Inventions and inventors Books

Book SynopsisThe Book: The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilization is a hand-illustrated exploration of how to restart society from scratch. With stunning artwork and thought-provoking concepts, it's a captivating guide to rebuilding the world and a celebration of human ingenuity.

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Book SynopsisA prismatic look at the meeting of Marie Curie and Albert Einstein and the impact these two pillars of science had on the world of physics, which was in turmoil. In 1911, some of the greatest minds in science convened at the First Solvay Conference in Physics. Almost half of the attendees had won or would go on to win the Nobel Prize. Over the course of those few days, these minds began to realise that classical physics was about to give way to quantum theory, a seismic shift in our history and how we understand not just our world, but the universe. At the centre of this meeting were Marie Curie and a young Albert Einstein. In the years preceding, Curie had faced the death of her husband. She was on the cusp of being awarded her second Nobel Prize, but scandal erupted all around her when the French press revealed that she was having an affair with a fellow scientist, Paul Langevin. The subject of vicious misogynist and xenophobic attacks in the French press, Curie found herself in a storm that threatened her scientific legacy.Albert Einstein proved a supporter in her travails. He was young and already showing flourishes of his enormous genius. Curie had been responsible for one of the greatest discoveries in modern science. Utilising never before seen correspondence and notes, Jeffrey Orens reveals the human side of these brilliant scientists, one who pushed boundaries and demanded equality in a man’s world, no matter the cost, and the other, who was destined to become synonymous with genius.

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Book Synopsis*SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2023**AS HEARD ON RADIO 4 START THE WEEK, OFF AIR WITH FI AND JANE AND 99% INVISIBLE*'Delightful' TIM HARFORD, FINANCIAL TIMES'Appeals to the nerdy side of just about all of us... a great book to give' JANE GARVEY'A splendid book: clearly written, elegantly structured and full of facts you are unlikely to chance on anywhere else' DAILY MAILSmartphones, skyscrapers, spacecraft. Modern technology seems mind-bogglingly complex. But beneath the surface, it can be beautifully simple.In Nuts and Bolts, award-winning Shard engineer and broadcaster Roma Agrawal deconstructs our most complex feats of engineering into seven fundamental inventions: the nail, spring, wheel, lens, magnet, string and pump. Each of these objects is itself a wonder of design, the result of many iterations and refinements. Together, they have enabled humanity to see the invisible, build the spectacular, communicate across vast distances, and even escape our planet.Tracing the surprising journeys of each invention through the millennia, Roma reveals how handmade Roman nails led to modern skyscrapers, how the potter's wheel enabled space exploration, and how humble lenses helped her conceive a child against the odds.She invites us to marvel at these small but perfectly formed inventions, sharing the stories of the remarkable, and often unknown, scientists and engineers who made them possible. The nuts and bolts that make up our world may be tiny, and are often hidden, but they've changed our lives in dramatic ways.'A wonderful book' MARK MIODOWNIK'A masterclass in storytelling' JESS WADE'A riveting love letter to the small, wonderful, and mundane things that make the modern world.' ROMAN MARS

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Book SynopsisThe bestselling phenomenon - an enthralling 6,000-year journey through the history of books and readingA FINANCIAL TIMES, ECONOMIST AND MAIL ON SUNDAY BOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH ACADEMY BOOK PRIZE 2023'Outstanding, universal and unique' NEW YORK TIMES'A literary phenomenon.' TLS'Masterly.' ECONOMIST'Mindboggling' TELEGRAPHLong before books were mass-produced, scrolls hand copied on reeds pulled from the Nile were the treasures of the ancient world. Emperors and Pharaohs were so determined to possess them that they dispatched emissaries to the edges of the earth to bring them back.In Papyrus, celebrated classicist Irene Vallejo traces the dramatic history of the book and the fight for its survival. This is the story of the book's journey from oral tradition to scrolls to codices, and how that transition laid the very foundation of Western culture. And it is a story full of heroic adventures, bloodshed and megalomania - from the battlefields of Alexander the Great and the palaces of Cleopatra to the libraries of war-torn Sarajevo and Oxford.An international bestseller, Papyrus brings the ancient world to life and celebrates the enduring power of the written word.Trade ReviewA literary phenomenon . . . didactic and daring . . . elegant and richly digressive. * Times Literary Supplement *'Outstanding, universal and unique' * New York Times *[A] bestselling phenomenon... Irene Vallejo recounts the birth of literary culture in the ancient world while interweaving dynamic, thrilling tales that underscore and celebrate the power of words to change the world. * Financial Times, Books of the Year *A mindboggling history of the earliest books... Vallejo is a novelist and she has a storyteller's ability to animate her subjects... and the story she tells is impressively rip-roaring. She draws a six-thousand-year line from the clay tablets of Mesopotamia to the e-reader tablets of today and leaves her readers inspired, invigorated and sincerely grateful for the invention of the book.' * Henry Eliot, Daily Telegraph *Packed with fascinating insights into literacy in the ancient world... Vallejo is a diligent scholar, excelling with her accounts of the human experience of books in the era. * i news *Irene Vallejo, a Spanish journalist and scholar, has a writer's passion for books and a classicist's fascination with the way they came to be. She is also imaginative, lively and contemporary. In her hands written texts are not only a sensual pleasure, but living and frequently disruptive... Ms Vallejo has a notable talent for evoking ancient scenes. Her description, for example, of the poet Martial returning to Spain from Rome, near the end of the book, is masterly. * Economist *This prize-winning Spanish title has a classy jacket and impressive heft, which is only fitting really, since it celebrates the book as an object. More enticingly still, novelist and essayist Vallejo enlivens history with imagination and personal anecdote as she traces the book's lineage from scrolls made of aquatic plant pith to codices and tablets, digressing to show how its development is interwoven with the development of western civilisation. Is Papyrus available as an ebook? Yes, but I'll bet any reader drawn to it is going to want to save up for the hardcover. * Observer *In this generous, sprawling work... Vallejo sets out to provide a panoramic survey of how books shaped not just the ancient world but ours too. While she pays due attention to the physicality of the book... Vallejo is equally interested in what goes on inside its covers. And also, more importantly, what goes on inside a reader when they take up a volume and embark on an imaginative and intellectual dance that might just change their life. As much as a history of books, Papyrus is also a history of reading. * Guardian *An excellent, illuminating celebration... Vallejo's vigorous celebration of book culture excels at illuminating the ancient world through contemporary references - including to Margaret Atwood, Bob Dylan and Taxi Driver - and draws revealing parallels between antiquity and today.' * The Irish Times *[A] masterpiece . . . I am absolutely sure that it will continue to be read when its readers today are already in the afterlife. * Mario Vargas Llosa *

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Book Synopsis''More than just a memoir. A manifesto for a whole way of thinking'' Daily Mail''An idiosyncratic and gripping memoir about his life and the indomitable career of the Cube'' Observer''The rise and enduring power of the world''s most popular puzzle toy . . . Cubed is less a memoir than a chronicle of Rubik''s evolving relationship with his creation'' Financial Times***As a child, Erno Rubik became obsessed with puzzles of all kinds. To him, they weren''t just games - they were challenges that captured his imagination, creativity and perseverance. Rubik''s own puzzle went on to be solved by millions worldwide, becoming one of the bestselling toys of all time. In Cubed, he tells us the story of the unexpected and unprecedented rise of the Cube for the very first time - and makes a case for why rediscovering our playfulness and inner curiosity holds the key to creative thinking.Trade ReviewThe inventor of the Rubik's Cube on what life and his beloved puzzle have taught him . . . An idiosyncratic and gripping memoir about his life and the indomitable career of the Cube * Observer *Rubik's book is more than just a memoir. It's a manifesto for a whole way of thinking, for the need to retain your childhood playfulness into adulthood if you wish to create anything of worth * Daily Mail *The rise and enduring power of the world's most popular puzzle toy . . . CUBED is less a memoir than a chronicle of Rubik's evolving relationship with his creation * Financial Times *As a school maths teacher and a puzzle writer, I encourage all curious people to open their minds to the words on these pages. This is in part a manifesto for anyone wishing to become a creator. Unleash your creativity with Mr Rubik as your guide -- Bobby SeagullWhile the book tells the story of how Rubik, a Hungarian architect and professor of design, invented the Cube as a way to demonstrate a geometric problem, it also is laced with his thoughts about curiosity, change and the meaning of life * Forbes *A rewarding, idiosyncratic autobiography * Nature *In CUBED, the Hungarian inventor and architect goes into detail explaining how a bold thirst for knowledge has animated his life. He tells the story of how he invented the toy which bears his name, and how his childhood helped turn him into the man he is today. Going one step beyond this, Rubik uses his cube as an allegory for the nature of knowledge itself * Salon *

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Book SynopsisDiscover the amazing inventions throughout history that have shaped the world as we know it.This stunning visual guide explores and explains the greatest inventions, ideas, and discoveries throughout the ages, and introduces their inventors. From fire, stone tools, and the wheel to ploughs and paper, discover the first inventions that shaped societies and grew mighty civilizations and empires such as those in ancient Greece, ancient Rome, and ancient China.In the centuries that followed, Eureka moments abounded, with James Watt''s steam engine during the Industrial Revolution, Henry Ford''s car assembly line at the start of the 20th century, the Wright brothers'' flying machines, Thomas Edison''s light bulb, John Logie Baird''s television, and so much more.Read about era-defining moments during the Digital Revolution, such as the first website developed by Tim Berners-Lee, and the growth in the use of robotics in industry and at home.InventiTrade ReviewIt's informative, comprehensive, and filled with amazing pictures. Inventions: A Children's Encyclopedia is a reference book perfect for any family's bookshelf. * GeekDad *

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Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURED DIRECTED BY AND STARRING CHIWETEL EJIOFOR AVAILABLE ON NETFLIXWhen William Kamkwamba was just 14 years old, his family told him that he must leave school and come home to work on the farm they could no longer afford his fees. This is his story of how he found a way to make a difference, how he bought light to his family and village, and hope to his nation.Malawi is a country battling AIDS, drought and famine, and in 2002, a season of floods, followed by the most severe famine in fifty years, brought it to its knees. Like the majority of the population, William''s family were farmers. They were totally reliant on the maize crop. By the end of 2001, after many lean and difficult years, there was no more crop. They were running out of food had nothing to sell and had months until they would be able to harvest their crop again.Forced to leave school at 14 years old, with no hope of raising the funds to go again, William resorted to borrowing books from the sTrade Review‘THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND is the inspiring story of a young man in Africa who used the only resources available to him to build a windmill and elevate the lives and spirits of those in his community. William Kamkwamba's achievements with wind energy should serve as a model of what one person, with an inspired idea, can do to tackle the crisis we face. His book tells a moving and exciting story.’Al Gore, former Vice President and Nobel Laureate ‘A moving, touching, important story. One more reminder of…how powerful the human spirit can be.’Seth Godin, author ‘One of the best books I have ever read.’Mark Frauenfelder, boingboing.net “William is one of the bright young stars of the future and serves as an inspiration for other young people who want to know what they can do to help.” Bishop Desmond Tutu

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Book SynopsisFrom Steven Johnson, the bestselling author of Where Good Ideas Come From, comes How We Got to Now, the companion book to his six-part BBC One television series exploring the power and the legacy of great ideas.How did photography bring about social reform? What connects refrigeration to Hollywood? And how did our battle against dirt help create smartphones? In this story of ingenious breakthroughs and unsung heroes, Steven Johnson explores the essential innovations that changed the world and how we live in it.'A new Steven Johnson book is something not to be missed. The author has become the leading writer on how inventions happen' Daniel Finkelstein, The Times, Books of the Year'Graceful and compelling ... you'll find yourself exhilarated' The New York Times Book Review'Readable, entertaining, and a challenge to any jaded sensibility that has become inured to the everyday miracles all around us' Peter Forbes, Guardian'This nimble history of invention . . .is a many-layered delight' Nature

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Book SynopsisWhat will the world of tomorrow be like? How does progress happen? And why don't we have a lunar colony already? In this witty and entertaining book, Kelly and Zach Weinersmith give us a snapshot of the transformative technologies that are coming next - from robot swarms to nuclear fusion powered-toasters - and explain how they will change our world in astonishing ways. By weaving together their own research, interviews with pioneering scientists and Zach's trademark comics, the Weinersmiths investigate why these innovations are needed, how they would work, and what is standing in their way.Trade ReviewAn unabashed nerd-out of a book, zinging from outer space to DNA, hardly pausing for breath ... The gleeful geeking out makes for a great read - I couldn't help chuckling or outright cracking up a number of times - while surreptitiously teaching some really important science. It's a winning combination. The sheer breadth of topics covered is also amazing: Probably no other book in history has seriously described the science behind both tentacle construction robots and the human nasal cycle -- Science * Colin McCormick *Space elevators, gold asteroids, and fusion-powered toasters - who knew science could be so much fun? And who knew fun could be so scientific? Soonish is hilarious, provocative, and shamelessly informative -- Tim Harford, author of 'Messy' and 'The Undercover Economist'Playful, yet deep -- Dr. George Church, Harvard UniversityI love this book so much I 3D printed myself a second heart so I could love it more -- Dr. Phil Plait, astronomer, author, writer of the Bad Astronomy BlogKelly and Zach promised me a crystal ball, but what I got is both more insightful and far more entertaining than staring into a dumb glass orb. Soonish will make you laugh and - without you even realizing it - give you insight into the most ambitious technological feats of our time. You should read this book, sooner than soonish -- Alexis Ohanian, Cofounder of RedditBasically, I think this book is a masterpiece, and something I wish I'd written myself -- Scott Aaronson, David J. Bruton Centennial Professor of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin and author of 'Quantum Computing Since Democritus'Compelling, accessible, and wryly funny ... Popular-science writing has rarely been so whip-smart, captivating, or hilarious (albeit occasionally terrifying) -- Sarah Hunter * Booklist *A fascinating look at the most provocative and promising research going on today and how it could alter the way we work and live * Publishers Weekly *

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Book SynopsisWhat would life be like without cars, television, the Internet and computers, or the omnipresent smartphone? Setting aside the question of whether things would be better or worse, what we do know for sure is that today there are some inventions that we just can't do without. And yet some of them are very recent, in their infancy we might say, while others are a little over a century old, which in any case is but a blip if compared to the history of humanity. They all have changed the existence of a considerable number of people, their advent has been such a breakthrough that it has always marked a "before" and "after". The result of the brilliant intuition of exceptional men and women, of the perseverance and tenacity of great entrepreneurs or ingenious ideas of common people, these inventions have influenced and changed medicine, society, economics, culture, and history itself. This book full of curiosities and explanations will guide readers to the discovery of the most important inventions that have influenced the contemporary world, from the end of the 19th century to our own time, revealing the secrets and events that led to their creation and introducing the exceptional figures who conceived them.

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Book SynopsisWe all like to think we are pretty smart. New medical advances seem to come along every day; space travel suddenly doesn't seem so difficult; self-driving cars are no longer a thing of the future . but if we were stranded on a desert island tomorrow, most of us wouldn't know how to catch a fish or start a fire, let alone rebuild all that extraordinary technology we now rely on. The truth is that we're not necessarily more clever than our ancestors, we just have an accumulation of centuries of technological progress on which we can rely. As this book shows, many of the ancients were much more advanced that we realize - indeed there are recent inventions that had actually been discovered centuries earlier and then forgotten. And what about all those modern day devices and machines that rely on ancient inventions such as paper, levers and gears? From brain surgery in the Stone Age to Chinese whisky from the 7th century BC, to Damascus steel - once the hardest metal in the world, which we no longer know how to make - this insightful book collects together the stories of hundreds of ancient devices, inventions and breakthroughs from around the world and across the centuries, giving us a fascinating glimpse into past eras that were far more technologically advanced than we sometimes realize.

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Book SynopsisThe road to licensing a profitable, innovative product or technology is riddled with curves, holes, and rocky cliffs. The President of the United Inventors Association shows inventors, innovators, and makers a better path towards monetizing your creations and how to avoid the get-rich-quick scammers.Every year, hundreds of thousands of eager inventors around the globe spend millions of dollars seeking assistance from inventor service companies and individuals claiming to be experts in the innovation and licensing fields, though their actual success rates are poor in relation to the dollar amounts they charge.The reality is, according to Inventors’ Digest™, while 78% of new inventors believe they will make over a million dollars with their inventions, less than 1% actually do. Marketers prey on this scenario for their own financial gain.In Inventor Confidential, inventor advocate Warren Tuttle tips the odds back in t

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Book SynopsisDo you ever wonder where the stuff around you all came from? No, not from the shops. I mean, who had the amazing idea of making video games or the annoying idea of building a school?In the latest laugh-out-loud book from the record-breaking and extremely handsome Adam Kay and Henry Paker, you'll learn about everything ever invented, from the daft to the disgusting to the downright dangerous.You'll discover all about:- The queen who pooed on the first ever toilet- How velcro was invented by a dog- Why the Ancient Greeks wiped their bums on dinner platesAs well as 48,762,851,208 other facts. (Approximately.)Praise for Kay''s Anatomy:''An enjoyably gross look at the human body. Hours of gruesome fun guaranteed'' i''Like listening to a teacher who makes pupils fall about'' Sunday Times''Totally brilliant!'' Jacqueline Wilson''Fun and informative'' Malorie Blackman''Very funny - this exciting book is bound to inspire the next generation of medics'' Sunday ExpressPraise for Kay''s Marvellous Medicine:''A ridiculously funny read that will delight, gross out and educate all at the same time'' Independent''Educational and entertaining. It should be on the national curriculum!'' Harry Hill''Completely marvellous and very funny'' BookTrust

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Book Synopsis''Celebrates human cognitive diversity, and is rich with empathy and psychological insight'' Steven Pinker ''Bold, intriguing, profound'' Jay Elwes, Spectator Why can humans alone invent? In this book, psychologist and world renowned autism expert Simon Baron-Cohen puts forward a bold new theory: because we can identify patterns, specifically if-and-then patterns. Baron-Cohen argues that the genes for this unique ability overlap with the genes for autism and have driven human progress for 70,000 years. From the first musical instruments to the agricultural, industrial, and digital revolutions, Pattern Seekers links one of our greatest human strengths with a condition that is so often misunderstood and challenges us to think differently about those who think differently.Trade ReviewAmbitious and provocative...goes beyond the usual discussion of 'special gifts' in autism to propose that the diversity of human operating systems has accelerated the advancement of human civilization and culture in ways we can barely imagine. -- Steve Silberman, author of NeuroTribesIt's rare to come across a surprising new idea that explains important phenomena, but Simon Baron-Cohen's exploration of abstract pattern-seeking in human affairs is one of them. This book sheds light on one of humanity's most distinctive traits, celebrates human cognitive diversity, and is rich with empathy and psychological insight. -- Steven Pinker, author of How the Mind WorksA game-changing book, a passport into exploring the world of innovation and creativity. Most importantly, it celebrates autistic people and is a call for action, to welcome neurodiversity. -- David Joseph, Chairman and CEO Universal Music UKA fascinating account of the mechanisms underlying the related capacities of both autistic individuals and innovators. -- Brian Josephson, winner of the Nobel Prize in physicsErudite, illuminating...His bold new idea, that the genes for autism drove the evolution of human invention, places this disability centre stage in the story of humans. -- Jools HollandBased on massive research, Simon Baron-Cohen argues that most of us are specialized in how we perceive the world around us. There are those who focus on people and those who focus on things. The author makes a compelling case that the second kind of mind-the pattern seeker-is at the root of modern human civilization. -- Frans de Waal, author of The Age of EmpathyDestined to become a classic...In an age of increasing specialization, Baron-Cohen's book comes as a breath of fresh air. -- VS Ramachandran * author of the Tell Tale Brain *Bold, intriguing, profound. -- Jay Elwes * Spectator *A wonderful, lyrical celebration of the autistic mind. -- Alice Thomson * Times *

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Book Synopsis*Longlisted for the William MB Berger Prize for British Art History, 2022*A spectacular biography of the great designer, entrepreneur, abolitionist and beacon of the Industrial Revolution, from acclaimed historian and Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tristram HuntJosiah Wedgwood, perhaps the greatest English potter who ever lived, epitomized the best of his age. From his kilns and workshops in Stoke-on-Trent, he revolutionized the production of ceramics in Georgian Britain by marrying technology with design, manufacturing efficiency and retail flair. He transformed the luxury markets not only of London, Liverpool, Bath and Dublin but of America and the world, and helping to usher in a mass consumer society. Tristram Hunt calls him ''the Steve Jobs of the eighteenth century''.But Wedgwood was radical in his mind and politics as well as in his designs. He campaigned for free trade and religious toleration, read pioneering papers to the Royal Society and was a member of the celebrated Lunar Society of Birmingham. Most significantly, he created the ceramic ''Emancipation Badge'', depicting a slave in chains and inscribed ''Am I Not a Man and a Brother?'' that became the symbol of the abolitionist movement.Tristram Hunt''s hugely enjoyable new biography, strongly based on Wedgwood''s notebooks, letters and the words of his contemporaries, brilliantly captures the energy and originality of Wedgwood and his extraordinary contribution to the transformation of eighteenth-century Britain.Trade ReviewThis is a remarkable and impassioned book. Josiah Wedgwood innovated across boundaries of technology and art and taste, commerce and scientific enquiry, and Tristram Hunt makes the powerful case for rediscovering his humane entrepreneurial spirit. The Radical Potter brings Wedgwood's protean energy alive for a new generation and I loved it. -- Edmund de Waalimpassioned, wide-ranging ... Hunt's sympathetic, engaged and finely written biography makes it clear that [Wedgwood] was a one-off, and a genius. -- David Horspool * Spectator *fabulously unputdownable ... In parts it reads like a thriller. -- Judith Woods * Telegraph *Wedgwood's remarkable story has been told in many biographies over the years. The great contribution of The Radical Potter, Tristram Hunt's new book, is to place him in the context of the rapid economic and social changes during his lifetime that helped make his success possible. -- Richard Lambert * Financial Times *this brisk and highly readable biography ... places Wedgwood in a dissenting tradition that goes back to the civil wars ... It is a timely tale. -- Paul Lay * The Times *engrossing ... Hunt, as director of the Victoria and Albert Museum and MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central from 2010 to 2017, is uniquely fitted to write this book. -- John Carey * Sunday Times *superb ... this delicious, meticulously researched, wide-ranging but never long-winded book made me admire Tristram Hunt as well as Josiah Wedgwood. -- Ysenda Maxtone Graham * Daily Mail *Hunt is exquisitely alive to all the contradictions in Wedgwood's achievements ... a rich portrait of the charismatic but contradictory man who made Georgian Britain the most stylish country in the world -- Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday *One of the achievements of Tristram Hunt's biography... is too bring into view the commercial and moral instincts of the man behind the powerhouse ... Wedgwood emerges from this books as a man of voracious interest in the world. Canny and determined, he had both strong beliefs and the adaptability that marks any great innovator. Hunt ... is as interested in what the man can tell us about the times as the times meant for the man. -- Sarah Watling * Literary Review *Tristram Hunt, one of our finest historians, has done a magnificent job in The Radical Potter. Every chapter made me cheer and halloo. -- A. N. Wilson * Spectator Books of the Year *this attractively packaged ... splendid... biography of ceramics impresario Josiah Wedgwood ... reminds us not only of what has been lost in terms of manufacturing, but what can be regained. -- Jacqueline Riding * Country Life *Hunt performs the important task of telling the great potter's story clearly and accessibly ... Wedgwood the man should be as famous as Wedgwood the brand. That he is not might be due to his business - there are more heroic and glamorous trades than making pots - and to the national tendency to undervalue manufacturing. Hunt's book should help to correct that imbalance. -- Rowan Moore * The Observer *The Radical Potter sees Tristram Hunt argue that Wedgwood was epicentral to the transformation of Britain in the late 18th and early 19th centuries ... This is a remarkable book from a historian at the top of his game. -- Andrew Roberts * BBC History *Confident ... Hunt makes sure Wedgwood's pots stay at the heart of his biography -- Tanya Harrod * Prospect *easily the best account of that multi-faceted genius -- A. N. Wilson * The Times *The indefatigable one-legged artist and abolitionist Josiah Wedgwood personified the optimism of Georgian Britain. Hunt brings him brilliantly to life. -- Iona McLaren * Daily Telegraph Books of the Year *Josiah Wedgwood was "the Steve Jobs" of the 18th century, according to Tristram Hunt, the historian and V&A director. Wedgwood, of modest background but expansive inventive genius, turned a Staffordshire pottery firm into a global company, one that showed that Britain could make high-quality porcelain, a high-demand product in the new age of tea drinking. Not bad for a man who couldn't turn a wheel because childhood disease disabled one of his legs. He was nicknamed "Owd Wooden Leg" by his workers - and referred to the day he lost his limb as "Saint Amputation Day". -- Robbie Millen * The Times Books of the Year *Tristram Hunt, in The Radical Potter, underlines brilliantly the consumerism and politics of the age in the character of Josiah Wedgwood, in whom we can see all the energy of the era - the campaign for abolition, the birth of international trade, the stirrings of the industrial revolution, the combination of mass production and aesthetic sense. -- Catherine Ostler * Aspects of History Books of the Year *

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Book SynopsisNikola Tesla''s life is as interesting for his idiosyncrasy as it is for his brilliance. The inventor''s mind knew no limits and his incredible sense of possibility rings through his memoir. This authorative volume of My Inventions includes three additional articles by Tesla which were published in The Electrical Experimenter magazine and represent the breadth of his interests: ''Tesla would pour Lightning from Airships to Consume Foe'' (1916), ''The Action of The Eye'' (1893), ''The Problem of Increasing Human Energy'' (1900). Samantha Hunt, author of The Invention of Everything Else, contributes an introduction to Tesla''s works, separating fact from fiction (there are published works out there that attest Tesla was an alien), while maintaining the natural awe of Tesla''s eccentric existence.

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Book SynopsisFrom its beginnings in the 1920s until its demise in the 1980s, Bell Labs-officially, the research and development wing of AT&T-was the biggest, and arguably the best, laboratory for new ideas in the world. From the transistor to the laser, from digital communications to cellular telephony, it''s hard to find an aspect of modern life that hasn''t been touched by Bell Labs.In The Idea Factory, Jon Gertner traces the origins of some of the twentieth century''s most important inventions and delivers a riveting and heretofore untold chapter of American history. At its heart this is a story about the life and work of a small group of brilliant and eccentric men-Mervin Kelly, Bill Shockley, Claude Shannon, John Pierce, and Bill Baker-who spent their careers at Bell Labs.Today, when the drive to invent has become a mantra, Bell Labs offers us a way to enrich our understanding of the challenges and solutions to technological innovation. Here, after all, was where the foundational ideas on the management of innovation were born.Trade Review“Filled with colorful characters and inspiring lessons . . . The Idea Factory explores one of the most critical issues of our time: What causes innovation?” —Walter Isaacson, The New York Times Book Review“Riveting . . . Mr. Gertner’s portraits of Kelly and the cadre of talented scientists who worked at Bell Labs are animated by a journalistic ability to make their discoveries and inventions utterly comprehensible—indeed, thrilling—to the lay reader. And they showcase, too, his novelistic sense of character and intuitive understanding of the odd ways in which clashing or compatible personalities can combine to foster intensely creative collaborations.” —Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times“One of the best innovation-focused books I've read: It's a wide-ranging, detailed, and deeply fascinating look at the New Jersey lab which has been churning out useful discoveries since the early 1900s.” —The Boston Globe“Fascinating history . . . the research behind The Idea Factory is astonishing.” —Slate Book Review“Compelling . . . Gertner's book offers fascinating evidence for those seeking to understand how a society should best invest its research resources.” —The Wall Street Journal“An expansive new history . . . does an impressive job of illuminating many of Bell Labs’ key technological triumphs.” —Wired.com

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Book SynopsisHailed as the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford of Silicon Valley, Robert Noyce was a brilliant inventor, a leading entrepreneur, and a daring risk taker who piloted his own jets and skied mountains accessible only by helicopter. Now, in The Man Behind the Microchip, Leslie Berlin captures not only this colorful individual but also the vibrant interplay of technology, business, money, politics, and culture that defines Silicon Valley. Here is the life of a high-tech industry giant. The co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel, Noyce co-invented the integrated circuit, the electronic heart of every modern computer, automobile, cellular telephone, advanced weapon, and video game. With access to never-before-seen documents, Berlin paints a fascinating portrait of Noyce: an ambitious and intensely competitive multimillionaire who exuded a just folks sort of charm, a Midwestern preacher''s son who rejected organized religion but would counsel his employees to go off and do something wonderful, a man who never looked back and sometimes paid a price for it. In addition, this vivid narrative sheds light on Noyce''s friends and associates, including some of the best-known managers, venture capitalists, and creative minds in Silicon Valley. Berlin draws upon interviews with dozens of key players in modern American business--including Andy Grove, Steve Jobs, Gordon Moore, and Warren Buffett; their recollections of Noyce give readers a privileged, first-hand look inside the dynamic world of high-tech entrepreneurship. A modern American success story, The Man Behind the Microchip illuminates the triumphs and setbacks of one of the most important inventors and entrepreneurs of our time.Trade Review"An important, hype-free account. And the bonus: Noyce was no geeky physicist, and his risk-taking zeal to create new things, coupled with a powerful commitment to ethics, powers a story that should be required reading for today's entrepreneurs and executives."--The Washington Post"Leslie Berlin's excellent new study is a welcome addition to the body of historical literature dealing with recent computer technology. The book is one of only a handful of scholarly biographies of members of the generation of inventors and entrepreneurs whobuilt the semiconductor industry and helped create the economic and cultural phenomenon now known as Silicon Valley. Berlin describes Noyce's technical accomplishments accurately and with appropriate detail, but she also makes clear that he was as much a social and economic innovator as a technical one. Berlin's portrayal of Noyce might be characterized as ironic hagiography. She celebrates his achievementsbut also makes it clear that those accomplishments came at a substantial human cost. Berlin's biography will help preserve Noyce's reputation and will serve as an important resource for future studies of Silicon Valley."--American Scientist"Leslie Berlin does an excellent job of capturing the Bob Noyce I knew: part small-town boy, part big-time genius and always a wonderful friend and citizen."--Warren E. Buffett, Chairman, Berkshire Hathaway Inc."A comprehensive and admiring biography.... Berlin does a fine job uncovering the details of Noyce's childhood and tracing his intellectual development.... Berlin writes convincingly.... [A] thorough and worthy retelling of his life."--Washington Monthly"Few people had a greater impact on life in the second half of the 20th century than Bob Noyce, co-inventor of the integrated circuit. Yet he was little known outside the field of electronics. Leslie Berlin, in "The Man Behind the Microchip," her highly readable biography of Noyce, describes how his work sparked two revolutions in the modern business and technology era."--The Boston Globe"Bob Noyce was one of the giants of Silicon Valley. The most extraordinary thing about this book is that Berlin has been able to cut through the legend and establish that this man, once nicknamed ``the mayor of Silicon Valley,'' was also an ordinary human being." [Berlin] has brought Noyce and his role in the valley's history into focus."--San Jose Mercury News"A well-rounded biography...excellent work."--Publisher's Weekly"Noyce understood the transformative power of new technology as well as anyone alive.... Berlin's rigorously factual account portrays the scientific process in all its grittiness."--MIT Technology Review"Not only an excellent biography, but also an intriguing history of the development of the digital age."--Harvard Business School Working Knowledge"Leslie Berlin's meticulously researched biography tells the story of a talented but flawed individual whose successes and failures could serve as the raw material for a dozen business school case studies. It also paints a revealing picture of US business culture in the mid-20th century.... [An] evocative account of the birth of an industry."--Financial Times"This is where Berlin is best: she superbly evokes the hacker inventiveness of Shockley and his gang."--Clive Thompson, The New York Times Book Review"Bob Noyce's contributions to the development of the semiconductor industry go well beyond his inventions. He was industry spokesman, visionary, and leading entrepreneur. But this well written book does more than just chronicle his many contributions; it is a window into his complex and charming personality."--Gordon E. Moore, co-founder of Intel Corporation"All the busy billionaires, multimillionaires and geeks in their garages dreaming up the next big thing that will bring glory back to Silicon Valley should plunk down some loose change on 'The Man Behind the Microchip.' And anyone interested in the true creation story of Silicon Valley--in contrast to the enticing tales of the mythmakers who continue to blow bubbles of promise up and down the Peninsula--would do well to make a small investment in this terrific biography."--John Christensen, San Francisco Chronicle"The first full-scale biography of Noyce and the first book to acknowledge his true importance. Noyce's story is a fascinating one.... The book succeeds best as a business biography, putting his impressive accomplishments in perspective. Noyce should be considered one of the most influential inventors of our time, a prime mover of the digital revolution that has changed all our lives. For that he deserves much broader recognition. The Man Behind the Microchip is a great start in that direction."--PC Magazine"At last, the absorbing story of the most important figure in the history of the semiconductor industry! Meticulously researched, The Man Behind the Microchip is so engagingly narrated that you don't realize how much business and technology you are learning along the way."--William Aspray, Indiana University"Exhaustively researched. Berlin's thoughtful and thorough biography is at once a celebratory and a cautionary tale."-David Kushner, The Houston Chronicle"Leslie Berlin, in her highly readable biography of Noyce, describes how his work sparked two revolutions in the modern business and technology era."--Robert Weisman, Philadelphia Inquirer"At the white-hot epicenter of the digital revolution was Robert Noyce. Now, thanks to this incisive and astutely researched biography, Noyce will be forever listed among those inventor-entrepreneurs of the postwar era who functioned as the Johan Gutenbergs, the Alexander Graham Bells, the Guglielmo Marconis of our era."--Kevin Starr, University of Southern California

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Book SynopsisObservation is the most pervasive and fundamental practice of all the modern sciences, both natural and human. This collection offers an examination of the history of scientific observation in its own right, as both epistemic category and scientific practice.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Based solely on its originality, wealth of detail, and subject matter, Crossing the Boundaries of Life deserves to be on the must-read list of every historian of the twentieth-century life sciences.” * Journal of the History of Biology *"Based on personal contact and archival research, including an epilogue addressing contending epistemic debates (cellular context vs. molecular processes), this book provides an excellent account of how paradigm shifts actually occur in science. The text is readable for a general audience and provides a host of primary resources. . . . Highly recommended." * Choice *“Those who are willing to be guided through the rough and tumble of a long experimental research trajectory and its details will be richly rewarded in the end. To the reviewer's knowledge, this book is the first to provide a comprehensive overview of what it means to do cell biology at the molecular level, and to trace historically how it came to be done.” -- Hans-Jörg Rheinberger * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (translated from German) *"This complexity of the cell, and equally—if not more so—the complexity of the history of the scientific study of the cell, is something that struck me most forcibly as I wended my way through the pages of Karl Matlin’s Crossing the Boundaries of Life. . . . there is a rich vein of information as well as ideas for entire historical projects to be mined in this book." * Metascience *"Matlin charts new terrain in the history of the life sciences. His book is original, relevant, and provides a wealth of new stories and conceptual problems for the history and philosophy of cell and molecular biology. This exciting piece of scholarship covers a crucial episode of these sciences which merits scholarly attention. Matlin moves the field a step forward." -- Mathias Grote, author of Membranes to Molecular MachinesTable of ContentsPreface Prologue. A Very Small Difference . . . Part I. The Cytologist’s Dilemma 1. The Living Substance 2. The Membrane Boundary 3. Breakthroughs Part II. From Cells to Molecules 4. The Endoplasmic Reticulum 5. The Signal Hypothesis 6. The Strange Case of the Signal Recognition Particle 7. Enemies, Real and Imagined 8. The Light at the End of the Tunnel Part III. Form Redux 9. Topogenesis and Spatial Information 10. In Vitro Veritas? 11. Form, Context, and the Epistemic Strategy of Cell Biology Epilogue. 1975 and All That A Note on Sources References

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Based solely on its originality, wealth of detail, and subject matter, Crossing the Boundaries of Life deserves to be on the must-read list of every historian of the twentieth-century life sciences.” * Journal of the History of Biology *"Based on personal contact and archival research, including an epilogue addressing contending epistemic debates (cellular context vs. molecular processes), this book provides an excellent account of how paradigm shifts actually occur in science. The text is readable for a general audience and provides a host of primary resources. . . . Highly recommended." * Choice *“Those who are willing to be guided through the rough and tumble of a long experimental research trajectory and its details will be richly rewarded in the end. To the reviewer's knowledge, this book is the first to provide a comprehensive overview of what it means to do cell biology at the molecular level, and to trace historically how it came to be done.” -- Hans-Jörg Rheinberger * Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (translated from German) *"This complexity of the cell, and equally—if not more so—the complexity of the history of the scientific study of the cell, is something that struck me most forcibly as I wended my way through the pages of Karl Matlin’s Crossing the Boundaries of Life. . . . there is a rich vein of information as well as ideas for entire historical projects to be mined in this book." * Metascience *"Matlin charts new terrain in the history of the life sciences. His book is original, relevant, and provides a wealth of new stories and conceptual problems for the history and philosophy of cell and molecular biology. This exciting piece of scholarship covers a crucial episode of these sciences which merits scholarly attention. Matlin moves the field a step forward." -- Mathias Grote, author of Membranes to Molecular MachinesTable of ContentsPreface Prologue. A Very Small Difference . . . Part I. The Cytologist’s Dilemma 1. The Living Substance 2. The Membrane Boundary 3. Breakthroughs Part II. From Cells to Molecules 4. The Endoplasmic Reticulum 5. The Signal Hypothesis 6. The Strange Case of the Signal Recognition Particle 7. Enemies, Real and Imagined 8. The Light at the End of the Tunnel Part III. Form Redux 9. Topogenesis and Spatial Information 10. In Vitro Veritas? 11. Form, Context, and the Epistemic Strategy of Cell Biology Epilogue. 1975 and All That A Note on Sources References

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Book Synopsis''A terrific book - essential reading for everyone seeking to make sense of Artificial Intelligence'' Professor Sir Adrian Smith, Director and Chief Executive of the Alan Turing InstituteIn this myth-busting guide to AI past and present, one of the world''s leading researchers shows why our fears for the future are misplaced.The ultimate dream of AI is to build machines that are like us: conscious and self-aware. While this remains a remote possibility, rapid progress in AI is already transforming our world. Yet the public debate is still largely centred on unlikely prospects, from sentient machines to dystopian robot takeovers.In this lively and clear-headed guide, Michael Wooldridge challenges the prevailing narrative, revealing how the hype distracts us from both the more immediate risks that this technology poses - from algorithmic bias to fake news - and the true life-changing potential of the field. The Road to Conscious Machines elucidates the discoveries of AI''s greatest pioneers from Alan Turing to Demis Hassabis, and what today''s researchers actually think and do.''Nobody understands the past, the present, the promise and the peril of this new technology better than Michael Wooldridge. The definitive account'' Matt Ridley, author of The Rational Optimist''Effortlessly readable. The perfect guide to the history and future of AI'' Tom Chivers, author of The AI Does Not Hate YouTrade ReviewA terrific book - essential reading for everyone seeking to make sense of Artificial Intelligence. Wooldridge provides a clear-sighted and entertaining account of both the technical development of AI and the social and ethical issues arising from its increasing deployment. -- Professor Sir Adrian Smith, Director and Chief Executive of The Alan Turing InstituteTakes us expertly by the hand through the labyrinth of Artificial Intelligence. A penetrating and lucid contribution to our digital understanding, which dispels many of the myths surrounding AI. Authoritative but accessible and highly readable. * Lord Clement-Jones CBE, Chair of the House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence 2017–2018 *Calm, informative and refreshingly free of hype, Wooldridge's effortlessly readable book is the perfect guide to the history and future of AI. -- Tom Chivers, science writer and author of 'The AI Does Not Hate You'In the long and often frustrating quest for artificial intelligence, something spectacular has happened in the past decade. Nobody understands the past, the present, the promise and the peril of this new technology better than Michael Wooldridge. He has written the definitive account of the new AI. -- Lord Matt Ridley, author of 'The Rational Optimist' and 'The Evolution of Everything'The buzz around AI has unearthed many questions and in The Road to Conscious Machines you get answers. -- Tabitha Goldstaub, co-founder of CognitionX and Chair of the UK Government's AI CouncilIn an age when AI is promoted as either the greatest threat or best hope for humanity, Wooldridge gives us a text that is accessible and authoritative. A balanced and informed view of the decades-long history of AI, its methods and techniques, achievements and shortfalls. -- Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Professorial Research Fellow in Computer Science and Principal of Jesus College, OxfordIn this diligent and reassuring explanation of the immense difficulty of recreating intelligence in a machine, Michael Wooldridge succeeds not only in writing an engaging history of AI, but in telling us about the fabulously complicated structures on which our own consciousness rests -- Will Dunn * New Statesman *

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Book SynopsisThe changing relationships between science and industry in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, illustrated by the career of the “father of plastics.”The Belgian-born American chemist, inventor, and entrepreneur Leo Baekeland (1863-1944) is best known for his invention of the first synthetic plastic—his near-namesake Bakelite—which had applications ranging from electrical insulators to Art Deco jewelry. Toward the end of his career, Baekeland was called the “father of plastics”—given credit for the establishment of a sector to which many other researchers, inventors, and firms inside and outside the United States had also made significant contributions. In Beyond Bakelite, Joris Mercelis examines Baekeland's career, using it as a lens through which to view the changing relationships between science and industry on both sides of the Atlantic in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He gives special att

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Book SynopsisA landmark cultural history that reveals how the relentless pursuit of innovation has transformed our society, our institutions, and our inner selves.For half a century, innovation served as a universal good in an age of fracture. That consensus is cracking. While the imperative to innovate for a better future continues to fuel systemic change around the world, critics now assail innovation culture as an engine of inequality or accuse its do-gooders of woke groupthink. What happened? Drawing on a decade of research, Every American an Innovator by Matthew Wisnioski investigates how a once obscure academic term became ingrained in our institutions, our education, and our beliefs about ourselves. Wisnioski argues that innovation culture did not spring from the digital revolution, nor can it be boiled down to heroic entrepreneurs or villainous capitalists. Instead, he reveals the central role of a new class of experts in spreading toolkits and mindsets from the cornfields of 1940s Iowa to Silicon Valley tech giants today. This group of engineers, philosophers, bureaucrats, and business leaders posited that ?innovators? were society?s most important change agents and remade the nation in their image. The innovation culture they built transcended partisan divisions and made strange bedfellows. Wisnioski shows how Kennedy-era policymakers inspired President Nixon?s dream of a Nobel Prize for innovators; how anti-military professors built the first university incubators for entrepreneurs; how radical feminists became millionaire consultants; how demands for a rust belt manufacturing renaissance inspired theories of a global creative class; how programs that encouraged girls and minority children to pursue innovative lives changed the nature of childhood play; and why the innovation consensus is now in dispute.

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Book SynopsisFor the curious and the creators, Ingenious Patents tells the fascinating history of the inventors and their creations that have changed our world.Discover some of the most innovative of the 6.5 million patents that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted since Thomas Jefferson issued the first one in 1790. Revised and reformatted from the original 2004 edition, Ingenious Patents presents each device along with background about the inventor, interesting sidebars and history, and an excerpt from the original patent application. Author Jay Bennet has also written 15 new entries, everything from iPhones to 3G wireless to CRISPR gene editing. Liberally sprinkled throughout are patent diagrams created by the inventors annotated to show exactly how each item works. Entries include creative commercial successes in fields as diverse as medicine, aeronautics, computing, agriculture, and consumer goods. Readers are certain to find a topic of interest here, whet

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Book SynopsisJames May's idiosyncratic look at the great inventions of our timeTrade Review'James May is the best thing ever to come out of Top Gear' * Radio Times *'Smart, sharply written' * Guardian *'The most loveable of the Top Gear presenting trio . . . there's a sharp and interesting mind under the corduroy. Fascinating.' * Nottingham Evening Post *

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Book SynopsisA riveting account of the unexpected relationship between nature and scientific design.

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Book SynopsisHow a scientific outsider came up with a revolutionary theory of light and saved untold numbers of lives.Trade Review"Levitt's detailed history is worth ploughing through to see how important scientists and engineers have been in saving sailors' lives." -- Nature"An excellent book and a joy to read." -- The Wall Street Journal"...this books is expertly researched as well as skillfully written...a thoroughly enjoyable read..." -- World Lighthouse Society"A splendid read." -- The Tablet

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Book SynopsisThe instant New York Times bestseller!A Wall Street Journal Best Science Book of the Year!A Popular Science Best Science Book of the Year! From a top scientist and the creator of the hugely popular web comic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, a hilariously illustrated investigation into future technologies -- from how to fling a ship into deep space on the cheap to 3D organ printing   What will the world of tomorrow be like? How does progress happen? And why do we not have a lunar colony already? What is the hold-up? In this smart and funny book, celebrated cartoonist Zach Weinersmith and noted researcher Dr. Kelly Weinersmith give us a snapshot of what's coming next -- from robot swarms to nuclear fusion powered-toasters. By weaving their own research, interviews with the scientists who are making these advances happen, and Zach's trademark comi

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Book SynopsisBased on a short course the author gives for the American Chemical Society, the book provides the necessary insights, strategies, and examples on how to write a patent so it is not rejected by the United States Patent and Trade Office (USPTO) or does not have invalid claims.Trade Review"With this book, the author has made a good attempt to present this information in an unfussy way and with an obvious relevance to a working chemist." (Chemistry World, 2012) Table of ContentsPREFACE xiv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xvii 1. BACKGROUND AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ABOUT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 1 Chapter Objective 1 Introduction 1 Book Strategy for Patents 6 A Brief History of Patenting 7 Intellectual Property: Is It Important or Not? 8 The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 9 Why Intellectual Property Protection Is Currently Important 13 Information Overload and Prior Art 15 China as an Emerging Intellectual Powerhouse 18 Patents as Sources of Technology 19 Patents in Force Worldwide 20 Chapter Summary 20 Additional Reading 20 Question 21 2. BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO VOCABULARY AND DEFINITIONS 22 Chapter Objective 22 Introduction 22 Short Story from Panama 23 Patent Terminology 24 Trade Secret Definition 30 Copyright 31 Trademark Definition 32 Chapter Summary 33 Additional Reading 33 Questions 34 3. YOUR FIRST DECISION: TRADE SECRET OR PATENT? 35 Chapter Objective 35 Introduction 35 Trade Secret 36 Patent 39 Comparison between a Trade Secret and a Patent 40 Chapter Summary 41 Additional Reading 41 Question 42 4. WHAT COMES FIRST: A PROVISIONAL OR NONPROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION? 43 Chapter Objective 43 Introduction 43 Provisional Patent Application 45 Nonprovisional Patent Application 48 Patent Application Comparison 49 Chapter Summary 50 Additional Reading 50 Question 50 5. REASONS FOR PATENT OFFICE REJECTIONS 51 Chapter Objective 51 Introduction 51 Patentable Invention and Its Usefulness 52 Novelty 53 Nonobviousness 54 Other Reasons for a Rejection 56 Chapter Summary 57 Additional Reading 57 Question 58 6. REASONS FOR INVALID PATENTS 59 Chapter Objective 59 Introduction 59 Experiments: Actual or by Insight 60 Prior Art Disclosure 60 Issued Patent Is Invalid 61 Inequitable Conduct 62 Other Considerations When Writing Your First Patent Application 62 Another Point of View 63 Chapter Summary 63 Additional Reading 64 Question 64 7. EXAMPLES OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS 65 Chapter Objective 65 Introduction 65 Key to Patenting Success 66 Why Understanding Patents Is Important 66 Typical Pathway for Patent Application within a Company 67 Claim 1 and 2 of U.S. Patent 5,247,190 68 Examination of U.S. Patent 5,872,289 71 Format for Patent with Federal Support 76 Examination of U.S. Patent 6,369,239 77 Examination of U.S. 20040010115A1 79 Examination of U.S. Patent 7,071,289 81 Examination of U.S. Patent 5,273,995 82 Examination of U.S. Patent 7,253,209 83 Comparing Claim Language with Written Description of Invention 85 Chapter Summary 87 Additional Reading 88 Questions 88 8. WRITING THE PATENT APPLICATION 89 Chapter Objective 89 Introduction 89 The Inventive Process 90 Summary of Our Understanding for Patents and Trade Secrets 92 Identifying a Problem to Be Solved 93 Methodology to Solve a Complex Problem 97 Possible Inventions from Our Everyday Reading 101 Patentability Requirements 102 Circumventing the Rules of Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution 103 Water Splitting via Ruthenium Complex 105 Detecting Mechanical Stress within a Polymer 108 Places to Find Future Problems 110 Controlling Molecular Size of Semiconductor Quantum Dots 111 Chapter Summary 113 Additional Reading 113 Question 114 9. AN EXAMINATION OF CLAIM FORMAT 115 Chapter Objective 115 Introduction 115 Interpretation of Claims 116 General Background about Claim Language 118 More Definition about Claims 119 Specific Claim Language 120 Chapter Summary 123 10. WHY YOU NEED CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENTS 124 Chapter Objective 124 Introduction 124 Confidentiality Agreements in General 125 Important Elements within a Confidentiality Agreement 125 Chapter Summary 127 Question 127 11. PRACTICAL INFORMATION ABOUT COPYRIGHTS AND TRADEMARKS 128 Chapter Objective 128 Introduction 128 Copyright 129 Copyright Interpretation 131 Adjunct Professor Appointments and the Copyright 133 Filing for a Copyright 136 Trademarks 137 Chapter Summary 139 Question 140 12. GLOBAL PATENT FILING AND PATENTING STRATEGY 141 Chapter Objective 141 Introduction 141 Developing a Patent Strategy 142 International Patent Filing 143 Filing Options 145 Chapter Summary 146 Questions 147 13. WHAT ACADEMIC SCIENCE FACULTY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PATENTS AND COPYRIGHTS 148 Chapter Objective 148 Introduction 148 Recent Background 149 What Should You Do after Having a Novel Concept? 150 Notebooks 151 Invention Disclosure 152 Confidentiality Agreements 153 Copyrights 153 Chapter Summary 154 Additional Reading 154 Questions 154 14. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RESOURCES 155 Chapter Objective 155 Introduction 155 Brief Summary of Selected Intellectual Property Books 156 Intellectual Property Courses 162 Worldwide Patent Offices 163 Emerging Technology Fields 163 Useful Organization 164 Chapter Summary 165 Additional Reading 165 15. BOOK SUMMARY AND ON YOUR OWN 166 Chapter Objective 166 Introduction 166 Pending Intellectual Property Developments 167 Summary of Previous Chapters 167 Responsibilities of the Inventor 168 Conclusions 169 Chapter Summary 170 Additional Reading 170 16. RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS AT END OF CHAPTERS 171 Chapter Objective 171 Chapter 1 171 Chapter 2 172 Chapter 3 173 Chapter 4 173 Chapter 5 174 Chapter 6 176 Chapter 7 177 Chapter 8 178 Chapter 10 178 Chapter 11 179 Chapter 12 179 Chapter 13 180 17. PATENT APPENDIX 181 Chapter Objective 181 Useful Information Besides the Invention 181 Chapter Summary 184 U.S. Patent 5,872,289 185 U.S. Patent 6,369,239 194 U.S. Published Patent Application 20040010115A1 198 U.S. Patent 7,071,289 with Certificate of Correction 207 U.S. Patent 5,273,995 219 U.S. Patent 7,253,209 229 INDEX 236

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Book SynopsisFull of tips, techniques, illustrative real-world examples, exhibits, and best practices, this second edition will help you stay up to date on the newest thinking, strategies, developments, and case law in intellectual property. It presents fundamentals of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets and other less-known forms of IP.Table of ContentsForeword to the Second Edition vii Foreword to the First Edition xi Preface xv Author’s Note xix Acknowledgments xxi About the Authors xxiii Introduction: Setting the Stage xxv 1 The Big Three: Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2 The Supporting Players: Other Types of IP—Trade Secrets and Know-How, Mask Works, and Noncompetition and Nondisclosure Agreements 34 3 Protecting the Fruits of Your Research and Development 47 4 Know What You Have (IP Audit) and What the Other Guy Has (Competitive Intelligence) 54 5 What is It Worth? Putting a Value on Intellectual Property 70 6 Make More Money by Sharing (Licensing) 83 7 Corporate Officers and Directors Beware: You Can Be Liable for Mismanaging Intellectual Property 92 8 Enforcing Your Rights 104 9 The Fundamental Things Apply, As Time Goes By: Intellectual Property in Cyberspace 167 10 The Patent Portfolio and Its Effect on Stock Price 180 11 How the Courts Have Changed the Patent Law 185 12 Patent Reform 209 Appendixes Appendix A: Trademark and Service Mark Application 223 Appendix B: Copyright Application 231 Appendix C: Confidentiality and Nondisclosure Agreement 239 Appendix D: Invention Assignment Form 242 Appendix E: Basic IP Audit Questionnaire 247 Appendix F: Patent Valuation 249 Appendix G: Invention Disclosure Form 270 Appendix H: License Agreements 272 Bibliography 286 Further Reading 287 Index 289

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Book SynopsisThis biography of Thomas Edison (1847-1931) studies and evaluates his career as an inventor and explores in detail how he created inventions that shaped the 20th century, including the electric light, photography, and over 1000 other items.Trade Review"Paul Israel, in this latest biography, has done a remarkable job. Not only has he given us fresh insights into a complex personality, but he has set this against the backdrop of a dramatically changing American society driven on remorselessly by the second Industrial Revolution in which Edison was a pivotal players." (Nature, 9th November 2000)Table of ContentsChildhood and Education. Itinerant Telegrapher. From Operator to Inventor. A Leading Electromechanician. Competing Interests. From Shop to Laboratory. New Directions. The Invention Factory. The Wizard of Menlo Park. Inventing a System. From Research to Development. Inventing an Industry. Family Matters. A New Laboratory. Inventing Entertainment. Industrial Research. Competition and Consolidation. Innovation and Enthusiasm. A Modern Legend. Fame in the Family. The Business of Innovation. Edison Incorporated. Inventor-Philosopher. Epilogue. Notes. Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the development of the English patent system and its relationship with technical change during the period between 1660 and 1800, when the patent system evolved from an instrument of royal patronage into one of commercial competition among the inventors and manufacturers of the Industrial Revolution.Table of ContentsList of tables and figures; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Notes on style; Introduction; 1. Patents 1550–1660: law, policy and controversy; 2. The later-Stuart patent grant - an instrument of policy?; 3. The development of the patent system, 1660–1800; 4. The judiciary and the enforcement of patent rights; 5. The decision to patent; 6. Invention outside the patent system; 7. Patents in a capitalist economy; 8. The long-term rise in patents; 9. The goals of invention; 10. Patents: criticisms and alternatives; 11. A new concept of invention; Notes; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisRobert Kanigel takes us into the heady world of a remarkable group of scientists working at the National Institutes of Health and the Johns Hopkins University: a dynasty of American researchers who for over forty years have made Nobel Prize- and Lasker Award-winning breakthroughs in biomedical science.Trade ReviewA beguiling combination of sociological and scientific scholarship, straight reporting and titillating voyeurism. Isis Making extensive use of interviews and anecdote, Kanigel depicts how, in a mentor-to-protege chain starting with James Shannon and moving to Bernard Brodie and then to Julius Axelrod, the legacy of creativity and empirical style has passed to Snyder and then to Pert. Science As compelling as a Jackie Collins novel, though with bigger words. Chicago TribuneTable of ContentsIntroduction1. Nobel Laureate2. A Wartime Urgency3. Steve Brodie, Methyl Orange, and the New Pharmacology4. Brodie and Axelrod: "Let's Take a Flier on It"5. Building 3: "All He Had to Do Was Whistle"6. Separate Ways7. Julie's Lab8. The Golden Era9. Johns Hopkins10. The Opiate Receptor: "Just Get Hysterical and Do It"11. The Lasker Flap12. The Mentor Chain13. 198514. Epilogue: 1993AcknowledgmentsIndex

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Book SynopsisSpanning more than 2000 years, Terry Reynolds's account follows the progression of this labor-saving device from Asia to the Middle East, Europe, and America-covering the evolution of the water wheel itself, the development of dams and reservoirs, and the applications of water power.Trade ReviewThe most comprehensive and definitive history of the water wheel ever published... Reynolds's study is documented by a staggering number of notes and a vast bibliography, and the text is supplemented by numerous excellent illustrations... An attractive and highly useful source of information. Choice This is an exceptional scholarly work-clearly written, fully documented, and informatively illustrated. Library Journal This lucid, technically precise, and comprehensive study of this key element in the evolution of Western society is a major scholarly contribution. It is also an extremely interesting and readable book that should appeal to anyone with an interest in energy, machinery, or innovation. Science

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Book SynopsisFar from being a record of southern failure, Lakwete concludes, the cotton gin-correctly understood-supplies evidence that the slave labor-based antebellum South innovated, industrialized, and modernized.Trade ReviewWith careful use of vivid illustrations and keen analytic skills, Lakwete captures the relationship between technology and human initiative. -- Lester P. Lee, Jr. Times Literary Supplement 2004 Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, which created the Old South and then destroyed it... Lakwete targets this myth in Inventing the Cotton Gin and largely demolishes it. -- John Bezis-Selfa Alabama Review 2005 This study provides students a clear example of how technological choices are not the storybook cases of perfected innovations replacing hopelessly outclassed traditional methods. -- William H. Phillips EH.Net 2004 For those seeking to understand how the interplay of market factors, cultural norms, and personal choices shape-and are shaped by-technology, Inventing the Cotton Gin is an excellent read. -- Don Butts History: Reviews of New Books 2004 Lakwete has written the first scholarly study of the cotton gin in antebellum America... Instead of viewing Eli Whitney's work as a historical watershed, she finds continuity. Choice 2004 Lakwete joins the pantheon of technological historians by demolishing a standard, widely accepted myth with the careful and persuasive analysis of a vast array of evidence... The book is a triumph. -- Barbara Hahn H-South, H-Net Reviews 2004 Few will dispute that this book will change how historians think about the rise of King Cotton and the nature of technological change. -- John Majewski Business History Review 2004 [Lakwete] captures the nuances that distinguish technological success from failure. -- John S. Nader Enterprise and Society 2004 Another myth relating to the South is relegated, shall we say-with apologies to Marx-to the (cotton) dustbin of history... A major work of scholarship. -- Peter A. Coclanis Technology and Culture 2004 Inventing the Cotton Gin is an education in economic and business history as much as a needed revisionist version of the cotton gin myth. -- Kim Long Bloomsbury Review 2004 Bold and path-breaking... Most forcefully, Lakwete impugns the notion that a machine bears the responsibility for the Civil War and its aftermath. -- Mark Finlay South Carolina Historical Magazine 2004 The best and most sophisticated treatment of the gin in the larger context of the antebellum cotton South we are likely to see... The dramatic, great-white man narrative of Eli Whitney yields to a richer, more complex story. -- David L. Carlton Georgia Historical Quarterly 2004 She has done an excellent job of weaving together an amazingly complex series of events in a straightforward and interesting manner. -- Twyla Dell Material Culture 2006 An important addition to the growing list of works on southern industrialization... As with other good history books, it challenges what we think we knew, and sends us searching for more clues. -- Shepherd W. McKinley H-Net Reviews 2007Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments1. Cotton and the Gin to 16002. The Roller Gin in the America, 1607-17903. The Invention of the Saw Gin, 1790-18104. The Transition from the Roller to the Saw Gin, 1796-18305. The Saw Gin Industry, 1830-18656. Saw Gin Innovation, 1820-18607. Old and New Roller Gins, 1820-18708. Machine and MythNotesEssay on SourcesIndex

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Book SynopsisFar from being a record of southern failure, Lakwete concludes, the cotton gin-correctly understood-supplies evidence that the slave labor-based antebellum South innovated, industrialized, and modernized.Trade ReviewWith careful use of vivid illustrations and keen analytic skills, Lakwete captures the relationship between technology and human initiative. -- Lester P. Lee, Jr. Times Literary Supplement 2004 Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, which created the Old South and then destroyed it... Lakwete targets this myth in Inventing the Cotton Gin and largely demolishes it. -- John Bezis-Selfa Alabama Review 2005 This study provides students a clear example of how technological choices are not the storybook cases of perfected innovations replacing hopelessly outclassed traditional methods. -- William H. Phillips EH.Net 2004 For those seeking to understand how the interplay of market factors, cultural norms, and personal choices shape-and are shaped by-technology, Inventing the Cotton Gin is an excellent read. -- Don Butts History: Reviews of New Books 2004 Lakwete has written the first scholarly study of the cotton gin in antebellum America... Instead of viewing Eli Whitney's work as a historical watershed, she finds continuity. Choice 2004 Lakwete joins the pantheon of technological historians by demolishing a standard, widely accepted myth with the careful and persuasive analysis of a vast array of evidence... The book is a triumph. -- Barbara Hahn H-South, H-Net Reviews 2004 Few will dispute that this book will change how historians think about the rise of King Cotton and the nature of technological change. -- John Majewski Business History Review 2004 [Lakwete] captures the nuances that distinguish technological success from failure. -- John S. Nader Enterprise and Society 2004 Another myth relating to the South is relegated, shall we say-with apologies to Marx-to the (cotton) dustbin of history... A major work of scholarship. -- Peter A. Coclanis Technology and Culture 2004 Inventing the Cotton Gin is an education in economic and business history as much as a needed revisionist version of the cotton gin myth. -- Kim Long Bloomsbury Review 2004 Bold and path-breaking... Most forcefully, Lakwete impugns the notion that a machine bears the responsibility for the Civil War and its aftermath. -- Mark Finlay South Carolina Historical Magazine 2004 The best and most sophisticated treatment of the gin in the larger context of the antebellum cotton South we are likely to see... The dramatic, great-white man narrative of Eli Whitney yields to a richer, more complex story. -- David L. Carlton Georgia Historical Quarterly 2004 She has done an excellent job of weaving together an amazingly complex series of events in a straightforward and interesting manner. -- Twyla Dell Material Culture 2006 An important addition to the growing list of works on southern industrialization... As with other good history books, it challenges what we think we knew, and sends us searching for more clues. -- Shepherd W. McKinley H-Net Reviews 2007Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments1. Cotton and the Gin to 16002. The Roller Gin in the America, 1607-17903. The Invention of the Saw Gin, 1790-18104. The Transition from the Roller to the Saw Gin, 1796-18305. The Saw Gin Industry, 1830-18656. Saw Gin Innovation, 1820-18607. Old and New Roller Gins, 1820-18708. Machine and MythNotesEssay on SourcesIndex

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Book SynopsisThe volume includes a glossary of terms, a timeline of important events, and a selected bibliography of useful resources for further information.Trade ReviewThe book is arguably the one technology that has made all others possible... What Howard does is provide an exceedingly accessible retelling of the book's life story, one that shows precisely how books represent a peak of technology, giving permanence and form to ideas and relevance and resonance to their readers. Libraries & the Cultural Record A very succinct history of the book that will be quite useful, in introductory book history courses as a survey text (or by any bibliophile who wants to know more.) philobiblos.blogspot.com 2009Table of ContentsIntroductionTimeline1. Ancestors: Books before Print2. Infancy: The Earliest Printed Books, 1450–15003. Youth: Books in the Sixteenth Century4. Adulthood: Early-Modern Books, 1600–18005. Maturity: Books in the Age of Automation, 1800–19006. The Future of Books: Twentieth Century and BeyondGlossaryBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisRevised and updated from the original 1986 edition, this definitive study of the most famous invention of America's most famous inventor is completely keyed to the printed and electronic versions of the Edison Papers, inviting the reader to explore further the remarkable original sources.Trade ReviewQuite readable... Friedel and Israel provide a good description of the process of inventing a functional, marketable incandescent light bulb as well as an electric power grid. Choice Any library strong in scientific inventions and the process of theories and exploration will find this a winning survey. Midwest Book Review 2011Table of ContentsPreface to the Johns Hopkins Edition1. "A Big Bonanza"2. "The Throes of Invention"The Search for a Vacuum3. "Some Difficult Requirements"Carbon and the Incandescent Lamp4. The Triumph of CarbonWho Invented the Incandescent Lamp?5. Business and ScienceThe Menlo Park Mystique6. A System Complete7. Promises FulfilledAfterwordA Note from the Authors with AcknowledgmentsNotesRecommended Additional ReadingIndex

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