Review of "Young Edison: The True Story of Edison’s Boyhood," by W. E. Wise

 Review of

Young Edison: The True Story of Edison’s Boyhood, by W. E. Wise

Four out of five stars

Early life of the American inventor superstar

 Like so many people that created an incredible business enterprise when they were in early adulthood, Thomas Edison did not do well in school. Which is understandable, for it is easy to see how such a mentally talented person would be bored by a rote system designed for the lowest level of student.

 This book describes his early life, how he left home at the age of twelve to work a job on the railroad and how he worked at many jobs and long hours. Yet, he also managed to perform experiments and read books, so he was self-educated at a very high level.

 Many inventors have developed their creations in the United States, yet despite the impressiveness of the people on that list, Edison still heads the list and laps the field. He developed the research lab and not a day can go by without using his inventions. It is also clear that he was an integral part of the invention process at his labs.

 Edison’s early life was one of incredible inquisitiveness and constant exploration. As long as such children manage to survive to adulthood, they tend to be very successful. Edison barely survived, being rescued from almost falling for a train, he was saved by being pulled up by his ears. Which led to his near deafness, a trait that never slowed him down.

 This is a fun book to read, while targeted at the YA market, adults can enjoy it as well. Especially the parents of extremely inquisitive children.