Hapless Heroes

"Every vision is a joke until the first man accomplishes it; once realized, it becomes commonplace." Dr. Robert Goddard, Inventor of the Liquid Fuel Rocket Truer words were never spoken as you will find out! This book spotlights the realities of inventing. Many believe that if you invent something great you are guaranteed to become rich and famous. Nothing can be farther from the truth as forces well beyond the inventors control can overtake the inventor and invention. Read the following paragraphs and you will see what I mean... Like your cell phone? Read about the woman inventor who never got a dime for the technology she invented to make today's cell phones work! Learn that the inventor of a car bought by emperors, kings, and sultans died so poor that he reportedly couldnt afford a telephone, let alone a car that bore his name! How about your refrigerator? Read about a Florida physician that succeeded in making a working refrigerator, then was slandered by newspapers about it and died penniless. Do you know that the creator of the first ATM machine deemed it a failure as only prostitutes and gamblers would use it? Have a laptop? Read about the inventor who went broke on his invention that was the ancestor of the laptop! Read about a black inventor whose ingenious invention made millions for many except him! Learn that the inventor of Kindergarten was rewarded by having his new great teaching process forbidden! Like water-skiing? Find out what happened to the teen inventor of this sport that is enjoyed by millions today! Savor tunes on your FM radio? Discover what happened to the inventor of the FM radio after he became so distraught by litigation. Do you like playing Monopoly? Find out who really invented the game Monopoly, yet who benefited from it. Do you know that the female inventor of the disposable paper diaper was told it was a stupid idea so she gave up on it? Discover very creditable airplane and submarine inventors that history conveniently forgot! Do you know that the inventor of the astronomical telescope was imprisoned for telling the truth? Find out the deadly demise of the inventor of a system to economically launch satellites! Read the stories of what really happened to the creators of some of the World's Greatest Inventions! These inventions are ones that you will recognize and most people benefit from today, in one form or another. The most fortunate of these inventors received something for their inventionseven if it was a pittance. Others went bankrupt or lost their lives. Some were railroaded or had their inventions stolen. Some were not even recognized for what they invented! They come from all backgrounds and their stories span over 550 years! Stories from U.S., Canadian, English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish inventors are included. There are over 200 pages and 67 fascinating stories all total! "Hapless Heroes" has something to interest everyone...Thirteen Chapters each with their own them...