James Watt [Paperback]

Andrew Carnegie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2001

Andrew Carnegie, a destitute immigrant who became the richest man of his time, helped create "the American mind" by personifying the rags-to-riches story that was the American ideal in the early twentieth century. In this fourth volume of the CREATORS OF THE AMERICAN MIND series, James T. Baker writes a compelling biography that explores how and why Andrew Carnegie continues to exert such a profound influence over the American mind. Like the other volumes in this series, this text includes selections from the subject's contemporaries, scholarly analyses of the subject's life and influence, and comparisons to modern individuals who embody the traits of the subject covered in the text.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Author

"When the publishers asked me to write the Life of Watt, I declined, stating that my thoughts were upon other matters. This settled the question, as I supposed, but in this I was mistaken. Why shouldn’t I write the Life of the maker of the steam-engine, out of which I had made a fortune? Besides I knew little of the history of the Steam Engine and of Watt himself, and the surest way to obtain knowledge was to comply with the publisher’s highly complimentary request. In short, the subject would not down, and finally, I was compelled to write again, telling them that the idea haunted me, and if they still desired me to undertake it, I should do so with my heart in the task. "I now know about the steam-engine, and have also had revealed to me one of the finest characters that ever graced the earth. For all this I am deeply grateful to the publishers. "I am indebted to friends, Messrs. Angus Sinclair and Edward R. Cooper, for editing my notes upon Scientific and Mechanical points. "The result is this volume. If the public, in reading, have one tithe of the pleasure I have had in writing it, I shall be amply rewarded."

Andrew Carnegie

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Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: University Press of the Pacific (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898755786
• ISBN-13: 978-0898755787
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,019,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring Scots, January 14, 2004

By 

Donald B. Siano (Westfield, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: James Watt (Paperback)

Andrew Carnegie was one of the major figures in American history, who made his fortune in steel (giving most of it away for libraries) and wrote this biography three years before he died in 1919. Watt invented the improved steam engine that revolutionized the world. I can't think of any other biography written by such a great man, about such a great man, possibly excepting the Gospel of Mark.

Carnegie's description of Watt's life is reverent almost to the point of unseemly hero-worship, but is laced with some most interesting insights into his own psyche and personal history. Watt, according to this account, was a giant to his contemporaries, not only for his technological accomplishments, but also because of his sweet and loyal disposition. I'm sure that Carnegie saw parallels there too. Although the language that Carnegie uses can seem archaic at times, the book is quite enjoyable: inspiring, even.

His description of Watt's inventions and the technical insights required to achieve them are lucidly explained in the book, and it is clear that Carnegie was no mere business tycoon. Even his explanation of latent heat is clear and insightful, and a delight to read. When he describes the business relationship between Watt and his partner Boulton, one learns something about the goodness in them both, unqualified and complete.