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| Thomas A. Edison |
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| Thomas A. Edison |
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| Thomas A. Edison |
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| Thomas A. Edison |
At 303 North Mountain Avenue in Montclair, New Jersey, there stands a very solid relic to Thomas Edison’s past -- a poured concrete house that was a prototype for what Edison hoped to be the future of urban and suburban development.
One of only a handful of Edison’s original concrete houses in existence today, 303 North Mountain stands gloriously modern in its concrete design, but is in fact one of Montclair’s antique homes. Thomas Brennan, an actor and director, boasts it as his own and describes it like a piece of art, rather than a structure.
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| Thomas A. Edison |
Speaking of reading the backlog, I’m now reading a compelling bio of Thomas A. Edison, a 2017 Christmas gift.
This is a nifty format indeed — filled with great graphics — it's somewhere between the classic “young adult” reader’s biography of yore and a graphic novel of today. It’s a whole lot of fun to read. Bonus — it has old comic book pages reproduced and vintage editorial cartoons by R. F. Outcault.
By David J Kenton
This book is designed to appeal to a wide range of readers who want to learn things about Edison not told in other biographies. Packed with colorful and rare illustrations, “Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World” is visually stunning and the writing is light and easy.
Beginning with his upbringing in Milan, Ohio, and Port Huron, Michigan, the book explores how the insatiable curiosity of "Little Al" made his father wonder if he was a bit dimwitted and led his first teacher to call him "addled." Self-teaching through experiment and reading, young Edison quickly shows his inventiveness and business acumen, leaving his doubters well behind at an early age.
Chapters examine his teen years while the Civil War raged, his early improvements to telegraphs, and his contributions to the art of invention. Edison, now called "Tom," rises to celebrity status with the telephone and telegraph, explores the world in his efforts to build a better light bulb, and fights the intriguing War of the Currents against rivals Westinghouse and Tesla. Along the way he acquires two wives, six children, and friendships with some of the greatest names in business history.
Not slowing down as he aged, Edison becomes a movie mogul, an iron ore magnate, builds houses out of concrete, becomes a botanical rubber expert, writes notes for a science fiction novel, and accomplishes much, much more before passing away in his sleep at the ripe old age of 84.
“Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World” tells the story of a man who has left a legacy that few can hope to equal. He was a great deal more than people know, perhaps in both good and bad ways. All are laid out in easy to read language and with spectacular photos, cartoons, and drawings in a format that blends the best of vivid writing with a graphical novel feel.
I am the author of this book. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. See also my earlier book, “Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity.”
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| Thomas A. Edison |
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| Thomas A. Edison |
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| Thomas A. Edison |
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| Thomas A. Edison |
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| Thomas A. Edison |
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