Customer Reviews

Copies in Seconds: How a Lone Inventor and an Unknown Company Created the Biggest Communication Breakthrough Since Gutenberg--Chester Carlson and the Birth of Xerox

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This book gives an excellent account of the processes and hurdles needed to bring a complex product to the marketplace. It will be especially enjoyable for anyone who was involved in the copying/duplicating business during the 60's and 70's.
The author mentions many of the early companies -- and many of the current companies -- that are significant "players" in this business. Also, many of the key inventors who are known only as "publication or patent names" are given life by the author. The reader can get behing the scenes and see the victories, struggles, and tensions facing the researchers and their companies.
This book is a good read -- difficult to put down -- especially for those in corporate research and development.

I was fascinated by this book! The subject matter is intriguing on its own, and it's been beautifully enhanced by the presentation. Author knew exactly how to tell the story for best effect--when to give a history lesson, when to introduce characters, and just how much of each was appropriate. Also explained the complicated science behind xerography (the generic term for what a Xerox machine does) in a way a layman can understand. Extremely well done. I'm glad I happened across this book!

I have followed the story of Chester Carlson and the invention of the Xerox through the years. However, this has got to be the very best and obviously well researched rendition. Excellent story, and very readable.

The idea behind the xerography applies what Hertz and Einstein discovered and studied: the photoelectric effect.

The book is well written and has the right mix of technology,trivia and history to keep the reader interested and absorbed.