertet. Im Detail wird erforscht, wie er u.a. mit der Erfindung des elektrischen Lichts, der Photographie und mehr als tausend anderen Dingen das 20. Jahrhundert prägte. Dies ist auch die erste Biographie, die Edison im Zusammenhang mit dem rapiden industriellen Wandel betrachtet, indem die Auswirkungen dieses Wandels auf seine Erfindungen beschrieben werden. Dieses Buch liefert eine Fülle neuer Informationen über Edison und seine Erfindungen. Eine interessante und spannende Lektüre. (y03/00)
Download or read book Working at Inventing written by William S. Pretzer and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2002 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Working at Inventing offers a fascinating study of research and development at Thomas Edison's Menlo Park (New Jersey) laboratory during the six years between 1876 and 1882 that transformed American life. Edison and his associates developed ideas that led to more than four hundred patents and made major contributions to telegraphy, telephony, and the duplication of texts. They also made breakthrough innovations in two age-old human quests: conquering the darkness of night and preserving and replaying sound. In the process, Edison demonstrated how to combine technological innovation and business strategy. Afterward, research and development became essential corporate activities. Six experts on Edison's work deal in turn with the working conditions and the experiences at Menlo Park; the work culture of machinists and their impact on innovation; the role that telegraphy played in forming the lab's inventive activities; Edison's use of mental models in developing the telephone; the importance of visual communication in technology; and the significance of Menlo Park as a model of scientific and technological development. William Pretzer's introduction to the volume provides the context of Edison's career, while an epilogue explains the public interpretation of the Menlo Park laboratory as reconstructed by Henry Ford in his outdoor museum, Greenfield Village.
Download or read book Edison written by Edmund Morris and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 801 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Pulitzer Prize-winning author Morris comes a revelatory new biography ofThomas Alva Edison, the most prolific genius in American history.
Download or read book Thomas Edison written by Maaz Alam and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2021-05-07 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Read On Your Computer, MAC, Smartphone, Kindle Reader, iPad, or Tablet.Although Thomas Edison passed away many decades ago, his inventions continue to reverberate throughout history. It was Thomas Edison who brought all of these innovations into the world, whether you're watching TV, listening to music, or simply turning on the lamp next to your bed.Inside you will read about...✓ Edison's Early Life✓ The Electric Light✓ The War of the Currents✓ Other Inventions and Projects✓ Final Years and Death✓ Edison's LegacyAnd much more!Edison is sometimes regarded as someone who loved arguing with other inventors who were going in different directions from him, yet his tenacity and dedication to his own work were what made so many of his inventions workable.No matter which way you look at Edison, from failed businessman, renowned inventor, distant father to his children, or to an argumentative scientist, there is one thing everyone can agree on; Thomas Edison was pure genius. After all, in his world, nothing less would do.Inside you will read about...✓ Edison's Early Life✓ The Electric Light✓ The War of the Currents✓ Other Inventions and Projects✓ Final Years and Death✓ Edison's LegacyAnd much more!Edison is sometimes regarded as someone who loved arguing with other inventors who were going in different directions from him, yet his tenacity and dedication to his own work were what made so many of his inventions workable.No matter which way you look at Edison, from failed businessman, renowned inventor, distant father to his children, or to an argumentative scientist, there is one thing everyone can agree on; Thomas Edison was pure genius. After all, in his world, nothing less would do.
Download or read book The Life and Inventions of Thomas Alva Edison written by William Kennedy-Laurie Dickson and published by . This book was released on 1894 with total page 394 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Story of Thomas Alva Edison Inventor written by Margaret Davidson and published by Turtleback Books. This book was released on 1990-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Delves into the life of the inventor Edison, recounting the joys, tragedies, and successes of his life, and explains the scientific principles behind his revolutionary work
Download or read book Edison written by Neil Baldwin and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2001-04-28 with total page 548 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Appointment.
