Inventors Books

This is one of the most useful books I've read to date on bringing a product to market. It covers all the basics and then some. I have recommended it to all my friends!

People may joke that Tamara Monosoff became a millionaire with the help of suckers like me buying her book. THAT IS NOT THE CASE! She is an extremely intelligent and fascinating woman. If you cannot launch your own business after reading her book, it is in no way Tamara's fault. I am amazed at how much time and effort she obviously devoted to writing this book. Just when I would ask myself a question regarding something she wrote, she was answering it in the very next sentence. The book is FULL of helpful examples, websites, and addresses. I would STRONGLY recommend this book to anyone.

This book is well worth the money. Short and sweet review and gets to the point now go buy this book!

I thought the first thing I needed to do with my invention was make a prototype. NO! Tamera says the first thing I need to do is get a spiral notebook and keep a hand-written ledger of everything I do, chronologically, to protect myself in court. I NEVER would have thought of that.

She explains step by step what to do next and HOW to do it: how to do market research, patent research, etc. But most of all, she gets right to the meat of everything. Tamera does not fill up her pages with fluff to make a dreary fat book. She guides us through the steps and all the way, she recounts how one particular mom handled these steps. She also puts in so many other examples from other mom inventors along the way.

It seems so easy, and she is inspiring. When I was a stay home mom, I felt overwhelmed, and out of touch with the professional world. Husbands and family aren't always necessarily supportive. Tamera says don't let any of that hold you back: you are much smarter than you think, so get that idea to market!

This is such an amazing book. Tons of great information, advice, references, and examples. Reading this book has made me want to start my own business, rather than just try to sell my idea. It is overwhelming, but so exciting at the same time!!! Thank you so much for such an incredible guide!!!!

"The Complete Guide to Securing Your Own U.S. Patent" by Jamaine Burrell takes the inventor on a journey from concept to marketplace, and covers everything else in between.
An easy-to-follow guide, the complicated topic of patenting is simplified by Burell. It offers practical advice and instructions, tips and examples. It will undoubtedly help any inventor learn the ropes of filing, protecting and maintaining a U.S. patent.
Imagine life without the cell phone or home computer. Without those technologies, modern-day life would be very different. For those inventors, patenting was an important process.
With this book, patenting doesn't have to be a mysterious task. Even the lay person can file a patent.
Whether the inventor has created a new medicine, a breed of fruit, machinery, or computer software, they will want to protect their invention and make sure it finds its way to market. This will give them the knowledge to actually do so.
It also discusses copywrites, trade marks and trade secrets. The guide, with companion CD-ROM, could easily help the inventor bring the next big need or necessity into the mainstream.
5 stars

The Complete Guide to Securing Your Own U.S. Patent by Jamaine Burrell is truly a complete reference source for deciphering the puzzle of securing a U.S. patent. At times, the complexity of the process boggled my mind, but the author cuts to the chase and gives good descriptions of legal requirements, definitions, specific info for certain states plus details on the various types of patents, intellectual property, inventions, copyrights and trademarks and more.

After describing many details, he gives complete instructions that would enable a layperson to do a patent search, fill out the applications and save plenty of money in attorney's fees. Of course, it is a long and extremely detailed process that could easily be messed up by not paying strict attention to details. The appendix includes a variety of information, including PTO fees and copyright fees, plus info on countries participating in certain conventions for those who may wish to pursue international patents or copyrights.

Overall, the book gives an excellent overview of the patent process, and I would recommend the do-it-yourself method for the most dedicated of souls, of which I am not one. I would either have to hire an attorney, or miss out on my big patent.

If you've ever had a big idea, then you need this book on Patents. This book thoroughly covers the U.S. Patent process from applying for a patent, to protecting your rights under a patent. I especially found the sections on marketing and making money on inventions and intellectual property very helpful in building my own WEALTH. I feel that the book gave me the new-found ability to transfer my intellectual property into revenue generating assets. I highly recommend this book for anyone who thinks they might have thought of the next big thing.

For anyone who's ever held off on really running with a great idea because the process of getting a patent seemed too daunting, this book is the next best thing to having an expert hold your hand and personally take you through all the steps.

The author begins with a straightforward overview of what the book is designed to do and then follows through on all counts, beginning with the basics of what patents are all about and why they're so important. Also discussed in great detail are the elements of intellectual property, the processes of invention, and the steps to establishing patent ownership, including patent searches, filing a patent application, and protecting your patents. Although the book's main focus is patents, other intellectual property assets including copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets are also covered. Also included is a CD-ROM with all the forms and checklists necessary for filing a patent.

Patent law is complex, and hiring a patent attorney can be costly. This book will not only help inventors protect their inventions and ideas, it can save them money along the way.

This is a study of the patent, what it means and the basics of getting it more than a step-by-step manual starting at the beginning and ending with your putting a Priority Mail application in the slot.

To obtain a patent you do not have to prove that a concept works. You only have to document it in clear, layered language and drawings. The language is critical for the defense of the patent's claims which means that everything gets defined several ways. Thus, "a tube is, a pipe, a hollow conductor or any such enclosure for the transmission of said fluid" instead of just being a tube. Such extra verbiage allows lawyers to spend hours in court arguing over what you meant, said and did not say to run up your bill and make an already cranky judge furious at the other side.

If you are starting from zero, have not been through the process, at least through the searching phase, and clearly know nothing this book is worth the price. It is basic, clearly written and fairly up-to-date. But, the real source in this business is the US Patent and Trademark Office' website. While it is written in the cautious, overstated, layered language of "Bureauspeak" it is understandable to the novice if he has has read 20 or 30 patents, knows his own field well and has paid a few lawyer's bills. Fear of an outrageous bill is compelling motivation in matters of this kind.

There is a place for guide to the USPTO website, but there are so many variations now with so much more patentable, i.e. computer programs, genes, fanciful chemical systems, business models, etc. that such a guide would either have to be an Occam's Razor-like work revealing certain principles or a compendium of the many ways to get through each of the several ways for the kinds of patents now available.

Experience with this area convinces you that patents were created for attorneys instead of inventors. This is an area of law practice that is an open field of strange people with dreams and those who will milk them of their last dollar. After they have their patents in hand most find that no one wants them because they didn't think of the idea first. Ego begins where creation ends and it is like hitting a bedsheet with a stick. You never have an effect, but about 1% of the people who suffer through this process make it work and get to spend hours in court going after the big guys who ripped them off.

I have used "Innovate Like Edison" as one of several texts in a graduate course on Creativity & Innovation for new product developers. This book is exceptional, in that it explores the innovation process at several levels. We get to know Edison's personal style from his creativity practices, his notebooks and sketches, and photos of him with contemporaries. We also learn about his leadership style and sometimes quirky management practices, along with the unique culture he created at Menlo Park. And lastly, we see Edison as the systems thinker, not only creating "breakthrough" inventions, but also designing in parallel with an invention the entire market framework and supply chain network that would make the invention truly transformational. In this sense, it might be said that Steve Jobs took a page from the Edison playbook in creating the iPod.

I have used Innovate Like Edison as a natural companion to handbooks on creativity methods, as well as other textbooks that cover critiques and current research relative to the innovation process. Gelb's book "How to think like Leonardo da Vinci" is also an excellent companion for this book, and I have included it in my course readings, although the Engineering work and inventions described in the Edison book are probably more familiar to most students.

This is packed full of information. Something you need to go over and over again in your mind. I'm grateful to have it. Thank u Michael and Sarah for putting this together.

Thomas Alva Edison was one of the largest personalities in our history. Gelb and Miller-Caldicott took on a daunting challenge in writing a book that both did justice to this amazing man and made it relevant to the world three-quarters of a century later. Their product is relevant, practical, and engaging.

The authors do a terrific job painting a historical portrait of Edison. It starts with Nancy Edison pulling her son out of school at an early age because she recognized his need to learn by immersing himself in a topic and freely experimenting with what he learned. They also chronicle his early entrepreneurial days as a newspaper boy on the railroads, and then tracking Edison through his adult life. The historical elements of the book are well done and make for a compelling story in and of itself.

What makes this book stand out is the authors' ability to merge that history into a practical framework that describes Edison's genius. The framework allows readers to understand and internalize the many complex facets and abilities of the inventor's personality. The book divides these into five distinctive, but never mutually exclusive, competencies that provide a clarity and cohesiveness to Edison's complex approach to innovation. The melding of history and application is at the core of this book's success.

The authors cap their efforts with an engaging evaluation and development tool that allows readers to measure their innovation profile against the ideal. Completing the exercise is a terrific review of the book and the lessons taught. It provides insight for future personal development and suggestions for improving your innovation quotient.

This is a terrific book for anyone who wants or needs to improve their ability to innovate.

For an informative picture of the life of Edison as seen through the lense of innovation, this is a good book. It is a blend of a biography and an innovation how-to book. If the history of science appeals to you, so will this book.

You will definitely learn more about the character of Edison. Coupled with it will be the authors' interpretation of Edison's approaches distilled into five sets of five techniques (25 total) for practicing innovation. I think the 5 x 5 configuration is a bit contrived, but nonetheless, the points are reasonably genuine. In the end, I'd probably settle on a handful that were most meaningful because you certainly won't push 25 lines of thinking at once. You'll find the table of 25 near the end of the last main chapter; read the table before you start the book.

If anything, the book will convince you that a high energy level and intense dedication helped Edison as a person achieve his greatness. We do not all possess characteristics like being able to sleep only 4 - 6 hours a night, having a family that puts up with 18-hour work days, etc., so Edison as a personal model is a bit beyond the reach of most of us. It is a bit dangerous to take the exception to extract the rules. The authors don't seem to grasp that point.

Nor do the authors grasp the huge change in the level of technology and the costs of experimentation that have occured since Edison ran his Menlo Park lab and today's world of R&D. That's not to say their points about how to approach innovation are invalid, just that the context is radically different than it was in 1880 - 1920 and at least bears noting. To wit, a digital photocopier is a far cry from a mimeograph machine (if you know what the later is).

All that said, this is an easy book to read and will prompt your thinking on how to promote innovation, either personally or in your organization. Buy it, you'll like it as much for the history as the methodology it describes.

This is one more of think like Davinci, Einstein, Isaac Newton kind of silly books written by someone who never created anything in his life. Please no more.

If you are new to Lego Mindstorms then you are also probably new to Lego Technics. This book not only covers how to program robots but also how to build them with Lego Technics parts and makes use of many well laid out and easy to follow diagrams. This book should be included with every lego Mindstorms set.

This "Unofficial" book is very good. David does a great job of showing exactly how to build each project with informative snapshots from the program Lego Digital Designer. The programming was missing a little of information on what to fill in the for each module, but his comments provided enough information to fill in the modules. I did have a question for David and he responded with the answer I was looking for.

This is a great beginner/intermediate level book for both kids and adults. The building section is excellent at explaining HOW to use the technic pieces. The programming section is a very good primer for those new to the NXT-G programming environment and language. It sets you up well for the building & programming projects found later in the book. As a middle school teacher running a robotics club, I set some of my more advanced 6th graders to work on whatever project they wanted to from the book. They jumped into taking on the guard-bot and the golf-bot which are the more advanced projects. With little guidance from me, they were very successful and had a blast. That shows how well written and designed the book is!

The Unofficial Lego Mindstorms NXT Inventors Guide

Author: David J. Perdue
website: http://www.davidjpredue.com ; http://www.nxtguidedavidjpredue.com
Strengths: Very nice schematics, parts listings and visuals to highlight or the parts for the machines. Easily readable. Good for novice robot builders but also advanced users will find it helpful as well.

Weaknesses: The book has black/white text.

Novice/Intermediate/Advanced

Rating: 5/5

reviewed by Dr. Eric Flescher, Olathe, KS: (dreric1kansas@aol.com)


Introduction

I have been working with robot kits for many years. I started with the Fischertecknik robot turtle which I built and was able to use with the logo interface with my Apple IIE. Later on I heard about Lego Mindstorms and bought a set to use. It was tough going and after much delay because of the programming and the light issues with the brick, I was able to get legos finally working. Since then, I have worked with several kits and working with PC and Macintosh interfacing. But I was still looking for more a more helpful guides to build more interesting robots. I think I found one in The Unofficial Lego Mindstorms NXT Inventors Guide.

This author David J. Perdue knows his stuff and Lego Mindstorms. He has been creating MINDSTORMS since 2001 and just won the NXT Camera Bot Building Challenge competition and is the author of Competitive MINDSTORMS (Apress, 2004). He has received three Special Mention awards for his creations on the official online MINDSTORMS and is a full time student, pursuing a degree in Management information Systems in Texas. So I opened the book to see what else I could find out and how I could use the book for my LegoMindstorms in the future.

In the beginning, it was difficult to use Mindstorms. For me the kit did not work at all. Working with Macintosh was not an option. There were minimal additional information for working with the robots beyond the parts, software and initial schematics. I had to use a PC. This version works with PC (needs Windows XP or higher and will or already have shipped Vista version) or Macintosh OSX (version 103.9 and higher). It was not until later that I learned from a Legos salesman that the light in the room could be an issue. Its little things like this that kept me and possible others, from doing more with robotics.

I was hoping that the book started with novice programmers and robot creators. This books has "novice " beginning information so this book can be used with those who are new to Lego Mindstorms or are upgrading to the NXT version. It is good to know that this advanced robotic author, is "down to earth" with his writing and when "speaking" the language of robots. I have not upgraded to the NXT version yet and so and wanted to see whether it is would be worth upgrading myself but if so how and what ways could the robots be used with this new version.

The black and white screenshots are integrated within the instruction. The visuals are large enough to read and decipher what you need to know. The lack of color does not really hurt. I really liked the screenshots and illustrations listings of the parts for assembly. However it would have been nice if they were in color (the parts are a multitude or colors. Tables do however include numbers, piece names and the place color however. When you need more information about the parts, they are all there listed and illustrated/ photographed.

Throughout the book, there are helpful ideas in the way of bold notes that are "peppered" throughout the tutorials. In addition, there are pointers that go along with the "balloons " which have text inside of them about related to the robot parts. Circles and arrows highlight the illustrated areas in the screenshots that the author is clearly targeting for his instructions. This makes the understanding of the parts even more explicit.

The introduction introduces Lego Mindstorms, NXT, building , programming and starting and working with robotic projects. Here is an outline of the chapters and what is in store for you.

Part I in entitled "Introduction to LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT". In the Chapter 1, LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT starts off with building robots, the programming of robots, activating robots and what can you do with robots and NXT. Chapter 2 is includes solid but easy to understand information about starting with the NXT robotic set.

Part II illustrates the building with 4 chapters. There is electronic pieces, understanding the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT pieces, the need and building sturdy structures, and working with and building with gears

Programming section is in Part III . Chapter 7 introduction has a nice introduction to the NXT-G system. Later 3 chapters involve advanced NXT-G programming a. There is also more in the form of unofficial programming languages for the NXT.

Part IV involves 6 robot projects and that is where your in-depth robotic education really begins. You are taught the author's Mindstorms method, and working with 6 nice in-depth but easy to understand projects.

Appendices are good resources. Appendix A has LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT piece library. The Appendix B NXT-G has nice quick reference guide section that includes information for advanced programming to perform more intricate tasks. The author details a lot of the complexity, not only with words but also visually illustrates how to and in what ways to to complete the array of blocks, sensors and programming information. While it is not easy to learn, this section takes you "once step at a time". Appendix C informs with other internet resources.

Conclusions

I recommend this book highly for its in-depth tutorials, the visual schematics and the quality of the reading that makes the information well understood. No one said building robots was easy but with this book, you will learn and go further than you thought you could achieve. What I like about this book and the way the author has crafted this book is that he actually invited you to build robots in a none intimidating way. The in-depth information, the visual assemblies and tables, and the easy to read information along with the tutorials will allow you not only start but develop your skills in robot building. You will learn to be creative but at the same learning the logic of the machines and how to build robotics. I know there are many books that teach Lego Mindstorms out there but I am glad I chose this one first.

I'm a coach of a FIRST LEGO League team and I bought this book to help my son "get to the next level." I am making this book mandatory for every team member next season! It is informative, yet easy to read. It covers all the bases from good robot design to programming explanations. I can't recommend it enough!

My neighbor next door, is Ralph; half of the inventor team in this
book. His name, as well as his cousin, Mark, are familiar names to the
agricultural community throughout the USA. I wanted to know more about
this friendly, family man who I call a "neighbor."

I picked this up on an anonymous recommendation and am now wholeheartedly praising it to anyone who will listen! The author, Craig Canine, has fashioned a page-turning, suspense-filled, dramatic telling of an entreprenuer's struggle, laced with a suprisingly fascinating history of the development of modern agricutlure. Not just for business-school types or farmers, it is a tale well-told and absolutely worthy of the high rankings you are seeing here.

Today's inventor and entrepreneur faces a difficult series of hurdles on the road from conception to production. In more and more areas, a new obstacle is being added. Due to various economic forces, the number of companies that may purchase or license your patent is decreasing. In some fields two or three giant corporations dominate the market. If they turn you down, and the costs to develop your invention are high, are you locked out of the market?

This book relates the story of how for thirteen years two men, inventor Mark Underwood and his cousin Ralph Langren, a sales and marketing specialist, fought the battle to develop and market their Bi Rotor combine.

If you think all the problems of harvesting grain were solved by Cyrus McCormick's mechanical reaper, this book's review of the history of harvesting will give you a fascinating new picture that your school books did not provide. In one lifetime (McCormick's) farming went from medieval tools to mechanical reapers, and from nine of ten Americans living on a farm to the farmer becoming a minority of the population. Incidentally, McCormick did not invent the basic reaper. But as the book points out, he was "a great inventor, a master salesman, a prophet of mass production, and a robber baron, all rolled into one."

What Kansas dirt farmer Mark Underwood did was to reinvent the combine (a combine is called that because it combines reaping, threshing, and winnowing). He was inspired, as a high school senior when working a summer job, by a drum type mixer used to mix cement, sand, and gravel. For nine years he sketched and turned the idea over in his head. In 1989 he was awarded a $20,000 grant by the Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation and was able to build a two-thirds size model.

When testing the first model they quickly discovered a way to clean the grain in the same operation. Other developments, such as the self leveling sieve soon came about. The book details the privations endured for years as they built ever improved prototypes. Finding funding for these prototypes was an unending battle. They approached the big and the small, Ross Perot, John Deere, International Harvester, and Caterpillar. They finally scored by offering limited partnerships to small investors and with a development deal with Caterpillar.

The book is not only loaded with penetrating looks into the progress in agriculture but with looks at the vital relationship between the inventor and the entrepreneur. It points out that when a partnership is formed between the typically passive, compulsive perfectionist inventor and an aggressive, systematic entrepreneur, there is no limit to what can be achieved.

The story of how and why grain elevators came to dominate the landscape is a must read. Also, how grain elevators led to a grain grading system and in turn how this led to futures trading is not only interesting history, but will give you an understanding of some of the headlines in today's financial pages. There is nothing dull in the story of the progression from horses to steam to internal combustion engines and from massive soil compressing wheels to tractor treads that prevent soil compression. (Soil fertility is destroyed by soil compression.)

Equally interesting is the tale of why Ford's highly successful Fordson tractor lost out to the Farmall tractor. Ford froze its design. International Harvester added a practical power takeoff (PTO) mechanism and "power farming" came of age in l924.

The chapters on corn hybrids and weed-killing herbicides are not only informative, but they are a reminder of how changes affecting agriculture worldwide were brought about by individuals obsessed by an idea.

Is the old-fashioned inventor obsolete in the modern high-tech world? Read the book and decide for yourself. An easy read and the many delightful insights into modern agriculture are a reminder that food production is still very much a concern in this age of electronics.

I picked this up on an anonymous recommendation and am now wholeheartedly praising it to anyone who will listen! The author, Craig Canine, has fashioned a page-turning, suspense-filled, dramatic telling of an entrepreneur's struggle, laced with a surprisingly fascinating history of the development of modern agriculture. Not just for business-school types or farmers, it is a tale well-told and absolutely worthy of the high rankings you are seeing here.

_Dream_Reaper_ is a delightful tale of two cousins--a mechanic and a salesman in their endeavors to develop a more compact design for the harvesting combine and market the concept through a sponsor. The struggle of Mark Underwood in creating the Bi-Rotor machinery to reduce grain spillage and parts clutter provides a glimpse into the hardships of inventors. The insightful interpersonal skills of Ralph Lagergren reveal a confidence in not settling for corporate comfort, but in taking a big risk for a big payoff.

In intervening chapters, Canine diverts from the story to introduce the history of harvesting and its mechanization . The reader learns of many fascinating conversation topics, such as the etymology of "tribulation", a patent infringement lawsuit on a reaper that launched Abraham Lincoln's political career, the corn growing experiments of Henry Wallace, or the genetic differences between grains and weeds enabling an aromatic compound to kill the latter without affecting the former. Whether one is interested in agriculture, machinery, history, Canine's prose makes the book a pure joy to read.............

I bought this book for my husband for Father's Day and he loved it. It's full of quirky and unusual but workable gadgets to make life easier. This goes way beyond the Veg-O-Matic and might be worthwhile for a young person with a curious, inventive mind. My husband has tried to invent new and clever things but they never quite worked out but he did enjoy reading this book.

Title Says It All.... This book is pretty fun!

It is a great summary of the American Dream - making that one invention that will let you retire and live happily ever after. ALSO, it serves as a stark warning to prospective inventors about how **NOT** to bring a product to market. I almost feel sad reading page after page of people who have basements full of finished inventory, but no outlet to sell through.... then you turn the page to see another millionaire created from a simple idea! Buy this book, you'll get a chuckle, a tear, and maybe the inspiration to make your OWN invention.

Thumbs up for Steve Greenberg! I just bought your book last night and it is hilarious!! My son and I went to dinner last night and while we were waiting for our order, we were going through the book. Well, we had a grand old time looking at all the kool inventions and laughing hysterically. At one point, it took my son a few minutes to actually tell me what he thought about one of the inventions because he was laughing so hard, and what a great idea it was. Thanks for bringing some amusement and some fun ideas into this rough world we now live in.

Gadget Nation is a great read. It's very well written, easy to read and extremely entertaining. It's just amazing what people will come up with in terms of products. Most of the products are at least somewhat useful but some of them are downright weird! The author does a very good job outlining the histories of the products and telling the inventors' stories. Highly recommended.

Jeff from California

I am one of the inventors in the book--page 108 :). As you might imagine I was a bit nervous about what Steve was going to say about my invention; Hand Crafted Personalized Marshmallow Roasting Sticks for toasting perfect marshmallows. I had no idea what he was going say until the day he said, "OK, the book is in the stores." Unfortunately, my local stores didn't have it yet, so I immediately ordered it from Amazon; probably saved some cash as well. As I opened the package, I was very impressed with the look and feel of the book. It can definitely be at home on your coffee table. It's a good read and is absolutely worth the money you will pay for it. I agree with others that it is a great gift item that will be enjoyed by whomever receives it.

The design is fresh and the writing creative, clear and fun to read. It really does entice one to look at the next invention. You'll show it to friends and family and have fun checking all the cool stuff out. I've been skimming around from invention to invention so far, and look forward to reading each one.

Steve and his team absolutely captured the jist of my interview although my product's price is outdated; but that would be expected with any book. Thanks for including Marshmallow Chef Sticks in your book Steve. I wish you much success and look forward to your next book.

And if the folks reading this review want another cool and unique gift, check out www.MarshmallowSticks.com and get a few personalized marshmallow cooking sticks for your loved ones. Your Family and Friends Will Still Be Thanking You For This Thoughtful Gift For Many Years to Come!

We work on sheet metal components and we bought this book to refer to it for the same purpose. Me and all my team members are impressed with the details about the sheet metal design in this book. All the topics of a sheet metal design is explained in detail with excellent pictures. We are sure that this kind of detailing about sheet metal component is not available in any other book. We have around 7 books in our library and no book has this much of detailing. We would love to see some more examples for the sheet metal component. We have already written to the author to include at least 2 more of them next time. Surely a must buy for sheet metal designers to learn about various parameters involved in sheet metal design.

Being a fresher in the field of parametric modeling, I was looking for some reference books that would get me started with Autodesk Inventor. This is the book that my instructor asked me to take a look at. He gave me his own copy and when I went thru the first few chapters of this book, I was so impressed that I got my own copy. The material in this book is so well organized that even an average person like me has become good at whatever I have read from this book as of now. The author has recognized the problems that a starter can face and has framed the material accordingly. The tips and other additional information that is given in the chapters are really useful. I am thankful to my instructor who recommended this book to me.

If you ask me, I will surely recommend that you have this book if you are planning to get started with Autodesk Inventor. I have asked the author to send me some students projects also. Although I am sure its going to take me some time to be able to work on them, but I would surely like to take a look at them also.

I studied this book cover to cover and found it to be an OK book, but it could have been fantastic. It's the first time I was working with inventor and this is the book that had to do it. It's built up out of 15 chapters which are logically structured. Every chapter covers a different aspect of the program and there is little that is left out. It's tutorial based with examples, exercises and even small evaluation tests at the end of every chapter. The tutorial structure makes it less suitable as a reference guide however. The raison why it doesn't get the 5 stars is that it covers some of the fundamentals to briefly. Inventor is parametric and works with constraining your work. How constrains relate or interfere with each other and how you successfully have one feature adapt to another is sometimes to briefly discussed. Together with the few inaccuracies I have found in the book it gave me the feeling that the book was brought to fast into print just to have the book out there for sale. It lacks reviewing which could have taken out the typing and tutorial mistakes. The section on modifying inventor options is poor and the loft tool is covered too briefly. Organic modeling often used in injection molding is left almost untouched. With some time and a few chapters more elaborating on how to construct and think about larger projects, how to effectively use constraints and give some examples of how it may go wrong, how to use parameters in an external database and expand a bit on 3D sketching this could have been the greatest book.
It's not a bad book and if you have to start with inventor it is not a waist of money, it's just too bad that with a little more effort of the author it could have had it all. I have not red any other books on inventor so I couldn't suggest if there are better ones out there.

Well, after completing the most successful Inventor class I have ever taught I must tell you that it was all due to this book. I had the lowest drop out rate ever and the highest grade point averages I have ever experienced as an instructor over the past 18 years. This book is wonderful and my only question is: Are you updating it for Release 6?

We are using Inventor in our company for a few years now and some our team members face problem with sketching of Inventor. This is one of the books that we bought recently. In the first appearance itself it kind of looked a good book with lots of detailed explanation on sketching. We now think that it was a good decision to buy this book. Where most of the authors neglect most of the sketching options considering them to be simple or easy, Sham has taken a special care in explaning each sketching command in detail. I think a user can work with models only after he has learnt how to draw the sketches of the models. I dont think there is anything in the sketching of Inventor that is not covered in this book. If you really want to learn Inventor, sketching is where you start from and this is surely the book that will make sure you understand each command properly.

I picked this book up as a curiosity, because like everyone else, I've seen new gadgets, shops and web sites that I had casually considered previously. This book is a great read for anyone who has had the same notion, but thought the process is probably too difficult - I've learned it's not! The author presents a step-by-step method for getting involved with the innovation process on several different levels, depending on the amount of available time and level of commitment. Written very clearly with lots of examples, hints and sources.

Just finished reading Mike Collin's book and have to say he did a great job! I wish it had been available when I first started inventing. It would have saved me a lot of hardship and time. It is filled with great insight and common sense tools that every Inventor can use.
I have read a number of other Inventor help type books and always felt that they just didn't give the reader any useful information. Mike's hit the nail on the head with great information and personal experiences, not only by himself, but other Inventors. This book is a winner!

This book provides a practical roadmap for everyday inventors seeking to cash in on their ideas. It has just the right combination of helpful information, business strategy, real life stories and inspiration to get that idea off the shelf and moving toward making you money.

Mike Collins shares numerous, invaluable experiences that illustrate the path from "an idea", which is inherent, to creating something tangible and realistic that has an apparent market value. This book will encourage and engage the passion of anyone considering moving forward with an innovative venture.

My introduction title says it all. Never have I read a book with as much hands on, useable information as I've read in this book. Other enterpreneural books are laden with too much "pop psychology speaking optimism, keeping your chin up, never taking no for an answer". This is the first book I've read that contained information that I could acutally use, nearly on every page. Great job Mike. Please put out another one. I'll be the first at the bookstore.

Great book! it is an awesome book that most anyone can enjoy! Buy it and be surprisingly pleased!

PS- my title is not just nonsense- it is actually an abreviation for something

Walk into a library or a bookstore. Remove from your pocket a small stone. Close your eyes, spin around, and hurl the projectile any which way (making certain no one is standing around and that there isn't any delicate glass about). Now go see what book the stone hit. If you happened to be in the children's room, particularly in the fiction section, you probably had a pretty good chance of hitting something meaningful, depressing, or meaningful AND depressing. And let me tell you, there is no sure-fire method of turning a kid off of reading than making them read only books that fit into those two categories. As a children's librarian I've been reading a ton of children's books published in 2006 and I am SICK of books that aren't any fun. So when "The Misadventures of Millicent Madding" (adventure one = "Bully-Be-Gone") fell into my lap I didn't know what to think. The Amy Vangsgard cover art kind of turned me off. Clay is cool but not always appropriate for a fiction cover. Still, it sounded... fun. And I needed fun. I needed fun badly. So after reading this book cover to cover, I can say this of "Bully-Be-Gone". It is every bit as fun as the premise suggests and it is bound to be dearly beloved by scores of wide-eyed kidlets. All around amusing.

If you are smart and attend school in some fashion, there is one fact of life you have to acknowledge. Bullies. They're everywhere. Well young Millicent Madding is smart, but she isn't resigned to a life of dodging this scourges of the public school hallways. She's just invented a whole new kind of face cream. It's called Bully-Be-Gone and it's supposed to affect your average bully's sense of smell, thereby repelling them. The problem is, Millicent's still new to this whole inventing game. She's had some bad luck in the past and her fellow members of The Wunderkind Club (a group of the smartest kids of Masonville) are wary of trusting this new invention. But try it they do and the results aren't exactly what Millicent thought they might be. Now Bully-Be-Gone is attracting love-struck bullies rather than repelling them and Millicent's in a fix. Add in her long-lost aunt trecking across the country in an ancient wedding gown, a tale of contortion and cooking, two parents lost in time, and an uncle who's hair color and hair style changes every day... well let's just say that the town of Masonville may never quite be the same again.

Sometimes I can pinpoint a moment when a book has won me over. Often the book as a whole gains my love, but once in a great while there's a single defining turn of phrase or image. For me, a children's librarian, it was page 28. Sweet sweet page 28. On that page we meet the local town librarian, Miss Ogelvie. She simultaneously fulfills your normal librarian stereotypes (bespectacled, prudent, unmarried, etc.) and pounds them into dust. Consider this sentence: "Closer inspection revealed that Miss Ogelvie had, through years of lifing books, developed a rather intimidating frame. Her arms, especially, were thick and strong - a fact she played up by having had them tattooed with the faces of literary figures like Shakespeare and Toni Morrison". Any book that contains a character who has the author of "Beloved" imprinted in ink on their forearm has my instantaneous love.

But heroic librarians aside (I haven't even mentioned the legend of Goody Constance Madding, which is faaaabulous) it's Tacang's writing here that sets the book apart from the pack. It balances the author's story with amusing details here and there. Tacang isn't going for deeply held emotional resonance, but he still manages to hit meaningful chords throughout his storyline. There could also have been a danger of going too wild with this book. Too wacky. The back cover promises scores of kooky crazy kids and adults with everything from human cannonballs to rebel librarians, and they're all here, true. But at the same time, this isn't another "Surviving the Applewhites" or "Pure Dead Magic". The wacked-out nuttiness is great, but the author never overplays his hand. It's a delicate balance all the more impressive when you consider how well it ties together.

And by the way, the inventions in this book aren't your average half-hearted "Freddy and the French Fries" lame-o inventions. Every single one is an invention that should exist (with the possible exception of the gloves that clip your fingernails) and that anyone would love to own. I would like to personally suggest to the world that we take Tacang's suggestion of a carpet with Autosuck Technology and make it exist. It makes so much sense! "You simple flipped a switch and the carpet retracted dirt, in a sense. Dust, soil, and other small debris were sucked through the carpet and into a plastic bag". Honestly, why isn't this being installed in homes everywhere already? Hello, patent office...

If I have any objection with this book, it concerns its ending. With all her friends hating her for their hard-to-shake new bully buddies, Millicent needs to find a cure, stop the bullies, and get on her uncle's good side by the story's end. She does so, but it's done in such a sudden madcap way that it feels to the viewer that they've suddenly run smack dab into the literary equivalent of a brick wall. A little more time spent on wrapping up stories (and not having her friends forgive her QUITE so suddenly) would have given "Millicent Madding" far more believable closure. Ah well. Can't have everything, I guess.

Child inventors have been gracing the pages of children's books at least since Homer Price "fixed" that old donut machine in 1943. By and large, however, the inventors have been boys. Now Millicent Madding has come to kick butt and take names. Alongside another 2006 title, "Roxie and the Hooligans", by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, these two books look at bullies and find incredibly creative ways of dealing with them. Kids everywhere should approve. Enjoyable reading with more than its fair share of intelligence.

A Children's Classic! My whole family loved it.
This story had me laughing out loud, wondering if I could get Masonville library card, and starving for a plate of Chocolate and Marshmallow Bunk Beds and Swiss Cheese Moon Rocks.
I haven't enjoyed a children's book this much since I first read "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory" thirty years ago!

I am an avid book reader, and so I can be choosey. Though I had not heard of this book, when my relative gave it to me, I read it non-stop - it was that exciting, interesting, funny (in a way) and just plain great. You really, in a way, start to feel sorry for Millecent Madding and all her misadventures. And that's just in one book. The ending really leaves you wanting to know her next misadventure.Though it is targeted towards middle grade readers, I think anyone would still find it nice, as in the story's plot. I cannot wait untill the next book in the series comes out! Way to go, Brian!
P.S.-I like the illustrations on the cover!

This was a 'fun read'. The characters were vivid and entertaining - even the supporting people had enough of a 'background' to be interesting ie the school principal Mr. Pennystacker who had a Saint Bernard called Mad Dog when he was a child. Millicent is an inventor-in-training and misadventures are a natural result of her best efforts to help others. I enjoyed the subplot with her Uncle and lost Aunt as well - it allowed the author to introduce some of the best characters in the book. I hope there will be further 'Misadventures' to come!

I saw this book in a local book store several years ago, but didn't buy it. When I saw it again after reading Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography I had to get it. Candace Fleming's style of writing makes it fun to read and the layout felt colonial. I lent it to a neighbor who read it with her children. I have to say that this is not just for children. I enjoy perusing it on occasion, myself!

Excellent book!!!
I learned so much from this book, and I bought it for my kids. I would recommend it to any one.

It isn't often that we are lucky enough to learn about a man who had the curiosity of a child and the mind of a genius, who loved learning and was able to find humor in all types of situations. Benjamin Franklin was such a man.

Candace Fleming allows us to explore Franklin's extraordinary life in a new way. She has chosen to present Franklin's life in the form of a scrapbook or almanac, rather than a traditional biography. Franklin in fact gained a good portion of his original popularity by publishing an almanac himself titled POOR RICHARD'S ALMANAC. It is perhaps only fitting that his life be presented in the form of an almanac as well.

It is quite astonishing to discover within the pages of this remarkable book how much Franklin accomplished in his lifetime. In addition to his electrical experiments involving kites, Franklin organized the first real postal system in the thirteen colonies, printed the first paper money, and saw years before anyone else that the American Revolution was going to happen. He also recognized that slavery would be an issue that would not go away; he knew that one day it would be a problem for the people of the United States.

One of the wonderful things about this book is that you can pick it up and dip into the pages at random --- and once you pick it up, you cannot put it down. Resembling an almanac or scrapbook with an old-fashioned looking script, pictures, photographs, copies of letters and other documents, BEN FRANKLIN'S ALMANAC is a refreshing new look at the life of one of America's greatest men. We are able to marvel and sometimes smile at the things Benjamin Franklin did and said. Surely, such a lover of books would be proud of this gem.

--- Reviewed by Marya Jansen-Gruber

This account of Franklin's life holds a little over a hundred pages, and has good large print and fine pictures to offset the many words from Franklin's own almanac which offers a scrapbook of his accomplishments. Modeled on his Poor Richard's Almanack but revised for younger audiences, this blends biography and observation with cartoons, etchings, and other illustrations to create a lively coverage for kids with good reading skills.

"Ben's Rules for Being a Better Writer
"Everyone, Ben believed, had a need to communicate well. Over the years he developed and stuck to these writing rules.
"Good writing should be smooth, clear, and short, and the art of saying little in much must be avoided at all costs. In written discourse, every needless thing gives offense and must be eliminated...Had this always been done, many large and tiresome volumes would have shrunk into pamphlets, and many a pamphlet into a single period."

It seems like a stream of new Benjamin Franklin biographies make their appearance as steadily as the changing of the seasons. That perception has caused my building a healthy skepticism concerning the need for just one more. But Candace Fleming has taken Ben's writing rules to heart. Less is more in BEN FRANKLIN'S ALMANAC, Fleming's continually entertaining and enlightening collection of quotes, anecdotes, illustrations, American history, and other tasty tidbits (including the occasional fish story) that the author has harvested from original source materials.

Rather than assembling a typical chronological tome, Fleming has grouped this assortment of goodies into an eye-catching patchwork format that is clumped around eight themes: Boyhood Memories, The Family Album, The Writer's Journal, Tokens of a Well-Lived Life, The Scientist's Scrapbook, Revolutionary Memorabilia, Souvenirs from France, and Final Remembrances.

"All his life Ben tried to do what was right. His daily routine reminded him to put mankind's problems before his own.
"I rose at five each morning, and addressed Powerful Goodness [Ben's name for God] with the same question: What Good Shall I Do Today? I then studied and planned my day until eight, worked until twelve, dined and overlooked my account books until two, worked again until six when I had supper, music and conversation. At ten I examined my day. What Good Had I Done That Day?"

Not that he was perfect, or anything. As Ben noted, "With regards to places for things, papers, etc., I am a dismal failure." And as Fleming reveals, while his genius included his being credited for so many important inventions including bifocals, he nonetheless lacked the vision to see that women should be accorded the same opportunities and rights as men:

"When his young friend Polly Stevenson talked of devoting herself to studying philosophy, Ben was appalled. 'Knowledge may be useful,' he warned her, 'but there is nothing of equal dignity and importance than being a good daughter, a good wife, a good mother.' Ben wondered why women needed the 'full Pandora's box of knowledge' opened to them. Instead, he argued, women should be taught useful and functional skills--reading, writing, and accounting. This, he claimed, 'stood them in good stead to be active, helpful partners in their husband's business.' "

And, speaking of errors, "Ben once invited a group of friends to an 'electrical picnic.' He planned to kill a turkey by 'electrical shock,' then roast it with 'electrical fire.' Unfortunately, he became so engrossed in conversation he forgot to pay close attention to what he was doing. He touched two wires together and zap! Ben received the shock instead of the turkey. His body vibrated from head to toe, and smoke curled from one buckled shoe. Luckily, he escaped with just a few bruises and a sore chest."

Through the accumulated pieces of her collection, the author succinctly covers the well-trod life-of-Franklin: Ben's printing career, centered on his 26 years as writer and publisher of the annual Poor Richard's Almanack (the second-most read book in the Colonies), would by itself have insured Franklin's immortality. Then that aspect of his life was topped by the jaw-dropping string of inventions coupled with his instigation of public libraries, street lamps, quality postal service, and volunteer fire departments, which made him even more famous. And then, his involvement--the old guy with the fire in his belly--in producing the Declaration of Independence, followed by his pivotal role in the winning of the Revolution by persuading France to enter the fray when Washington's troops were on the verge of defeat, elevated Franklin to American sainthood. If that wasn't enough, he returned to America and (at 81 years old) helped formulate the Constitution.

But he STILL wasn't done!

"Saint" Ben had at one time been a slave owner. But while in England in the years preceding the Revolution, Franklin "found himself trying to defend America against charges of hypocrisy." He had freed his slaves, observed "firsthand 'the natural capacities of the black race,' " and then, after ratification of the Constitution, he petitioned Congress on the subject of slavery:

"Noting Congress had been created to 'promulgate the welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to the People of the United States,' he argued that this should be done 'without distinction of color,' since all people are created by the 'same Almighty Being, alike the objects of his care and equally designed for the enjoyment of happiness.' To tolerate less, Franklin argued, 'was to contradict the meaning of the Revolution.' "

If only Ben could have hung around for another decade in order to persuade the new nation of this argument, we might have had him to thank for the success of one more of his great ideas.

But thanks to the fine work of Candace Fleming, we at least have a thoroughly satisfying "true account of the good gentleman's life," as well as one more important piece of ammunition in my argument that a real love and understanding of American history will much more readily come from trade books of this caliber than from standardized textbooks.