The Nearly Men

Mike Green

Some of the most important innovations in history have a long gestation period, with the person most famous for their development often drawing greatly from the work of other unsung heroes and sometimes stealing it outright.

Sadly, the poor souls who did the hard work aren't remembered and The Nearly Men is an attempt to address that imbalance. From Antonio Meucci, the real inventor of the telephone, through Alan Turing, responsible for making major developments in computing; Robert Hooke, who postulated the concept of planetary motion before Newton; Nikola Tesla, who died almost penniless while Marconi used his theories to develop wireless radio communication and Joseph Swan, who came up with the design of the light bulb, only to have it snatched by Thomas Edison, these and many others have their stories told here in The Nearly Men.

Review by Rhi (120108) Rating (9/10)

Review by Rhi
This book provides the reader with a humorous and light hearted approach to science history. Each chapter is dedicated to one individual who has been, through one means or another, deprived of their contribution to our technological advance.

The inventions each of these people worked on, and dedicated their lives to, is mirrored in the every day items we now take for granted, like the computer, light bulb and telephone. It is very interesting to read their stories and the book gives them the credit and recognition they deserve, even if it is overdue!

The Nearly Men is definitely a recommended read and is written in a clear and concise way, which means a reader who does not have any in depth knowledge of these subjects can still easily relate to them.
Rhi (12th Janauary 2008)