Despite not having attended conventional school for more than a few months during his childhood, Thomas Alva Edison received a good grounding in the essential subjects of reading, writing and arithmetic at home from his mother (a former school mistress). Edison took the knowledge gained from these subjects and combined it with an insatiable curiosity, a fascination with all aspects of technology, an indomitable spirit and a passion to overcome any problem or seize any opportunity that circumstance might present him with to eventually become one of the finest inventors the world has ever seen. This book explores some of the highs and lows that Edison encountered throughout his life and shows how he was able to turn apparent adverse situations to his advantage. A number of his inventions including his improvements connected with the telegraph and telephone, as well as the development of the phonograph and the electric light bulb are covered in various chapters. This book was one in a series of inspirational texts by the Victorian author Frank Mundell and published in his Men of Fame collection of books. Frank Mundell wrote a significant number of books for children and many of these were distributed and presented to them through their Sunday schools. - Summary by Steve C
