Synopses & Reviews
Thomas Alva Edison revolutionized daily life as few people before or after him have done. The light bulb, the phonograph, the motion picture--through these and countless other technological marvels Edison left his mark on the modern world.
Although he had little formal education, Edison showed a remarkable talent for practical science by the time he became a teenager. He was in his early twenties when he launched his inventing career in Boston (and later in New York City). In 1867, he established the world's first industrial research laboratory in Menlo Park, N.J., and within six years, he and his assistants had developed a light-and-power system that amazed the world.
Edison's inventions made him a millionaire, but money was always far less important to him than inventing itself. Even in his eighties, Edison stayed busy as he searched for a domestic source for rubber. When he died in 1931, the nation dimmed its lights in tribute.
Review
"[Edison] was an astounding genius, and his life reads like the adventure it was and will delight pleasure readers and information seekers alike. Adair carefully explains the scientific principles on which Edison based his work and devotes sidebars to particular inventions."--Booklist
"Adair deftly portrays Edison's life and creative genius in this thorough, well-balanced biography. The book offers more information and insights than most biographies.... A worthy addition."--School Library Journal
"A lively biography.... This foray into the workshops of a gifted and prolific inventor is fascinating."--Kirkus Reviews
"Reads smoothly."--The Horn Book Guide
"[Edison] was an astounding genius, and his life reads like the adventure it was and will delight pleasure readers and information seekers alike. Adair carefully explains the scientific principles on which Edison based his work and devotes sidebars to particular inventions."--Booklist
"This biography will have broad YA appeal because of its concise nature, the sidebars, the pictures, and its insights into Edison's life."--VOYA
"Adair deftly portrays Edison's life and creative genius in this thorough, well-balanced biography. The book offers more information and insights than most biographies.... A worthy addition."--School Library Journal
"A lively biography.... This foray into the workshops of a gifted and prolific inventor is fascinating."--Kirkus Reviews
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 136-137) and index.
About the Author
Gene Adair, who has worked in publishing since 1981, is currently the marketing manager at the University of Tennessee Press. A former teacher and newspaper reporter, he is also the author of a biography of George Washington Carver. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Table of Contents
1. A Festival of Light
2. Curiosity and Imagination
3. The Tinkering Telegrapher
4. The Budding Inventor
5. The Wizard
6. The Electric Light
7. Building a System
8. West Orange
9. Into the Twentieth Century
Chronology
Bibliography