Inventors, Makers, Barrier Breakers

Overview

The fascinating histories of America's most forward-thinking inventors and entrepreneurs 

What does it take to change the world? This book provides inspiring, in-depth stories of more than 25 diverse American inventors and entrepreneurs from Colonial times to the present. Richly illustrated with photographs in color and black-and-white, Inventors, Makers, Barrier Breakers focuses on the process of invention, its joys and frustrations, social progress, and the obstacles each inventor had to overcome.

Reviews

"This collection profiles both famous and lesser-known American inventors, entrepreneurs, and scientists from the 18th century to the present day, covering the social and historical contexts of their work. Among the well-known individuals included are Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Graham Bell, and George Washington Carver. Women given chapters of their own are: Annie Turnbo Malone and Madam C.J. Walker, who made millions thanks to their African-American hair care products and business initiatives; Gertrude Elion, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist and daughter of Jewish immigrants; Grace Hopper, who broke barriers both in the Navy and the world of computer programming; and Lydia Villa-Komaroff, a scientist of Indigenous and Latinx descent who has done groundbreaking work in the treatment of diabetes. Some chapters offer an overview of particular topics, such as the inventions of enslaved and free blacks, food products, and popular games and toys. The most recent inventor covered is Elon Musk. A final section entitled "What About You?" encourages readers to be innovators, explicitly calling attention to the tremendous diversity (across many dimensions) of the individuals profiled..." —Kirkus Reviews

Author Biography

Pendred Noyce is a doctor, science education advocate, and author of 12 books of fiction and nonfiction for young people. Three of her books have won Outstanding Science Trade Book awards from the National Science Teachers Association and Children's Book Council.