They laughed at Galileo
Subtitle: how the great inventors proved their critics wrong
By: Albert Jack
Published: 2015
Language: eng
Number of pages: 251
ISBN-13: 9781629147581
Subjects: Inventors; Biography; Anecdotes
Description: A humorous and reflective look at one thousand years of the development of humankind-- those who dreamed, those who taught, those who opposed, and those who, ultimately, did. Each and every one of our inventions and discoveries was first envisioned and then developed by a single person, or a handful of people, who dreamed of the seemingly impossible. Each of these inventions has had a profound effect on the course of human history, and each one was rejected, resisted, and ridiculed in its day. Ultimately, the innovators who brought these into existence provided invaluable contributions to science and the culture of humankind.
Notes: "A Herman Graf book."

"First published in 2015 in the UK by Constable, an imprint of Constable & Robinson Ltd"--Title-page verso.
Table of contents: title: Science and technology. The radio ; The telescope, and why they laughed at Galileo ; Air conditioning : the King of Cool ; The robotic arm ; The X-ray is a hoax ; The telephone is a meaningless toy ; Computers : who needs them? ; The jet engine ; Satellite communications ; Microwave ovens ; The fireman's safety hood ; The parachute ; Ancient inventions we still use everyday ; Archimedes (287-212 BC) ; Hoisted by their own petard : inventors killed by their creations; title: Food. The potato ; Worcestershire sauce : who were Mr Lea and Mr Perrins? ; Who is on the menu? (Culinary inventions); title: Popular culture. The hula hoop ; The record executive who might have kicked himself to death ; That's a terrible idea for a book ; More authors who suffered brutal rejections ; Superstars who were told not to give up their day jobs ; Monopoly ; The Pet Rock ; Billy Bob's teeth ; The Grand Canyon ; The yo-yo ; Blockbuster films initially rejected as terrible ideas; title: Glorious failures. Thomas Edison ; Sigmund Freud ; Winston Churchill ; Abraham Lincoln ; Socrates ; Henry Ford ; Walt Disney ; Frederick W. Smith ; Frank Winfield Woolworth; title: Business and industry. Crude oil ; Clinton's ditch ; Unzipped : the true story of the zipper ; The bra ; It was a close shave ; Kitty litter ; Ballpoint pen? What's that, then? ; The railway networks ; The horseless carriage ; Velcro ; E-commerce : the world at your fingertips ; The Post-it Note : the accidental billion-dollar invention ; Vulcanized rubber : Charles Goodyear ; Black & Decker Workmate : "You will sell about a dozen of these" ; The barcode ; The tin can ; Going underground : You want to run steam trains where?; title: Accidental inventions. Saccharin ; Popsicles ; Viagra ; Coca-Cola ; The hamburger : from a German snack to American icon ; Safety glass ; Penicillin; title: Suppressed inventions : true or urban legend? The rifle beam ; The light bulb ; Cold fusion ; The Chronovisor ; Wardenclyffe Tower ; The Cloudbuster ; The anti-gravity device ; The EV1 ; The water fuel cell ; The implosion generator ; Project XA; title: Ridiculous inventions you wish you had invented. Spanx ; The snuggie ; The plastic wishbone ; The HeadOn ; Billy Big Mouth Bass ; The Beanie Baby ; Tamagochi ; iFart ; Yellow smiley faces ; The Wacky Wall Walker ; The Slinky ; The million-dollar homepage; title: Eponymous inventions. Maxim gun ; The leotard ; The Jacuzzi ; The guillotine ; The Davy lamp ; Shrapnel : maximum damage ; The diesel engine.