Thomas Alva Edison: Inventing the Electric Age (Oxford Portraits in Science) - Hardcover

Adair, Gene

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195087992 ISBN 13: 9780195087994

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1996

Synopsis

Thomas Alva Edison revolutionized daily life as few people before or after him have done. The light bulb, the phonograph, motion pictures--through these and countless other technological marvels Edison left an indelible mark on the modern world. Although he had little formal education, Edison showed a remarkable talent for practical science as a teenager and was only in his early twenties when he launched his inventing career. In 1876, he established the world's first industrial research laboratory in Menlo Park, New Jersey, and within six years he and his assistants had developed a light-and-power system that amazed the world. For more than half a century, Edison remained active and involved in science and invention. Upon Edison's death in 1931, President Herbert Hoover asked the nation to dim its lights in tribute to the inventor.

About this title

About the Author

Gene Adair is at University of Tennessee Press.

Reviews

Grade 7 Up?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 of the man for this audience, and includes the rarely reported fact that cats, dogs, and farm animals were electrocuted in Edison's laboratory. Lengthy sidebars provide descriptions of inventions but, unfortunately, interrupt the flow of the text. Black-and-white photographs of the Edison family and drawings of various inventions appear throughout. Useful features include a list of museums and historic sites and a substantial index. A worthy addition.?Pat Katka, formerly at San Diego Public Library
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The latest entry in the Oxford Portraits in Science series chronicles the life of ``the wizard of Menlo Park'' from his beginnings as a budding telegrapher and troublemaker, through his major inventions, and up to his death in 1931, a wealthy, self-made American hero. Adair also covers innovations in telegraphy and mining in this lively biography, which focuses on Edison's work more than his personal life or character. The author moves quickly from achievement to achievement, including Edison's failures, sidebars on the workings of his most important inventions, and uses others made of his discoveries to create entire industries. This foray into the workshops of a gifted and prolific inventor is fascinating. (b&w photos, reproductions, diagrams, chronology, bibliography, index) (Biography. 12+) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 7^-10. As a 12-year-old in Port Huron, Michigan, Edison worked on a railroad hawking snacks and newspapers. He thrilled to witness the budding telegraph industry in Detroit, and his interest in chemistry led him to set up an experiment area in a baggage car corner. A couple of years later, he opened two small stores in Port Huron, hiring other boys to run them, since he was busy publishing a railroad newspaper and tinkering with other ideas. Edison would never lose his eclectic and entrepreneurial spirit as he plunged into project after project to become one of the world's greatest inventors. Because his name is so closely associated with the light bulb, readers may be surprised to learn how deeply Edison was involved in improving the telegraph, inventing the phonograph, and developing early motion pictures. He 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. Black-and-white photos and many of Edison's sketches and patent drawings enhance the text. Bibliography; chronology; list of museums. Anne O'Malley

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0195087992
• ISBN 13: 9780195087994
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 144