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Invention: A Life Hardcover – September 7, 2021
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Famously, over a four-year period, James Dyson made 5,127 prototypes of the cyclonic vacuum cleaner that would transform the way houses are cleaned around the world. In devoting all his resources to iteratively developing the technology, he risked it all, but out of many failures and setbacks came hard-fought success. His products—including vacuum cleaners, hair dryers and hair stylers, and fans and purifiers—are not only revolutionary technologies, but design classics. This was a legacy of his time studying at the Royal College of Art in the 1960s, when he was inspired by some of the most famous artists, designers, and inventors of the era, as well as his engineering heroes such as Frank Whittle and Alex Issigonis.
In Invention: A Life, Dyson reveals how he came to set up his own company and led it to become one of the most inventive technology companies in the world. It is a compelling and dramatic tale, with many obstacles overcome. Dyson has always looked to the future, even setting up his own university to help provide the next generation of engineers and designers. For, as he says, “everything changes all the time, so experience is of little use.”
Whether you are someone who has an idea for a better product, an aspiring entrepreneur, whether you appreciate great design or a page-turning read, Invention: A Life offers you inspiration, hope, and much more.
- Print length352 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherSimon & Schuster
- Publication dateSeptember 7, 2021
- Dimensions6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
- ISBN-101982188421
- ISBN-13978-1982188429
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Editorial Reviews
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—Wall Street Journal
"An entertaining and inspiring memoir by a fellow who’s nearly impossible to pigeonhole—and good thing, too....The British inventor and vacuum-cleaner magnate delivers a paean to creativity and creation....His overarching point is very well taken: He makes a powerful argument that our educational systems are not giving sufficient attention to fostering creativity and the independent spirit required of the inventor, thereby stifling innovation."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“[Dyson’s] written a book called Invention, but that’s the publisher’s title. He wanted to call it Failure because what we’ve all forgotten in our modern-day blame culture is that no achievement is possible without foul-ups. Every successful invention is the result of trial and error, with the emphasis on error…the central message in his book is that there are no shortcuts to success.”
—Sunday Times of London
"I left this book enlightened about engineering and design, and impressed by Dyson's dogged, trailblazing spirit."
—Sunday Times
"This is not a book about business, but rather education, mentorship, and self-reliance. Invention: A Life celebrates the unknown and encourages stepping into it and uncovering entrepreneurism."
—Women Love Tech
"Dyson, like other great entrepreneurs, finds joy in failing because each experiment teaches him something he can use to reinvent a product or category. In fact, the words "failure" and "fail" appear over 50 times throughout Dyson's book...Dyson's famous 5,126 failures offer valuable lessons in storytelling for all entrepreneurs and business owners."
—Inc.com
"In his book Invention: A Life, Dyson, explains not just how he built his empire but how his life is as much about failure as it is about success—and why that makes him happy."
—Air Mail
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Product details
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster (September 7, 2021)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 352 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1982188421
- ISBN-13 : 978-1982188429
- Item Weight : 1.25 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #146,802 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #476 in Biographies of Business & Industrial Professionals
- #978 in Entrepreneurship (Books)
- #2,153 in Leadership & Motivation
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That's what James Dyson does in this book. He writes about his life in a way that unashamedly praises himself and his own outlook on life. But surprisingly, that's not bad. It works out pretty well.
James Dyson has reason to brag. Thought to be the fourth richest person in the United Kingdom, with billions of pounds to his name, James Dyson built it all on the back of his risky bet on a vacuum cleaner that doesn't lose suction. He bet all his money and four years of his life on being able to use cyclone separator technology to build a machine that sucks. And he won.
His is an interesting story. James Dyson lost his father to cancer at the age of eight, and it colored the rest of his life. He points out that 85% of British prime ministers lost their fathers at an early age, and many US presidents (including George Washington, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama).
James Dyson did not have an easy road to the riches and fame he now has. He took a lot of risks and he failed a lot, over and over again. But the failures were never of a devastating kind, and so failure made him stronger.
James Dyson interlaces his life story with his observations on life. He is very perceptive about many things, but a bit blind about others. His book is a lot like his life -- where he fails it is in minor things and where he succeeds it is major.
That makes the book worth reading, hagiographical as it is. Especially if you (as I do) have an interest in invention. The subtitle of the book is "Invention: A Life", and the book's value lies as much in its musings on invention as in outlining James Dyson's life.
Some of the principles he discusses:
-- Inventing is not just finding what works, but what doesn't work. You need to experiment to the point of failure to find the best solution.
-- Failure teaches more than success does. But there's no guarantee that repeated failure will lead to success.
Top reviews from other countries
-Daniel (Desvil) Elijah (Pavleu.com)