Includes bibliographical references (pages 247-251) and index.

Introduction -- The bird men -- Seeing with electricity -- Written in the sand -- Homebrewed -- Hard cell -- Afterword: The nature of invention.

While the discoveries of scientists have provided vital knowledge which has made innovation possible, it is more often than not the amateur who enjoys the "eureka moment" when an invention works for the first time. Weightman tells fascinating stories of struggle, rivalry, and the ingenuity of both famous inventors and hundreds of forgotten people, and offers a fresh take on the making of our modern world.

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