Inventors at Work: The Minds and Motivation Behind Modern Inventions





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Inventors at Work: The Minds and Motivation Behind Modern Inventions [Paperback]
Brett Stern (Author)
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Book Description
Publication Date: October 17, 2012 | Series: At Work

Inventors at Work: The Minds and Motivation Behind Modern Inventions is a collection of interviews with inventors of famous products, innovations, and technologies that have made life easier or even changed the way we live. All of these scientists, engineers, wild-eyed geniuses, and amateur technologists have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of that singular Eureka! moment in their laboratories or garages. Each has altered the modern world as we know it in some significant way.

The conversations will show budding tinkerers, professional inventors, educators, and onlookers how the top minds in the field come up with ideas and manage the first steps of inspiration, how they experiment productively, how they “sell” ideas to others and secure funding, how they execute the final product, and how they commercialize and protect their work. All inventors will learn from these conversations, whether they are exploring new chemical compounds in million-dollar labs or perfecting a household gadget or toy in a basement workshop.

Author Brett Stern, an inventor himself, explores with each inventor the nature of creativity and intuition, the skill set needed, and the force, motivation, or desire that must be summoned to spend endless hours searching for an answer to a question that no one else has asked or solving a problem most think has no solution. The book is required reading for all technical and creative individuals to better understand the innovation process and the logistics of following through on an idea that has the potential to change society. This book offers:

Interviews with inventors of world-changing products and technologies
An outline of the steps required in the creative/inventing process whether the goal is a civilization-changing process or a device meant to impress friends and family and perhaps earn license fees.
An instructive overview of how to solve problems in innovation—and how to use failures as stepping stones to successful inventions

What you’ll learn

Problem-solving techniques for the inventive mind
Sources of inspiration/motivation for innovation
The nature of creativity and the role of serendipity
Tools for ideation, including 2D sketching and 3D modeling
Using failure as pathway to success
Benefits of documenting all ideas
The commercialization process for inventions
Using intellectual property law to protect ideas

Who this book is for

Inventors at Work is a book for the professional scientist/engineer/inventor, the aspiring inventor/entrepreneur, product developers/innovators, and the backyard mechanic/maker. The book offers insights into the process of inventing, and the motivation and drive required for creating something novel. It will present a narrative of the inventing process and examples of how brilliant minds work, and how they often fail and sometimes succeed. The book is a blueprint for all of us who dream of creating the next new thing.

Table of Contents

1. Gene Frantz: DSP chips
2. Eric Fossum: Image sensors
3. Robert Dennard: Computer memory
4. Ron Popeil: Housewares
5. Gary Michelson: Spinal implants
6. Al Maurice: Polymers
7. Helen Greiner: Robotics
8. Glen Merfled: Batteries
9. Steve Gass: Table saws
10. Karen Swider-Lyons: Fuel cells
11. Don Keck: Fiber optics
12. Bob Loce: Imaging systems
13. Lonnie Johnson: Energy systems
14. Tim Leatherman: Folding hand tools
15. Reyn Guyer: Toys
16. Bernhard van Lengerich: Food manufacturing
17. Curt Croley, Graham Marshall, Shane MacGregor: Mobile devices
18. Matthew Scholz: Healthcare products
19. Daria Mochly-Rosen: Drugs
20. Martin Keen: Footwear
21. Kevin Deppermann: Seed genomes
22. John Calvert, Elizabeth Dougherty: USPTO
23. Steve Wozniak: Personal computers