Horribly Famous: Inventors and their Bright Ideas

You’ve probably heard of a few inventors and their bright ideas…

  • Alexander Graham Bell and his telephone
  • George Stevenson and his Rocket (which was really a train)
  • John Logie Baird and his television.

But did you know that…

  • Bell didn’t invent the phone, but he did make a weird machine out of hay and a human ear
  • Stevenson didn’t invent the train, but he did spend a lot of time collecting gas in bladders
  • Baird’s telly was useless, and so were his thermostatic socks?

Yes, even though they’re dead, inventors are still full of surprises – and you can meet ten of history’s barmiest bright sparks in here. Get the inside story from their long-lost notebooks, read the newspapers as their groundbreaking inventions hit the headlines, and discover the stories behind some of the greatest ideas in the world!

Recent reviews

  • its a good book

    6 March 2013

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Authors

  • Dr Mike Goldsmith

    Dr Mike Goldsmith is a qualified astro-physicist, working at the National Physical Laboratory. His book on Einstein in the Dead Famous series was shortlisted for the 2002 Aventis junior prize for science writing and he has written Scientists and Inventors in the same series.

  • Awards

    Winner of the Stockport Schools Book Award for Fintan Fedora.

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