38 Best Books on Inventing

In the spirit of Steve Jobs and Moneyball, Elon Musk is both an illuminating and authorized look at the extraordinary life of one of Silicon Valley’s most exciting, unpredictable, and ambitious entrepreneurs–a real-life Tony Stark–and a fascinating exploration of the renewal of American invention and its new “makers.”
Elon Musk spotlights the technology and vision of Elon Musk, the renowned entrepreneur and innovator behind SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity, who sold one of his Internet companies, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the genius’s life and work, from his tumultuous upbringing in South Africa and flight to the United States to his dramatic technical innovations and entrepreneurial pursuits.
Vance uses Musk’s story to explore one of the pressing questions of our age: can the nation of inventors and creators who led the modern world for a century still compete in an age of fierce global competition? He argues that Musk–one of the most unusual and striking figures in American business history–is a contemporary, visionary amalgam of legendary inventors and industrialists including Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Howard Hughes, and Steve Jobs. More than any other entrepreneur today, Musk has dedicated his energies and his own vast fortune to inventing a future that is as rich and far-reaching as the visionaries of the golden age of science-fiction fantasy.
Thorough and insightful, Elon Musk brings to life a technology industry that is rapidly and dramatically changing by examining the life of one of its most powerful and influential titans.

“Musk’s insistences on explaining the early origins of his passion for electric cars, solar energy and rockets can come off as insecure. It feels as if Musk is trying to shape his life story in a forced way.”

“For Musk, the distinction between stumbling into something and having intent is important.”

“Musk would certainly go on to rely on outside investors, but he put major skin in the game as well.”

“What’s fascinating is that Musk remains willing to lose it all.”

“Zip2 may have been a go-go Internet enterprise aimed at the Information Age, but getting it off the ground required old-fashioned door-to-door salesmanship.”

“The PayPal episode was a mixed bag for Musk. His reputation as a leader suffered in the aftermath of the deal and the media turned on him in earnest for the first time.”

“All Musk had to do to dig Tesla out of this conundrum was lose his entire fortune and verge on a nervous breakdown.”

Creativity, Inc. is a manual for anyone who strives for originality and the first-ever, all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation—into the meetings, postmortems, and “Braintrust” sessions where some of the most successful films in history are made. It is, at heart, a book about creativity—but it is also, as Pixar co-founder and president Ed Catmull writes, “an expression of the ideas that I believe make the best in us possible.”

For nearly twenty years, Pixar has dominated the world of animation, producing such beloved films as the Toy Story trilogy, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up, WALL-E, and Inside Out, which have gone on to set box-office records and garner thirty Academy Awards. The joyousness of the storytelling, the inventive plots, the emotional authenticity: In some ways, Pixar movies are an object lesson in what creativity really is. Here, in this book, Catmull reveals the ideals and techniques that have made Pixar so widely admired—and so profitable.

As a young man, Ed Catmull had a dream: to make the first computer-animated movie. He nurtured that dream as a Ph.D. student at the University of Utah, where many computer science pioneers got their start, and then forged a partnership with George Lucas that led, indirectly, to his co-founding Pixar in 1986. Nine years later, Toy Story was released, changing animation forever. The essential ingredient in that movie’s success—and in the thirteen movies that followed—was the unique environment that Catmull and his colleagues built at Pixar, based on leadership and management philosophies that protect the creative process and defy convention, such as:

• Give a good idea to a mediocre team, and they will screw it up. But give a mediocre idea to a great team, and they will either fix it or come up with something better.
• If you don’t strive to uncover what is unseen and understand its nature, you will be ill prepared to lead.
• It’s not the manager’s job to prevent risks. It’s the manager’s job to make it safe for others to take them.
• The cost of preventing errors is often far greater than the cost of fixing them.
• A company’s communication structure should not mirror its organizational structure. Everybody should be able to talk to anybody.

When the fuzz from his sweater was pulled off by a brick wall he was leaning against, Maurice Kanbar had a brainstorm. Soon he had patented, produced, and successfully promoted the D-Fuzz-It sweater comb, and made his first fortune at the age of 22. In this engaging “master class” Kanbar’s real world hits and misses illustrate the concrete steps every inventor must follow to successfully take his product to market.

On a winter day in 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, two brothers—bicycle mechanics from Dayton, Ohio—changed history. But it would take the world some time to believe that the age of flight had begun, with the first powered machine carrying a pilot.

Orville and Wilbur Wright were men of exceptional courage and determination, and of far-ranging intellectual interests and ceaseless curiosity. When they worked together, no problem seemed to be insurmountable. Wilbur was unquestionably a genius. Orville had such mechanical ingenuity as few had ever seen. That they had no more than a public high school education and little money never stopped them in their mission to take to the air. Nothing did, not even the self-evident reality that every time they took off, they risked being killed.

In this “enjoyable, fast-paced tale” (The Economist), master historian David McCullough “shows as never before how two Ohio boys from a remarkable family taught the world to fly” (The Washington Post) and “captures the marvel of what the Wrights accomplished” (The Wall Street Journal). He draws on the extensive Wright family papers to profile not only the brothers but their sister, Katharine, without whom things might well have gone differently for them. Essential reading, this is “a story of timeless importance, told with uncommon empathy and fluency…about what might be the most astonishing feat mankind has ever accomplished…The Wright Brothers soars” (The New York Times Book Review).

Think you need a patent? Think again. Many of the products Stephen Key has licensed required no intellectual property protection whatsoever, yet have made millions in royalties. But Key also knows what it takes to protect a big idea. Years ago, after reading about how medication bottles rarely contain enough space for the information that needs to be printed on them, he was inspired to develop an innovative label technology. The Spinformation rotating label has been licensed on products the world over, is protected by 20 U.S. and international patents, and has received more than 13 industry awards. To put it simply: Key knows how to use intellectual property to profit. This book will teach you how to:•Get a licensing contract with or without intellectual property•Write a provisional patent application that stops others from stealing your idea•Find and hire a killer patent attorney (they are not all created equal!)•Save thousands of dollars on legal expenses•File patents that have true value•Negotiate a win-win agreementIt also details Stephen’s experience defending his patents in Federal Court—a David versus Goliath saga he has never before written about at length—as well as provides tips about how to avoid a licensing contract from going bad.

How do you actually turn a million-dollar idea into a million dollars? From scribble-on-the-napkin to product-on-the market, The Independent Inventor’s Handbook explains everything a potential inventor needs to know and the tools he or she needs to use to take a raw concept and turn it into reality.

Written by Louis J. Foreman, creator of the PBS series Everyday Edisons and a holder of multiple patents, together with patent attorney Jill Gilbert Welytok, here’s a book that speaks directly to the inventive American―the entrepreneur, the tinkerer, the dreamer, the basement scientist, the stay-at-home mom who figures out how to do it better. (over one million of them file patents each year.) Here is everything a future inventor needs: Understanding the difference between a good idea and a marketable idea. Why investing too much money at the outset can sink you. The downside of design patents, and how best to file an application for a utility patent. Surveys, online test runs, and other strategies for market research on a tight budget. Plus the effective pitch (hint: never say your target audience is “everyone”), questions to ask a prospective manufacturer, 14 licensing land mines to avoid, “looks-like” versus “works-like” prototypes, Ten Things Not to Tell a Venture Capitalist, and how to protect your invention once it’s on the market. Appendices include a glossary of legal, manufacturing, and marketing terms, a sample nondisclosure agreement, and a patent application, deconstructed.

Learn How to Build Your Own Seven-Figure Internet Business.

Do you want to make money online? Are you tired of being told that it’s easy to make millions off the Internet? Would you like a realistic strategy that actually works for real people? What if you could actually build an online business that offered high profit margins and required no significant up-front investment? Would you be interested?

It is possible to build your own profitable online business, but you can’t do it overnight (despite what you have been told by so-called Internet marketing gurus). The simple truth is that you need to choose a solid niche from day one, be willing to consistently work on your business over the course of several months and follow the path laid before you by people that have actually done it.

This is not just another book by an “Internet marketing guru” that teaches you to “make money online.”

Author Matthew Paulson has been building online businesses for more than a decade and he has built multiple six-figure and seven-figure Internet businesses in many different niches. He’s not just another so-called “business guru” that makes money online by teaching people to make money online. By reading this book you will receive his step-by-step plan that will show you exactly how to build your own profitable Internet business (even if you aren’t very tech savvy).

With 50 years of experience as an inventor and well over 60 U.S. patents, Dr. James L. Cairns shares his vast know-how to help you come up with, develop, and benefit from your ideas.

You’ll learn…

• The entire inventing process

• The importance of planning for all contingencies before ever investing capital

• How to protect your creation by filing a patent

All the information about this multi-faceted process, from design patents to international patents, is laid out in an easy-to-follow format rigorously proofed by several lawyers.

The greatest discoveries are made outside the classroom! Learn all about mistakes that changed the world with this collection of the strange stories behind everyday inventions! It’s no accident that you’ll love this book!
 
SANDWICHES came about when an English earl was too busy gambling to eat his meal and needed to keep one hand free. POTATO CHIPS were first cooked by a chef who was furious when a customer complained that his fried potatoes weren’t thin enough. Coca-Cola, Silly Putty, and X rays have fascinating stories behind them too! Their unusual tales, and many more, along with hilarious cartoons and weird, amazing facts, make up this fun-filled book about everyday items that had surprisingly haphazard beginnings.

And don’t miss Eat Your Words about the fascinating language of food! 

“A splendid book that is as informative as it is entertaining . . . a gem.” —Booklist, Starred Review

Flash of Genius And Other True Stories of Invention by John Seabrook, staff writer for The New Yorker, is a collection of true stories about where great ideas come from, and is the basis for the Major Motion Picture starring Greg Kinnear releasing October 2008.

“John Seabrook is one of America’s finest non-fiction writers….Fascinating, entertaining, beautifully written and often poignant…”―Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation

Where Do Great Ideas Come From?

In Flash of Genius, John Seabrook explores the moment when inspiration strikes in an otherwise average life, and what happens when that idea moves out into the larger culture and takes on a life―and commercial possibilities―of its own. The title piece in this collection is the David v. Goliath story of Bob Kearns, a professor and inventor who came up with something we all use every chance we get: the intermittent windshield wiper. When Kearns’ patents were infringed, he fought General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, and eventually prevailed in a classic American story of never giving up, never backing down.

Seabrook has been fascinated by stories of invention and entrepreneurship since childhood, when he grew up with an uncle who invented something as ubiquitous as Bob Kearns’ wipers: boil-in-bag vegetables. In Flash of Genius, Seabrook also writes about his family’s invention and about thirteen other iconoclastic visions that turned into the stuff of every day.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From one of the stars of ABC’s Shark Tank and QVC’s Clever & Unique Creations by Lori Greiner comes a hands-on, nuts-and-bolts guide to getting a new product or company off the ground and making it a success.

Turn your idea into a reality.
Become your own boss.
Make your first million.
Achieve financial freedom.
Lori Greiner shows you how.

Invent It, Sell It, Bank It! is a hands-on, nuts-and-bolts guide to getting a new product or company off the ground and making it profitable. Sharing her own secret formula and personal stories along the way, Lori provides vital information and advice on topics that can often intimidate, frustrate, and stump aspiring entrepreneurs.

Offering behind-the-scenes insights into her experiences on ABC’s Shark Tank and QVC-TV’s Clever & Unique Creations by Lori Greiner, as well as valuable lessons learned from the mistakes and triumphs of her early career, Lori proves that, with hard work and the right idea, anyone can turn themselves into the next overnight success.

Lori covers such topic as . . .

• Market research: Is your idea a hero or a zero? Don’t be so fixated on the end result that you forget to make something that people actually want to buy. 
• Product design: I have an idea, now what’s next? From concept to prototype to final product: How do I make it and where do I start?
• Funding: Although loans, investments, and crowd-sourcing are great ways to access cash, first tap into your own resources as wisely as possible.
• Manufacturing: Seeing your final product roll off the assembly line is a magical moment, but there are things to watch out for so you get there in a cost-effective way.
• Protecting your idea: To patent or not to patent, and other things you can do to safeguard your idea.
• The secrets to selling successfully: You got the product made, now learn how to get people to buy it!

The Industrial Design Reference & Specification Book is the first book to gather all the essential pieces of information industrial designers need on a daily basis in one concise handbook. It’s a reference you’ll turn to over and over again to efficiently create designs that work, last, and minimize unnecessary risk.

To make designs that work and endure (and are also legal), designers need to know—or be able to find—an endless number of details. Whether it’s what kind of glue needs to be used on a certain surface, metric equivalents, thread sizes, or how to apply for a patent, these details are essential and must be readily available so designers can create successful products efficiently.

These pages are filled with information that is critical to successful product design, including information on:

• Measurement conversions
• Trademark and copyright standards
• Patents and product-related intellectual property rights/standards
• Setting up files for prototyping and production runs
• Manufacturing and packaging options to optimize the design

The Industrial Design Reference & Specification Book is an essential resource for any industrial or product designer.

The Reference & Specification Book series from Rockport Publishers offers students and practicing professionals in a range of creative industries must-have information in their area of specialty in an up-to-date, concise handbook.

With must-have updates, a new edition of the bestselling method that shows how anyone can turn their one simple idea into millions – without lifting a finger!

Stephen Key is an award-winning inventor who has licensed more than 20 product ideas. In 2011, he shared the secrets to his success in the bestselling book One Simple Idea. Since that time, many changes have occurred in the entrepreneurial world.

One Simple Idea, Revised and Expanded Edition has been revised and updated to reflect current trends and practices in the industry. In addition to teaching readers how to turn their ideas into marketable products that companies will want to license, Key expands upon his cutting-edge product development, sales, and negotiation strategies, making note of the new opportunities and technologies available to creative people today. The book also features real-life success stories from people who have used the author’s strategies.

Intellectual property is one of the most valuable assets of an innovative company. By their nature as legal documents, patents can be complicated; and, patenting process can be confusing. Especially entrepreneurs, small companies, and individual inventors are at a disadvantage because of the specialization and resources needed. This book covers the most important topics related to patents and patent applications, gives you a step-by-step roadmap of patent prosecution, and also explains the international patent applications as well as the recent changes that the America Invents Act brought.

So you want to produce a short film. Or design a new line of jewelry. Or manufacture a revolutionary solar-powered garden sprinkler. There’s just one catch: You need $100,000 to bankroll your dream, and your checking account has barely enough to cover the rent.
 
Enter Kickstarter.com—the phenomenal “crowdfunding” website launched in 2009 that brings venture capital to the masses. At Kickstarter, it’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to raise $50,000, $100,000, $250,000, or more. All you need is a great idea—and The Kickstarter Handbook.
 
Business journliast Don Steinberg has interviewed dozens of artists and inventors who launched their passion projects online. Through their voices, you’ll explore all the strategies of a successful Kickstarter campaign. You’ll learn the elements of a compelling Kickstarter video, innovative ways to market your projects, tips for getting donors onboard, and the secrets of irresistible Kickstarter “rewards.” You’ll also discover what to do in a best-case scenario—when your project goes viral and the cash starts flowing in. On Kickstarter, it happens to a few lucky visionaries every week. Here’s how to be one of them.

Protect your invention. This edition of the Guide for the Preparation of Patent Drawings replaces the edition published in October 1993. Eighteen-month (pre-grant) publication of utility and plant applications has led to major changes in the way utility and plant drawings are processed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). See the section titled PROCESSING OF DRAWINGS, beginning on Page 3. The section titled SELECTED U.S. RULES OF PRACTICE RELATING TO PATENT DRAWINGS, beginning on Page 7, shows Title 35, United States Code, Section 113 and the drawing rules from Title 37, Code of Federal Regulations. In some instances the rule is followed by additional information under the heading COMMENTS. With respect to the review of drawings in the U.S. national stage of international applications, Appendix 1 shows Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP) 1893.03(f) (Drawings and PCT Rule 11). With respect to Patent Cooperation Treaty drawing rules, Appendix 2 shows PCT Article 7 (The Drawings), PCT Rule 7 (The Drawings), and relevant portions of PCT Rule 11 (Physical Requirements of the International Application). Conventional symbols are discussed and shown in Appendix 3. Appendix 4 presents examples of drawings, each of which serves to illustrate one or more of the drawing standards set forth in 37 CFR 1.84. Appendix 5 shows Form PTO-948 (NOTICE OF DRAFTSPERSON’S PATENT DRAWING REVIEW) as revised in April 2002. PROCESSING OF DRAWINGS Review of Drawings by Office of Initial Patent Examination Utility drawings and plant drawings should be publication-ready at the time the application is filed. In utility and plant applications filed on or after November 29, 2000 (other than continued prosecution applications), the Office of Initial Patent Examination (OIPE) will review the drawings at the time of filing to make sure they are of sufficient quality for publication. (Since design applications are not subject to eighteen-month publication, drawings filed in design applications are not reviewed by OIPE.) The procedure for review of drawings in the Office of Initial Patent Examination is described in Section 507 of the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP), Eighth Edition (August 2001). The Office will enter the publication-ready drawings, and any replacement drawings that applicant files pursuant to MPEP 507, into an electronic database. When the time for eighteen-month publication comes, the drawings in their electronic form will be used in the creation of the patent application (pre-grant) publication. After the application has been allowed, the issue fee has been paid, and any new drawing requirements (including any corrections) have been satisfied, the physical drawing sheets will be captured and used in the creation of the patent (grant) publication. Review by Office Draftsperson There is no requirement that drawings be reviewed by an Office draftsperson. Drawings will be reviewed by an Office draftsperson only if the examiner seeks the draftsperson’s assistance in identifying errors in the drawings. If an Office draftsperson reviews the drawings and finds that they are unacceptable, the draftsperson should complete a NOTICE OF DRAFTPERSON’S PATENT DRAWING REVIEW (Form PTO-948) and provide it to the examiner. On Examiner’s First (Non-Allowance) Action The examiner will make sure the drawings are correctly described in the specification’s brief description of the drawings and in the specification’s detailed description of the invention. See 37 CFR 1.74 on Page 9 of this drawing guide. If a NOTICE OF DRAFTSPERSON’S PATENT DRAWING REVIEW is present in the patent application’s file, the notice should be mailed with the examiner’s first written communication to the applicant. If the examiner sees any additional deficiencies in the drawings, he or she should note those deficiencies in an Office action.

A plain-English guide to intellectual property law.

Whether you are in the world of business or creative arts, understanding the laws that govern your work is critical to success. But given the convoluted terminology that surrounds patents, copyrights, trademarks, and other intellectual property rights, this isn’t easy. Enter Patent, Copyright & Trademark, which explains:

• what legal rights apply to your creations, products, or inventions
• different types of patents for inventions from machines to plant clones
• the scope of copyright protection
• how trademark law works, and
• what trade-secret law protects.

Here, you’ll find readily understandable definitions of intellectual property law terms, straightforward explanations of how intellectual property law affects online content, and much more.

The 16th edition is completely updated to provide the latest laws, court decisions, and sample application and other forms.

America loves innovation and the can-do spirit that made this country what it is—a world leader in self-government, industry, technology, and pop culture.  Everything about America has been an experiment and a leap of faith.  And one such experiment—upon which all others depend for success—is the U.S. Patent System.

Why Has America Stopped Inventing? takes a close look at why this experiment appears to be failing, and why America has all but stopped inventing.

Our belief that we are the most innovative people on earth is mistaken.

Statistics show that today we invent less than half of what our counterparts did a century and a half ago.  Look around: Where are the groundbreaking inventions comparable to those from the Industrial Revolution?  It’s unforgivable that we’ve been using the same mode of transportation for over a century.  Why are we giving trillions of dollars every year to hostile foreign nations for imported oil when we have the inventive talent in America to solve the nation’s energy crisis?

We don’t have these desperately needed technologies because regular Americans have given up on inventing.  Why Has America Stopped Inventing? compares some of America’s most successful 19th century inventors with those of today, showing Jefferson refusing to waste any more weekends examining patent applications, Whitney being robbed of his fortune while the South’s wealth exploded, the patent models that kept British soldiers from burning Washington’s last-standing federal building, the formation of Lincoln’s cabinet, and Selden crippling the entire U.S. Auto Industry.  It also tells the largely unforgotten stories of the Wright brother’s airplane monopoly, the Colt revolver’s role in the Mexican American War, the Sewing Machine wars, the last six months of Daniel Webster’s life, and the controversy surrounding the first telephone patents.

Product development is the magic that turns circuitry, software, and materials into a product, but moving efficiently from concept to manufactured product is a complex process with many potential pitfalls. This practical guide pulls back the curtain to reveal what happens—or should happen—when you take a product from prototype to production.

For makers looking to go pro or product development team members keen to understand the process, author Alan Cohen tracks the development of an intelligent electronic device to explain the strategies and tactics necessary to transform an abstract idea into a successful product that people want to use.

• Learn 11 deadly sins that kill product development projects
• Get an overview of how electronic products are manufactured
• Determine whether your idea has a good chance of being profitable
• Narrow down the product’s functionality and associated costs
• Generate requirements that describe the final product’s details
• Select your processor, operating system, and power sources
• Learn how to comply with safety regulations and standards
• Dive into development—from rapid prototyping to manufacturing

Alan Cohen, a veteran systems and software engineering manager and lifelong technophile, specializes in leading the development of medical devices and other high-reliability products. His passion is to work with engineers and other stakeholders to forge innovative technologies into successful products.

This bestselling primer is packed with everything inventors need to know about patent law basics, including the latest implications of the America Invents Act, the most important change to American patent law in two centuries.

Nolo’s Patents for Beginners helps inventors:

• “read and write” patents
• understand how and why to make a patent search
• determine patent ownership
• acquire patent rights
• understand the basics of patent infringement
• get international patent protection, and
• decide whether to file a provisional patent.

You’ll also find patent and invention resources and a glossary of patent terms. The 9th edition is completely updated to cover all the latest changes in patent law and regulations, including the new “first to file” rules.

Protect and profit from your invention

For 35 years, Patent It Yourself has guided hundreds of thousands of inventors through the process of getting a patent, from start to finish. Patent attorneys David Pressman and David E. Blau provide the latest information, forms, and clear instructions to help you:

• conduct a patent search the right way
• evaluate your idea’s commercial potential
• file a provisional patent application to get “patent pending” status
• prepare a patent application
• focus on your patent application’s claims
• respond to patent examiners
• get your drawings done right
• protect your rights in foreign countries
• deal with infringers, and
• market and license your invention.

The 20th edition covers the latest patent filing rule changes, including the most recent implications of the America Invents Act first-to-file rules.

This floral notebook features .
Our 110-page premium design Inventor’s notebook is perfect for high school and college students, professionals and writers. Featuring a classic, colorful floral vintage cover design.

✓ Pages: 110 Pages
✓ Size: 8.5″ x 11″
✓ Cornell Note-Taking System Pages
✓ Sturdy Matte Cover
✓ Index
✓ Paperback
✓ Consecutively numbered
✓ Signature space for inventor and witnesses

Written by inventors for inventors, this guide outlines the steps involved with moving a product from the idea phase to market on an extremely limited budget. Filled with advice on how to save money during every phase of the inventive process and how to avoid falling into the traps set to ensnare unwary inventors, this handbook defines the steps involved in developing, protecting, and marketing ideas while maximizing the chances of getting products to market. Tips include how to find out if your idea has already been done; how to obtain free (or nearly free) help; how to pace expenditures; when to spend money and when to hold back; how to know who may or may not be trusted; and where to find sources of funding to enable the pursuit of the invention.

Learn about the role that patent models played in American history–and even learn to build your own replica!

Patent models, working models required for US patent filings from 1790 to 1880, offer insight into–and inspiration from–a period of intense technological advancement, the Industrial Revolution. The Rothschild Patent Model Collection consists of thousands of patent models, many from the 19th century. This book features the most outstanding of these patent models, and offers deep insight into the cultural, economic, and political history of the United States.

This book not only catalogs hundreds of the most compelling models from the collection, but shows you how to build your own replicas of several selected models using Lego, 3D printing, and other materials and techniques.