Overview

Showcasing some of the most unusual and innovative inventions that somehow still failed in the marketplace... The majority of commercial ventures might end in failure, but the world would be a poorer place without invention. This is the story of 50 truly remarkable inventions, from personal helicopters to 'swimming' tanks; from flying aircraft carriers (that kept crashing) to a pedal-powered blimp you could barely steer; from an aerial rowing boat you couldn't navigate to a portable nuclear weapon that killed the men who fired it… these inventions were not only misguided, but demonstrate their inventors' remarkable gift for out-of-the-box thinking nobody ever asked for. Most importantly, every single one was built, field tested, and worked (more or less) as planned, even when their inventor died in the test phase. Full of surprises, this is a fun and fast-paced journey through the world of WETech that will make you shake your head in wonder. What in the world were they thinking? AUTHOR: John J. Geoghegan is a journalist, author, and editor who specialises in reporting on White Elephant Technology. His articles have appeared in the New York Times Science section, WIRED, Popular Science, and the Smithsonian's Air & Space magazine, and he has featured in a number of interviews and documentaries. He has previously written When Giants Ruled the Sky for The History Press, and Operation Storm: Japan's Top Secret Submarines and Their Plan to Change the Course of WWII (Crown, 2013), both on WETech inventions. He lives in California. 133 b/w illustrations

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9781803990149

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"‘I read this book and loved it! There were so many inventions I’d never heard of. I only wish I’d read it before I started my museum.’ -- Dr Samuel West * Founder, Museum of Failure * 'White Elephant Technology is a fascinating look at the wild, wacky, and downright weird contraptions concocted by inventors who couldn't leave well enough alone. Flying tanks, flying bikes, flying cars, swimming cars, train-planes, plane-trains, even a rail Zeppelin. They're dissected with a wit so dry you can almost hear the hapless tinkerers as they utter ""Back to the drawing board.' -- Stuart Elliot * former New York Times columnist *"

Author Information

JOHN J. GEOGHEGAN is a journalist, author, and editor who specializes in reporting on White Elephant Technology. His articles have appeared in the New York Times Science section, WIRED, Popular Science, and the Smithsonian’s Air & Space magazine, and he has featured in a number of interviews and documentaries. He has previously written When Giants Ruled the Sky for The History Press, and Operation Storm: Japan’s Top Secret Submarines and Their Plan to Change the Course of WWII (Crown, 2013), both on WETech inventions. He lives in California.

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