Here is an entertaining, erudite and witty introduction to the great inventors of the world.  Bursting with facts, serious and comic, the book describes the lives and work of more than fifty major innovators, with delightful illustrated references to hundreds more.  A colourful and informative "timeline" provides a glimpse into the lives and times of each of these inventors.  Spanning a period of thousands of years—from the unknown man or woman who invented the wheel, to the research teams at work today on space technology or on Virtual Reality—Gillian Clement's' book is a splendid celebration of the ingenuity of people throughout history. 

From the dust jacket