Edison: His Life and Inventions, co-authored by Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Commerford Martin, is one of the earliest and most comprehensive biographical treatments of Thomas Alva Edison, the American inventor and entrepreneur whose technological innovations reshaped modern life. First published in 1910, the work serves not only as a chronicle of Edison's vast portfolio of inventions and industrial achievements but also as a reflection of early 20th-century attitudes toward science, progress, and individual genius. Dyer, Edison's legal advisor, and Martin, a well-respected electrical engineer and editor of Electrical World, had privileged access to Edison's laboratories, records, and correspondence. Their biography thus offers readers both personal insight and technical depth—an intertwining of the mythic and the mechanical.
This two-volume work aims to construct a definitive portrait of Edison as the archetype of American ingenuity and industriousness. The narrative traces Edison's life from his modest beginnings in Milan, Ohio, through his formative years as a telegraph operator, and into his prolific period as an inventor and entrepreneur. The authors pay particular attention to Edison's work habits, inventive methods, and the environments in which he worked—especially Menlo Park and later West Orange. They present these laboratories as crucibles of invention, likening them to modern-day temples of scientific progress.
Central to the biography is the construction of Edison as a nearly superhuman figure whose intellect and persistence overcame economic, technical, and institutional barriers. Dyer and Martin dwell on Edison's development of key technologies such as the phonograph, the incandescent light bulb, the electric power distribution system, the kinetoscope, and improvements in telegraphy and telephony. Each innovation is explored not only in terms of its mechanical principles but also with regard to its patenting, commercialization, and social consequences. In doing so, the authors implicitly tie Edison's genius to America's emergence as a modern industrial power.
The book is particularly rich in technical exposition, including detailed accounts of Edison's experimental processes, laboratory notes, and the competitive industrial context in which he worked. The authors make extensive use of primary sources, including Edison's own recollections, though these are often filtered through an admiring lens. This admiration sometimes borders on hagiography, as Edison is portrayed as an indefatigable man of vision, selflessness, and democratic spirit. His flaws—such as his treatment of rivals, controversial business practices, or his resistance to alternating current—are largely underplayed or framed as necessary costs of greatness.
Yet for all its reverence, the biography is a valuable resource in that it preserves a firsthand record of Edison's work and personal philosophy. Readers gain a rare glimpse into the rhythms of his experimental life, including his emphasis on trial-and-error, iterative improvement, and team collaboration—methods that prefigure contemporary approaches to innovation. The authors capture Edison's belief that "genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration," a credo which underpins the broader cultural narrative of the self-made inventor.
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This two-volume work aims to construct a definitive portrait of Edison as the archetype of American ingenuity and industriousness. The narrative traces Edison's life from his modest beginnings in Milan, Ohio, through his formative years as a telegraph operator, and into his prolific period as an inventor and entrepreneur. The authors pay particular attention to Edison's work habits, inventive methods, and the environments in which he worked—especially Menlo Park and later West Orange. They present these laboratories as crucibles of invention, likening them to modern-day temples of scientific progress.
Central to the biography is the construction of Edison as a nearly superhuman figure whose intellect and persistence overcame economic, technical, and institutional barriers. Dyer and Martin dwell on Edison's development of key technologies such as the phonograph, the incandescent light bulb, the electric power distribution system, the kinetoscope, and improvements in telegraphy and telephony. Each innovation is explored not only in terms of its mechanical principles but also with regard to its patenting, commercialization, and social consequences. In doing so, the authors implicitly tie Edison's genius to America's emergence as a modern industrial power.
The book is particularly rich in technical exposition, including detailed accounts of Edison's experimental processes, laboratory notes, and the competitive industrial context in which he worked. The authors make extensive use of primary sources, including Edison's own recollections, though these are often filtered through an admiring lens. This admiration sometimes borders on hagiography, as Edison is portrayed as an indefatigable man of vision, selflessness, and democratic spirit. His flaws—such as his treatment of rivals, controversial business practices, or his resistance to alternating current—are largely underplayed or framed as necessary costs of greatness.
Yet for all its reverence, the biography is a valuable resource in that it preserves a firsthand record of Edison's work and personal philosophy. Readers gain a rare glimpse into the rhythms of his experimental life, including his emphasis on trial-and-error, iterative improvement, and team collaboration—methods that prefigure contemporary approaches to innovation. The authors capture Edison's belief that "genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration," a credo which underpins the broader cultural narrative of the self-made inventor.
Edison: His Life and Inventions
Edison: His Life and Inventions, co-authored by Frank Lewis Dyer and Thomas Commerford Martin, is one of the earliest and most comprehensive biographical treatments of Thomas Alva Edison, the American inventor and entrepreneur whose technological innovations reshaped modern life. First published in 1910, the work serves not only as a chronicle of Edison's vast portfolio of inventions and industrial achievements but also as a reflection of early 20th-century attitudes toward science, progress, and individual genius. Dyer, Edison's legal advisor, and Martin, a well-respected electrical engineer and editor of Electrical World, had privileged access to Edison's laboratories, records, and correspondence. Their biography thus offers readers both personal insight and technical depth—an intertwining of the mythic and the mechanical.
This two-volume work aims to construct a definitive portrait of Edison as the archetype of American ingenuity and industriousness. The narrative traces Edison's life from his modest beginnings in Milan, Ohio, through his formative years as a telegraph operator, and into his prolific period as an inventor and entrepreneur. The authors pay particular attention to Edison's work habits, inventive methods, and the environments in which he worked—especially Menlo Park and later West Orange. They present these laboratories as crucibles of invention, likening them to modern-day temples of scientific progress.
Central to the biography is the construction of Edison as a nearly superhuman figure whose intellect and persistence overcame economic, technical, and institutional barriers. Dyer and Martin dwell on Edison's development of key technologies such as the phonograph, the incandescent light bulb, the electric power distribution system, the kinetoscope, and improvements in telegraphy and telephony. Each innovation is explored not only in terms of its mechanical principles but also with regard to its patenting, commercialization, and social consequences. In doing so, the authors implicitly tie Edison's genius to America's emergence as a modern industrial power.
The book is particularly rich in technical exposition, including detailed accounts of Edison's experimental processes, laboratory notes, and the competitive industrial context in which he worked. The authors make extensive use of primary sources, including Edison's own recollections, though these are often filtered through an admiring lens. This admiration sometimes borders on hagiography, as Edison is portrayed as an indefatigable man of vision, selflessness, and democratic spirit. His flaws—such as his treatment of rivals, controversial business practices, or his resistance to alternating current—are largely underplayed or framed as necessary costs of greatness.
Yet for all its reverence, the biography is a valuable resource in that it preserves a firsthand record of Edison's work and personal philosophy. Readers gain a rare glimpse into the rhythms of his experimental life, including his emphasis on trial-and-error, iterative improvement, and team collaboration—methods that prefigure contemporary approaches to innovation. The authors capture Edison's belief that "genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration," a credo which underpins the broader cultural narrative of the self-made inventor.
This two-volume work aims to construct a definitive portrait of Edison as the archetype of American ingenuity and industriousness. The narrative traces Edison's life from his modest beginnings in Milan, Ohio, through his formative years as a telegraph operator, and into his prolific period as an inventor and entrepreneur. The authors pay particular attention to Edison's work habits, inventive methods, and the environments in which he worked—especially Menlo Park and later West Orange. They present these laboratories as crucibles of invention, likening them to modern-day temples of scientific progress.
Central to the biography is the construction of Edison as a nearly superhuman figure whose intellect and persistence overcame economic, technical, and institutional barriers. Dyer and Martin dwell on Edison's development of key technologies such as the phonograph, the incandescent light bulb, the electric power distribution system, the kinetoscope, and improvements in telegraphy and telephony. Each innovation is explored not only in terms of its mechanical principles but also with regard to its patenting, commercialization, and social consequences. In doing so, the authors implicitly tie Edison's genius to America's emergence as a modern industrial power.
The book is particularly rich in technical exposition, including detailed accounts of Edison's experimental processes, laboratory notes, and the competitive industrial context in which he worked. The authors make extensive use of primary sources, including Edison's own recollections, though these are often filtered through an admiring lens. This admiration sometimes borders on hagiography, as Edison is portrayed as an indefatigable man of vision, selflessness, and democratic spirit. His flaws—such as his treatment of rivals, controversial business practices, or his resistance to alternating current—are largely underplayed or framed as necessary costs of greatness.
Yet for all its reverence, the biography is a valuable resource in that it preserves a firsthand record of Edison's work and personal philosophy. Readers gain a rare glimpse into the rhythms of his experimental life, including his emphasis on trial-and-error, iterative improvement, and team collaboration—methods that prefigure contemporary approaches to innovation. The authors capture Edison's belief that "genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration," a credo which underpins the broader cultural narrative of the self-made inventor.
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Edison: His Life and Inventions
Edison: His Life and Inventions
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Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940184695341 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Frank Lewis Dyer, Thomas Commerford Martin |
| Publication date: | 06/19/2025 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 759 KB |
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