Imagination and a Pile of Junk: A Droll History of Inventors and Inventions...

Hodder & Stoughton

'In his whistle-stop tour of inventions large and small, the scientist Trevor Norton shares the Gershwins' view that invention is fundamentally comic.' The Sunday Times\nTrevor Norton, who has been compared to Gerard Durrell and Bill Bryson, weaves an entertaining history with a seductive mix of eureka moments, disasters and dirty tricks. \nAlthough inventors were often scientists or engineers, many were not: Samuel Morse (Morse code) was a painter, Lazlow Biro (ballpoint) was a sculptor and hypnotist, and Logie Baird (TV) sold boot polish. The inventor of the automatic telephone switchboard was an undertaker who believed the operator was diverting his calls to rival morticians so he decided to make all telephone operators redundant. \nInventors are mavericks indifferent to conventional\n\nImagination and a Pile of Junk\nA Droll History of Inventors and Inventions\nFree UK delivery on this item.\n\nThis brand new item is available with free UK delivery using Royal Mail tracked servic;