One hot summer day a twelve-year-old boy worked alone in his father's small factory in Schenectady, New York. He was cutting pipe by hand, an arduous task, and it was apparent that he could not finish the job for several days. Then he had an idea! He converted a nearby lathe into a crude cutting machine and astonished his father by completing the entire job in only a few hours. The boy was George Westinghouse, and the ingenious machine he built that day in 1858 was his first successful invention. For the rest of his life Westinghouse continued to amaze people with his ability to invent machines and other equipment that brought untold benefits to mankind.

George Westinghouse was a man of vision who eagerly met the challenges of a young, raw nation still settling its frontiers. One of his early inventions, an air brake that would revolutionize the railroad industry, was ridiculed by many railroad executives as impractical or foolish. So Westinghouse built and installed his brakes in a train at his own expense and dramatically proved their immense value to everyone.

At twenty-three he was president of his own company, producing his air brakes for railroads throughout the country. Later he devised a way to furnish the city of Pittsburgh with natural gas. His work on transmitting electricity at low cost brought power and light to millions. He harnessed the power of Niagara Falls, and late in life invented the shock absorber for automobiles. As the owner of many factories, he introduced benefits for his employees that were unheard of in his day. Always he was concerned with using his inventions to eliminate drudgery and bring safety and comfort to the lives of other people.

This biography of Westinghouse is full of the excitement of his many discoveries and the dramatic battles he fought to bring them from his workshop into practical use. The author has captured the spirit of this energetically devoted man and, at the same time, has re-created the vitality and momentous events of an important chapter in history—the Industrial Revolution in America.

From the dust jacket