The Greatest Science Stories Never Told: 100 tales of invention and discovery to astonish, bewilder, and stupefy [Hardcover]

Rick Beyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 2009

100 tales of invention and discovery to astonish, bewilder, & stupefy

• Meet the angry undertaker who gave us the push-button phone.
• Discover how modesty led to the invention of the stethoscope.
• Find out why Albert Einstein patented a refrigerator.
• Learn how a train full of trumpeters made science history.

Did you know about:

• The frustrated fashion designer who created the space suit?
• The gun-toting newspaperman who invented the parking meter?
• The midnight dreams that led to a Nobel Prize?

They're so good, you can't read just one!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"True stories about scientists show that the path to innovation is rarely straight-forward."

--Science News

"Here we learn who and how Band-Aids were first made, ditto ear muffs. Goodyear filled a notebook full of ideas for things to do with rubber. Except make tires. And so on through 100 wonderful stories." --AMT Events --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Rick Beyer is the author of the popular Greatest Stories Never Told book series, and an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work has been seen on The History Channel, A&E, and National Geographic Channel. He is also an accomplished speaker who inspires and entertains audiences around the country. He lives with his wife in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Harper (November 3, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061626961
• ISBN-13: 978-0061626968
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #301,159 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a documentary filmmaker, an author, and a lifelong history enthusiast.

My first book, "The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder and Stupefy" was published in 2003. It was inspired by a series of history minutes I produced for The History Channel entitled "Timelab 2000." Little did I know that it was the beginning of a popular series of books, the fourth of which is coming out in November: "The Greatest Science Stories Never Told."

I am what people would call a history buff, although I hate b-word. I like to say I am a lifelong student of history, I have been interested in it as long as I can remember--probably thanks to my dad, who is also a long time history enthusiast. When I was a boy my parents bought me a set of those Time-Lie history books loaded with heroic color illustrations. They captured my imagination and never let go. I've been inundating long-suffering family and friends with tales from history ever since. But it took quite a while before I found a way to work history storytelling into my job description.

I have been making history films and videos for about a decade. I have done work for The History Channel, National Geographic, and the Smithsonian Institution, among others, making films on everything from the Emancipation Proclamation to the Wright Brothers.

A current project close to my heart is a documentary entitled "The Ghost Army." It is a World War II story of deception, showmanship, art and ingenuity kept secret for nearly 50 years. You can find out more about it at www.ghostarmy.org .

Other things I've done in my life:

oInterview Jimmy Carter
oClimb Mt. Wahington 4 times
oGet called stupid by David Brinkley
oGraduate from Dartmouth College
oBe consoled by Mary Tyler Moore
oSki race in Norway
oGet married during a lightning storm

I currently live in Lexington, MA, with my wife (see above.) We have two children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unconventional Wisdom, November 17, 2009

By 

Harry Forsdick (Lexington, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Greatest Science Stories Never Told: 100 tales of invention and discovery to astonish, bewilder, and stupefy (Hardcover)

The English naturalist John Ray said "Nothing was invented and developed at the same time". As a result, for every invention, there are many back stories that fuel Rick Beyer's latest book about science and invention, a welcome addition to his "Greatest Stories Never Told" series. Think the Ferris Wheel refers to the material used to build it? Wrong. Think coin operated vending machines are a product of the 20th century? Wrong again. Beyer answers these questions and many more in a delightful, easy to read set of 100 stories.

Beyer's whit and wimsy is present throughout, making this tour through 2200 years informative, entertaining and engrossing. More than once, as I finished one of the two page articles, I said, "I'll read just one more...".

Who would like this book? Certainly people of all ages interested in science, engineering and invention. "Greatest Science Stories Never Told" also makes a great gift for a teenager who will be fascinated by the off-beat tales that frequently break with legendary accounts. The stories are organized by time, each including an accessible description of the invention or scientific principle, excellent historical illustrations and further back stories about related inventions or scientific developments.

Are these the standard stories about science and invention? No way. Rather you will read unconventional accounts about the frustrations, failures, insights and victories of scientists, engineers and inventors.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun, weird and impossible to put down, November 20, 2009

By 

B. Moran - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Greatest Science Stories Never Told: 100 tales of invention and discovery to astonish, bewilder, and stupefy (Hardcover)

Ever wonder what happened to Einstein's eyeballs? OK, maybe not, but I'll bet you're curious now, aren't you? Beyer's book is full of fun and weird stories about the first computer bug (yes, there was an actual bug), the inventors of Kitty Litter and the Erector Set, and yes, the fate of Einstein's brain and eyeballs. Who knew that the first computer mouse was made with a roller ball from Ban deodorant? Not me, which is why I found this book impossible to put down. Reading it was like eating a box of candy - I kept saying, "OK just one more," until it was done. This book is the perfect gift for the science, technology and invention buffs on your list. Kudos to Beyer for a job well done.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just one more ..., December 2, 2009

By 

Robert C. Ross (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Greatest Science Stories Never Told: 100 tales of invention and discovery to astonish, bewilder, and stupefy (Hardcover)

For anyone interested in science, this is a great book to dip into and read a section ... or two ... or three ....

Beyer knows how to dish up interesting and sometimes controversial facts, and he adds resources to help you learn more about each of his subjects.

To whet your appetite, here's one example:

On October 29th, 1969 programmers at UCLA prepared to log onto a computer at Stanford. (The two universities were the first nodes on ARPANET, which eventually morphed into the internet.) Len Kleinrock re-enacted the moment for Beyer. They stood next to the IMP (Internet Message Processor), the first computer on the Internet, and Kleinrock recalled what happened:

"Charlie Klein with a headset and a microphone, connected over this network, with a voice line to the fellow at the other end. Charlie typed the L, said, 'Did you get the L?' The other guy said, 'I got the L.' He typed the o. 'Did you get the o?' 'I got the o.' He typed in the g. Crash. So the first message on the Internet was lo . . . as in 'Lo and Behold.'"

Beyer maintains quite an interesting website, and is working on a documentary called "The Ghost Army" about "one of the most unusual American military units of World War II. Its mission: to put on a "travelling road show" ... in a series of battles across Europe. From Normandy to the Rhine, the men of the 23rd used inflatable rubber tanks, sound trucks, phony radio transmissions and even playacting to fool the enemy about the strength and location of American units across the battlefields of Europe."

This is the fourth book Beyer has written along these lines:

The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy,

The Greatest War Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from Military History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy (History Channel), and

The Greatest Presidential Stories Never Told: 100 Tales from History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy.

You may not agree with all of Beyer's conclusions, of course; he claims that Alexander Bell did not invent the telephone, a historical issue that has been hotly debated for a number of years, but it is great fun to get his take on a great variety of historical issues.

Robert C. Ross 2009