Full of the true-life stories of scientists and innovators who have shaped our society and how we see the world around us, this book puts major scientific discoveries into context. Readers learn who inspired whom, and which discoveries laid the groundwork for more amazing innovation.

"Scott wasn't sure what he wanted to be when he grew up. He struggled in school and often got in trouble with his twin brother, Mark. Then one day Scott discovered a book about test pilots and astronauts that set him on a new path. His new focus led him to fly higher and higher, becoming first a pilot and then an astronaut, along with his brother--the first twin astronauts in history. But his greatest accomplishment of all was commanding the International...

"Following his blockbuster biography of Steve Jobs, The Innovators is Walter Isaacson's revealing story of the people who created the computer and the Internet. It is destined to be the standard history of the digital revolution and an indispensable guide to how innovation really happens. What were the talents that allowed certain inventors and entrepreneurs to turn their visionary ideas into disruptive realities? What led to their creative leaps?...

Chronicles the life and achievements of the NASA engineer and inventor, from his childhood to his accidental invention of the Super Soaker water gun.

"This is the compelling, suspenseful, down-to-earth story of a killer that has been stalking and doing away with people for thousands of years: Tuberculosis. For centuries TB in many forms was treated with everything from poultices and potions to the king's touch. The microorganism that causes the disease was eventually identified, more effective treatments were developed, and the cure for TB was thought to be within reach. But the TB germ simply...

"The ... little-known story of how two brilliant female physicists' groundbreaking discoveries led to the creation of the atomic bomb"--Amazon.com.

Presents information about Ada Lovelace, from her childhood in England and her studies in mathematics to her development of the first computer programming language.

This book spotlights the technology and vision of Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and innovator behind SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity, who sold one of his internet companies, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the genius's life and work, from his tumultuous upbringing in South Africa and flight to the United States to his technical innovations and entrepreneurial pursuits. Vance uses Musk's story to explore one...