Wood scrutinizes the less typically American traits possessed by Franklin--such as his longtime loyalty to the Crown--and why he still became one of the Revolution's necessary men.

Lightning strikes examines Nikola Tesla's unusual life and mind, along with his many visions and innovations, which have helped shape our past, our present, and our future. It also explores why the government hoped to shut down his bold experiments and how his groundbreaking ideas and inventions are being implemented in the global technologies of clean power, robotics, and wireless transmission of power and information. But most of all, Lightning...

Edison presents, in intimate detail, the man who helped engineer the modern world. One of history's most prolific inventors and perhaps America's first celebrity, Thomas Alva Edison did more than bring incandescent light into every household and industry; he created a world-renowned brand, raised capital to support research and business and pursued patents for his 1,000+ inventions. Leonard DeGraaf, archivist for the Thomas Edison National Historical...

Once upon a time, computers looked like big, alien vending machines. They had large screens, cryptic switches, huge boxes, and odd lights. But in 1975, a young engineering wizard named Steve Wozniak had an idea: What if you combined computer circuitry with a regular typewriter keyboard and a video screen? The result was the first true personal computer, the Apple I. Widely affordable and easily understood, Wozniak's invention has been rapidly transforming...

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), credited as the inspiration for radio, robots, and even radar, has been called the patron saint of modern electricity. Based on original material and previously unavailable documents, Wizard is the definitive biography of the man considered by many to be the founding father of modern electrical technology. Wizard reveals the details of Tesla's struggles with competing contemporary inventors such as Edison, Steinmetz, and...

"A sweeping, definitive biography of Samuel Colt--the inventor of the legendary Colt revolver (a.k.a. six-shooter)--which changed the US forever, triggering the industrial revolution and the settlement of the American West. Patented in 1836, the Colt pistol with its revolving cylinder was the first practical firearm that could shoot more than one bullet without reloading. For many reasons, Colt's gun had a profound effect on American history. Its...