The Papers of Thomas A. Edison

Seeking to replicate the success of his New York electric central station throughout the United States and in Europe and Latin America, Thomas A. Edison vowed to become a "business man for a year." This bold decision began a remarkable transition period for America's greatest inventive thinker. The seventh volume of Edison's papers chronicles the profound changes in his professional and personal life, including the unexpected death of his wife. It concludes with Edison returning to the laboratory to develop new communications technology. Praise for The Papers of Thomas A. Edison "A mine of material... Scrupulously edited... No one could ask for more... A choplicking feast for future Edison biographers -- well into the next century, and perhaps beyond." -- Washington Post "What is most extraordinary about the collection isn't necessarily what it reveals about Edison's inventions... It's the insight into the process." -- Associated Press "Those interested in America's technological culture can eagerly look forward to the appearance of each volume of the Edison Papers." -- Technology and Culture "His lucidity comes through everywhere... His writing and drawing come together as a single, vigorous thought process." -- New York Times "A triumph of the bookmaker's art, with splendidly arranged illustrations, essential background information, and cautionary reminders of the common sources on which Edison's imagination drew." -- New York Review of Books "In the pages of this volume Edison the man, his work, and his times come alive... A delight to browse through or to read carefully." -- Science "Beyond its status as the resource for Edison studies, providing a near inexhaustible supply of scholarly fodder, this series... will surely become a model for such projects in the future... The sheer diversity of material offered here refreshingly transcends any exclusive restriction to Edisonia." -- British Journal for the History of Science