The brilliant Scottish immigrant's story is more complicated, and more fascinating, than his myth. This authoritative, scientifically informed biography vividly portrays a man who, unlike his single-minded contemporary Thomas Edison, was a divided genius.

Both a lucid picture of an extraordinary scientific career and an engaging account of a remarkable man.... Professor Bruce doesn't scant the astonishing variety of Bell's interests and accomplishments, which ranged all the way from supporting important scientific periodicals... to teaching the deaf to speak and fighting for their right to do so... to inventing everything he could imagine.... At the same time, he has given us an extremely candid personal picture of this titan of American technology.