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Book Reviews of The Chord of Steel: Alexander Graham Bell and the Invention of the Telephone

The Chord of Steel: Alexander Graham Bell and the Invention of the Telephone
The Chord of Steel Alexander Graham Bell and the Invention of the Telephone
Author: Thomas B. Costain
ISBN-13: 9780385007023
ISBN-10: 0385007027
Rating:
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0 stars, based on 0 rating
Publisher: DoubleDay
Book Type: Unknown Binding
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2 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed The Chord of Steel: Alexander Graham Bell and the Invention of the Telephone on + 1434 more book reviews
Great story! The author chose to write it because he was born in the town where Bell's parents moved to recover his health. Costain's wife urged him to tell it. When Bell later moved to the Boston area he returned when he needed his parent's support and/or recover his health. The author's passionate admiration made me I had lived to know the genius. Bell was a humble man to whom great wealth meant little beside the urge to pursue intriguing challenges.

Bell loved teaching and working with those whose hearing was impaired. Throughout his life he sat across from his hearing impaired wife so she could be involved in conversation. Yet his passion and genius found its true outlet inventoring. He didn't invent only the telephone. Once that was done, he moved to accomplish much more. From pages 211-212 readers find this list:

"Developed two new breeds of sheep;
Co-inventor of the aileron;
Experimented with an X-ray device;
Invented the action comic strip;
Invented an air conditioning system'
Invented an electrical probe for surgeons;
Invented the wax-disc phonograph record;
Suggested the iron lung;
Developed the fastest motor boat for its time;
Suggested an echo device for measurin water depth;
Predicted air power as the key to world supremacy;
Suggested a sound dector to locate icebergs;
Invented a method of tranmitting speech and sounds over a light beam;
Invented a devide to remove wheat husks before grinding'
Invented a method to change sea water into drinking water."
amerigo avatar reviewed The Chord of Steel: Alexander Graham Bell and the Invention of the Telephone on
A good, fictionalized biography about the Alexander Graham Bell, his family life, and what led him to the invention of the telephone. It's clear, concise, and interesting.