A “splendid” new portrait of the man who invented the telephone, from an award-winning, national bestselling author (The Washington Times). The popular image of Alexander Graham Bell is that of an elderly American patriarch, memorable only for his paunch, his Santa Claus beard, and the invention of the telephone. In this reassessment based on thorough new research, biographer Charlotte Gray … biographer Charlotte Gray reveals Bell’s wide-ranging passion for invention and delves into the private life that supported his genius.
The child of a speech therapist and a deaf mother, and possessed of superbly acute hearing, Bell developed an early interest in sound. His understanding of how sound waves might relate to electrical waves enabled him to invent the “talking telegraph” before his rivals—even as he undertook a tempestuous courtship of the woman who would become his wife and mainstay.
In an intensely competitive age, Bell seemed to shun fame and fortune. Yet many of his innovations—electric heating, using light to transmit sound, electronic mail, composting toilets, the artificial lung—were far ahead of their time. His pioneering ideas about sound, flight, genetics, and even the engineering of complex structures such as stadium roofs still resonate today. This is an essential portrait of an American giant whose innovations revolutionized the modern world.
“Deaf teenager Mabel met Bell when he taught the hearing-impaired, and Gray’s story of their courtship is intertwined with the story of how Mabel’s father became involved in Bell’s side project of transmitting sound by wire . . . Combining the household history of the Bells with that of Alexander’s successive enthusiasms (Helen Keller, kites, airplanes, hydrocraft), Gray fairly portrays the attractions and exasperations of Bell’s life.” —Booklist
“[A] splendid new biography . . . A winner.” —The Washington Times
“Required reading.” —The New York Post
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For one who enjoys history and bringing the characters to life this is an enjoyable read. I could picture myself, as I read, in this time period.
I have always wanted to know more of Bell and his family. Enjoyed this very much. Well worth the money.
Learned a lot about this man & his family . A treat to read .
Learned so much more about a man I had always admired – very well researched & well written
Should be of particular interest to those of us who are hearing impaired.
Brought out a little known side of well known character
A new view of an historic figure who has affected life for all of us.
This is a biography of Alexander Graham Bell. The author–Charlotte Gray– has done extensive research to reveal the genius of this man. I appreciated that she reveals some of the weaknesses and quirks of the man and his family. Many biographers either present their subject as a saint or want to sensationalize them. Charlotte presents Alexander as the human genius that he was. The reader will be surprised about the many other inventions and ideas of this man.
Excellent biography read
Excellent story! I loved discovering the details of Alexander Graham Bell’s life. I wish the author had spent time discussing Bell’s obvious Autism and its effect on his life.
Interesting how Bell frustrated bring phone to market. He only wanted to teach.
Fascinating life of Alexander Graham Bell, and his telephone invention. Nearly killed himself researching and experimenting to make it work, and his father-in-law did the Bell Telephone company. After, Bell worked on dozens of other inventions, from bullet detectors (to help surgeons) to aircraft. His crew actually flew before the Wright Brothers, but he sold his patents to Curtiss who sold them to the Wrights. He had a storybook romance with a deaf wife, revamped National Geographic, funded Science magazine, bred sheep for more efficient reproduction.
Very well written and informative.
A great book that is informative and entertaining.
Fascinating and well-researched book that helps to explain not only what made AG Bell tick, but other inventors of his time as well. Wonderful insight into the role that family played in his success.
A nice read, fascinating look at Bell, and especially his wife Mable. Their interaction and the influence of the issues of the hearing impaired, hearing loss.
An excellent insight into the man and his family. Stays out of the technology.
It was the title, “Reluctant Genius,” that attracted me to the book. There is little doubt that Alexander Graham Bell was a “genius,” but what did Charolotte Gray mean by calling him “reluctant?” In her well-researched and well-written biography, Gray captures not just Bell’s incredible, creative, and inventive mind and the international acclaim he received, but also his complex, complicated, compulsive, and even reclusive bent. He was continuously called upon for speeches and demonstrations particularly for the invention of the telephone. Indeed, he often became frustrated with such interruptions, feeling he was too busy with his inventions to spend time making speeches, or filing for patents, or defending his patents against other inventors. He preferred the privacy of his study or laboratory where he could think, explore and work on his many ideas.
Given today’s emphasis on college and university education, it is amazing to realize that Bell had no college degrees or formal training as a scientist or engineer. In many ways, he was self-taught. He fueled his inventive genius by reading broadly, keeping a significant library, making copious notes of his thoughts and experiments, and voraciously reading the Encyclopedia Britannica, always in search for new ideas. Gray emphasized that his mind ranged “unfettered across the scientific landscape.” Indeed, he was not just a scientist and inventor. He was also an academic who periodically contributed articles to the academic journal “Science,” and was influential in the formation of the National Geographic society, serving as its second president.
The invention of the telephone brought Bell both international acclaim and wealth. What often goes unnoticed is his important and substantial contribution as an educator of the hearing impaired. Gray skillfully connects the dots between Bell’s invention of the telephone with his work with the hearing impaired. Growing up with a mother who was deaf and a father who was a professor of speech with a particular focus with the hearing impaired, Bell learned in personal and intimate ways the nature of sound that stimulated his creative mind to create a devise that ultimately replaced the need of the telegraph.
Gray presents a candid picture of Bell as a person who loved to create but he cared little for management and administration. He was an inventor but not an entrepreneur. Thanks to his wife Mabel, her father, and business associates, patents were acquired and developed, making him a wealthy person particularly from the invention of the telephone.
The Bell story, of course, would be incomplete without the intriguing love story between Bell and a deaf student, Mabel Hubbard. That story is beautifully woven throughout the book. Gray provides snippets of love letters they wrote to each other during their courtship and marriage, which reveals the depth of their mutual love and respect. Even when Mabel at times became frustrated with his idiosyncrasies, or reflected on his weaknesses and compulsive behavior, she would also emphasize her love for him. Mabel was a full partner with Bell in his projects, assumed the primary role in carrying for their children, and managed the business and their finances, all of which provided Bell the time and space to develop his inventive ideas.
Gray is masterful in weaving together the many facets of Bell’s life into a compelling, interesting and inspiring biography. I will read it again and encourage my friends to also read it.
Bit slow