Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Bandgt;A lone inventor and the story of how one of the most revolutionary inventions of the twentieth century almost didn't happen.andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt; Introduced in 1960, the first plain-paper office copier is unusual among major high-technology inventions in that its central process was conceived by a single person. Chester Carlson grew up in unspeakable poverty, worked his way through junior college and the California Institute of Technology, and made his discovery in solitude in the depths of the Great Depression. He offered his big idea to two dozen major corporations -- among them IBM, RCA, and General Electric -- all of which turned him down. So persistent was this failure of capitalistic vision that by the time the Xerox 914 was manufactured, by an obscure photographic-supply company in Rochester, New York, Carlson's original patent had expired. andlt;BRandgt; Xerography was so unusual and nonintuitive that it conceivably could have been overlooked entirely. Scientists who visited the drafty warehouses where the first machines were built sometimes doubted that Carlson's invention was even theoretically feasible. Building the first plain-paper office copier -- with parts scrounged from junkyards, cleaning brushes made of hand-sewn rabbit fur, and a built-in fire extinguisher -- required the persistence, courage, and imagination of an extraordinary group of physicists, engineers, and corporate executives whose story has never before been fully told. andlt;BRandgt; andlt;Iandgt;Copies in Secondsandlt;/Iandgt; is a tale of corporate innovation and risk-taking at its very best.
Synopsis
The invention of the Xerox machine, according to author David Owen, was as startling and revolutionary as that of Gutenberg's printing press. Today, xerography--the technology that enables us to make copies with the mere push of a button--is taken for granted, but it radically changed the way we disseminate information, from pop quizzes to state secrets. Now, for the first time, Copies in Seconds makes sure the Xerox machine gets the proper attention it deserves. Drawing on Xerox company records, the inventor's archives, and hundreds of interviews. Own examines the history, science, and inner workings of this wonderful machine. He traces back to its troubled origins, telling the story of inventor Chester Carlson and how he-introduced his first xerographic copier through the Haloid Xerox company--after twenty other corporations, including IBM. RCA. and GE. had turned him down, unable to see the bright future in Carlson's big idea. With his delightful sense of humor and unbridled enthusiasm for the subject, David Owen spins a captivating tale of an unlikely--and truly original--revolutionary.
About the Author
andlt;Bandgt;David Owenandlt;/Bandgt; plays in a weekly foursome, takes mulligans off the first tee, practices intermittently at best, wore a copper wristband because Steve Ballesteros said so, and struggles for consistency even though his swing is consistent -- just mediocre. He is a staff writer for andlt;Iandgt;The New Yorker,andlt;/Iandgt; a contributing editor to andlt;Iandgt;Golf Digest,andlt;/Iandgt; and a frequent contributor to andlt;Iandgt;The Atlantic Monthly.andlt;/Iandgt; His other books include andlt;Iandgt;The First National Bank of Dad, The Chosen One, The Making of the Masters,andlt;/Iandgt; and andlt;Iandgt;My Usual Game.andlt;/Iandgt; He lives in Washington, Connecticut.
Table of Contents
Contents Prologue
1 Copies in Seconds
2 Beyond the Reach of Accident
3 How Do You Know What Color It Is on the Other Side?
4 10-22-38 ASTORIA
5 Fathers and Sons
6 The Ox Box
7 The House on Hollenbeck Street
8 American Xerography Corp.
9 The 914
10 Nickels
11 Which Is the Original?
12 To Die a Poor Man
Sources
Index