Inventors

Visit Leonardo da Vinci's workshop, ride along on Hideo Shima's fast bullet train, and chat with actress Hedy Lamarr between film scenes. This book profiles more than 50 inventors and their remarkable achievements, presenting each one in depth. Some of the stories are strange, such as Mr. Kellogg's accidental discovery of cornflakes after he left grain boiling too long, or ancient Turkish polymath Ismail al-Jazari's choice to drive a clock with a model elephant. Others are practical, like Sarah E. Goode's fold-up bed for small spaces. Together, the entries cover inventions from the very earliest times to modern breakthroughs in science, food, transport, technology and toys.

Each inventor's life and work is told as a narrative, with plenty of surprising details along the way. Jessamy Hawke's illustrations and clear photographs show the designs up close. Hand-painted cross-sections break down how a robotic arm, the first airplane and the printing press work, letting young readers see the mechanics inside each machine.

The inventors come from many different backgrounds and corners of the world, which gives the book a broad range of voices. It is written with aspiring young inventors in mind.