Back to Edison: His Life and Inventions
From "Edison: His Life and Inventions" by Dyer, Frank Lewis
Thomas Alva Edison
The central figure, inventor, and subject of the biography.
Core Belief
"That anything in a book can be demonstrated as either right or wrong, and that the goal of invention should be of real benefit to mankind."
Worldview
Optimistic and forward-looking, seeing opportunities for improvement in every field. He is also described as having a philosophical acceptance of difficulties and setbacks.
Personality
Inquisitive, ambitious, incredibly hard-working, and determined to demonstrate the practicality of his ideas. He is also described as having a stoic abstemiousness and a keen sense of humor.
In Their Own Words
"I can always hire some mathematicians, but they can't hire me."
"This deafness has been of great advantage to me in various ways."
"After a while I tired of this work, as hoeing corn in a hot sun is unattractive, and I did not wonder that it had built up cities."
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