or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
More Buying Choices
54 used & new from $1.99

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Inventing Modern America: From the Microwave to the Mouse
 
See larger image
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

Inventing Modern America: From the Microwave to the Mouse (Paperback)

~ (Author), James Burke (Introduction), Lester C. Thurow (Foreword)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

List Price: $23.00
Price: $17.94 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $5.06 (22%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 5 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Thursday, November 12? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
33 new from $1.99 20 used from $2.05 1 collectible from $28.94

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Library Binding $31.00 $31.00 --
  Paperback $17.94 $1.99 $2.05

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with The Sand-Reckoner (Tom Doherty Associates Books) by Gillian Bradshaw

Inventing Modern America: From the Microwave to the Mouse + The Sand-Reckoner (Tom Doherty Associates Books)
  • This item: Inventing Modern America: From the Microwave to the Mouse by David E. Brown

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Sand-Reckoner (Tom Doherty Associates Books) by Gillian Bradshaw

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Dinner at the New Gene Cafe: How Genetic Engineering Is Changing What We Eat, How We Live, and the Global Politics of Food

Dinner at the New Gene Cafe: How Genetic Engineering Is Changing What We Eat, How We Live, and the Global Politics of Food

by Bill Lambrecht
4.8 out of 5 stars (4)  $11.53
Great Projects : The Epic Story of the Building of America, from the Taming of the Mississippi to the Invention of the Internet

Great Projects : The Epic Story of the Building of America, from the Taming of the Mississippi to the Invention of the Internet

by James E. Tobin
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  $30.40
Eureka!: Scientific Breakthroughs that Changed the World

Eureka!: Scientific Breakthroughs that Changed the World

by Leslie Alan Horvitz
3.2 out of 5 stars (6)  $21.45
In Code: A Mathematical Journey

In Code: A Mathematical Journey

by Sarah Flannery
4.7 out of 5 stars (32)  $11.16
El Nino: Unlocking the Secrets of the Master Weather-Maker

El Nino: Unlocking the Secrets of the Master Weather-Maker

by J. Madeleine Nash
3.8 out of 5 stars (5)  $19.99
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ole Evinrude, designer of the outboard boat motor; Stephanie Kwolek, creator of Kevlar; and Henry Ford, architect of the moving assembly line are just a few of the American inventors profiled in Inventing Modern America: From the Microwave to the Mouse by freelance writer and editor David E. Brown. Along with contributors Lester C. Thurow and James Burke, Brown simplifies technical data and uses an enthusiastic, almost proselytizing tone: "We can all be inventors, just like the ones in this book. They show us the way." These words may restrict the primary audience for this volume to those under legal voting age, but full color photographs, diagrams and intriguing tidbits like how a "tiny mistake led to the invention of the modern pacemaker" make this a good book for most to browse.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


From Booklist

Brown introduces 35 practitioners of American ingenuity in this peppy survey, neatly profiling inventors in the fields of medicine, consumer products, transportation, energy, computing, and telecommunications. Shared traits include a preternatural attention to detail, a gift for following up on "serendipitous flashes," gumption, and the ability to withstand ridicule and ruthless competition, the latter acknowledged in Raymond Damadian's name for the first MRI machine: Indomitable. Another example of the truth Brown reveals--that behind every invention, there's a story of inspiration, hard work, and luck--is found in the profile of Garrett Morgan. The son of former slaves, he confronted racism to bring his inventions to fruition, a prototype for the gas mask and the first traffic signal. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 221 pages
  • Publisher: The MIT Press (April 1, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0262523493
  • ISBN-13: 978-0262523493
  • Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #726,155 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

More About the Author

David E. Brown
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's David E. Brown Page

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Inventing Modern America: From the Microwave to the Mouse
97% buy the item featured on this page:
Inventing Modern America: From the Microwave to the Mouse 4.7 out of 5 stars (3)
$17.94
The Sand-Reckoner (Tom Doherty Associates Books)
1% buy
The Sand-Reckoner (Tom Doherty Associates Books) 4.6 out of 5 stars (22)
$13.25
In Code: A Mathematical Journey
1% buy
In Code: A Mathematical Journey 4.7 out of 5 stars (32)
$11.16

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Way To Inspire Young Inventors!, February 26, 2003
By Mike Ramey (Indianapolis, Indiana) - See all my reviews
If your child is heading off to higher education, or is just looking for a book that has some great information for a middle to high school book report, a parent can't go wrong with the book "Inventing Modern America: From The Microwave To The Mouse" by David E. Brown (2002, MIT Press, 209 Pages).

One of the features that grab the reader right off the bat is the fact that the book centers upon modern innovations, such as that friendly little gadget that makes home computer use such a joy--otherwise known as a `mouse'. Another great inclusion is the contributions of Black inventors, such as Dr. George Washington Carver and Garrett Morgan. No, we are not talking about just a `paragraph or two', we are talking about royal treatment of each of the inventors contained within its covers--including glimpses at other inventions by featured inventors.

Of course, to a real info-junkie, the book is too short. However, it does provide a lot of inspiration to those who have the talent and the drive to invent. It is an encouraging work, as it talks not only about the successes of each inventor and innovator, the book is full of diagrams, photos, and pictures of many other inventions by those selected for discussion.

If you are looking for a book to encourage and uplift your future inventor, you can't go wrong with presenting a copy of this work to your son or daughter--or even as a gift for yourself, if you have that hidden desire to want to create a better mousetrap; or even improving upon something that already exists. It is a reference book that will keep on giving, and inspiring long after its purchase. I highly recommend it.

Mike Ramey

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book i ever read!!!!!!!!!!!!!, December 2, 2001
By A Customer
this was such a cool book. i mean, i never really thought about the beginnings of these famous things before, but now this book got me thing. 3 thumbs up!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book ever!, December 2, 2001
By A Customer
this was the best book i have ever read in my entire life! it really made me think about were all this stuff we use in our everyday life comes from. 3, no 4 thumbs up!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   



So You'd Like to...


Create a guide

Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.