Who Built That: Awe-Inspiring Stories of American Tinkerpreneurs

by Michelle Malkin

Overview

Firebrand conservative columnist, commentator, Internet entrepreneur, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Michelle Malkin tells the fascinating, little-known stories of the inventors who have contributed to American exceptionalism and technological progress.

Call them America’s “tinkerpreneurs”—unsung innovators who commercialized their “little” ideas to create products, companies, wealth, and opportunities that thrive today. Tireless, self-made, and largely self-taught, they raised our standard of living with the creation of items we daily take for granted, from razors to bottle caps, flashlights to bridge cables.

This entertaining and enlightening treasury is, in part, Michelle Malkin’s response to President Obama’s infamous assertion that “if you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that.” She examines how factors such as profit motive, intellectual property rights, patriotism, faith, family, and an unwavering belief in American exceptionalism set the stage for the creation of toilet paper, glass bottles, the hydroelectric power plant, and more.

Demonized by the left as greedy villains and selfish barons, these visionaries have nurtured job-creating powerhouses used today by “progressive” propagandists who can’t comprehend how much comfort and convenience they enjoy as a result of the ingenious contributions by these original American dreamers. Are they rich? You bet. They earned their private rewards for the public good. Find out Who Built That—and the next time you turn on your air conditioner, say thank you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476784953
Publisher:	Mercury Ink
Publication date:	05/19/2015
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Michelle Malkin is a mother, wife, blogger, conservative syndicated columnist, pundit, and #1 New York Times bestselling author. She started her newspaper journalism career at the Los Angeles Daily News in 1992, moved to The Seattle Times in 1995, and has been penning nationally syndicated newspaper columns for Creators Syndicate since 1999. She is the founder of Hot Air and Twitchy.com. She lives with her husband and two children in the Colorado Springs area.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I Engineers of Prosperity

1 Maglite's Tony Maglica: Torchbearer of the American Dream 15

2 The Wizards of Cool: Air-Conditioning Innovators Willis Carrier and Irvine Lyle 35

3 Roebling: The Family That Built America's Most Famous Bridges 60

Part II The Miracle of the Mundane

4 I, Toilet Paper 103

5 Crowning Glory: How William Painter's Bottle Caps Became a $9 Billion Business 115

6 "Keep Looking": How Painter's Razor-Sharp Genius Inspired King Gillette 135

7 Seeing Dollars in the Dirt: The Wisdom of Charles E. Hires 143

Part III BFFs: Dynamic Duos of American Business

8 Death-Defying Mavericks of Glass: Edward Libbey and Michael Owens 155

9 "Perfect Partnership": Westinghouse, Tesla, and the Harnessing of Niagara Falls 186

Part IV Past, Present, Future

10 Smart Limbs: The Next Generation of American Tinkerpreneurs 219

Conclusion 233

Acknowledgments 245

Notes 249

Index 309

Editorial Reviews

When Barack Obama once said that American entrepreneurs don’t appreciate the help they get from government and society in general, Michelle Malkin took umbrage. Here, the conservative writer counters with fascinating stories of America’s hardworking inventors and business pioneers. She narrates with some indignation but comes across as more of a cheerleader than a defensive firebrand. Her clear speaking and appealing enthusiasm make this an easy-to-hear audio. The daughter of immigrants, she celebrates American business leaders from colonial times to the present and has a talent for making their stories engaging. This audiobook inspires appreciation as well as admiration by applauding the American laws that protect inventions and intellectual property, support scientific advancement, and allow entrepreneurs to reap the benefits of their hard work. T.W. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

JULY 2017 - AudioFile