About this item
Highlights
- In a story that is both of its time and timeless, Evan I. Schwartz tells a tale of genius versus greed, innocence versus deceit, and independent brilliance versus corporate arrogance.
- Author(s): Evan I Schwartz
- 352 Pages
- Biography + Autobiography, Science + Technology
Description
Book Synopsis
In a story that is both of its time and timeless, Evan I. Schwartz tells a tale of genius versus greed, innocence versus deceit, and independent brilliance versus corporate arrogance. Many men have laid claim to the title "father of television," but Philo T. Farnsworth is the true genius behind what may be the most influential invention of our time.
Driven by his obsession to demonstrate his idea, by the age of twenty Farnsworth was operating his own laboratory above a garage in San Francisco and filing for patents. The resulting publicity caught the attention of RCA tycoon David Sarnoff, who became determined to control television in the same way he monopolized radio.
Based on original research, including interviews with Farnsworth family members, The Last Lone Inventor is the story of the epic struggle between two equally passionate adversaries whose clash symbolized a turning point in the culture of creativity.
Review Quotes
"...Fascinating... A riveting American classic of independent brilliance versus corporate arrogance. I found it more fun than fiction." -- James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers
"... The fascinating inside story of how this eccentric loner invented television and fought corporate America." -- Walter Isaacson, chariman, CNN
"...Compelling...Strong, dramatic prose..." -- Kirkus Reviews
"...A lively and engaging account." -- Library Journal
"[A] gripping and eminently readable saga of the birth of television and the death of the Edisonian myth." -- Darwin magazine