∎ PDF Noble Obsession Charles Goodyear Thomas Hancock and the Race to Unlock the Greatest Industrial Secret of the 19th Century Charles Slack Books

Noble Obsession Charles Goodyear Thomas Hancock and the Race to Unlock the Greatest Industrial Secret of the 19th Century Charles Slack Books

Download As PDF : Noble Obsession Charles Goodyear Thomas Hancock and the Race to Unlock the Greatest Industrial Secret of the 19th Century Charles Slack Books

Noble Obsession Charles Goodyear Thomas Hancock and the Race to Unlock the Greatest Industrial Secret of the 19th Century Charles Slack Books

The book is well researched and sheds some light on one of the most important , while least famous, scientific discovery of our time: the modern rubber processing.
While telling this story, the author does also a great job in portraying with vivid colors some aspects of the life and society of 1800 America.
Goodyear devotes his existence to study and modify the behavior of the rubber and during this pursuit endures poverty, frequent prison stints and health deterioration. But most of all he neglects completely the needs of his family, spending all his money on rubber research.
While Mr Slack defines Goodyear as an " obsessed " man I think a more correct definition could be closer to mental illness.
The book spends quite some space in describing the legal fights between the key players involved with patents regarding rubber processing, and I found these sections not very interesting.
4 stars.


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Noble Obsession Charles Goodyear Thomas Hancock and the Race to Unlock the Greatest Industrial Secret of the 19th Century Charles Slack Books Reviews

You would never know it by today's sales rank where currently it is ranked 1,102,030!!!! Like most of the others who have reviewed this book, I found it to be superb. Charles Slack takes us back to nineteenth century America and one mans obsession with an idea. Many folks bought into his idea for a time and some of them lost a lot of money in the process. Most people considered him a fool. But Charles Goodyear devoted most of his working life to perfecting the art of vulcanization. His efforts resulted in a product with literally thousands of commercial uses. It is a truly remarkable story told in a most engaging manner. Never mind the best sellers.....give this one a try. I guarantee you that you won't be disappointed.
Thomas Goodyear was your typical mad scientist. He focused all his energies on discovering how to better utilize rubber in a rapidly industrializing world. He did just that by inventing a formula of natural rubber with lead and sulfur added in and then heat treated. This initial discovery helped in the durability of shoes, raincoats, coverings, and other useful items. However in the course of discovering this formula, he had some sharks that claimed his discovery for themselves such as the English rubber baron Hancock and a American cad by the name of Day. Goodyear suffered many family and financial setbacks. He died poor but his invention made the world better. The latter day founders of Goodyear Tire and Rubber named their company after him.

This is a nice read about a devoted scientist and inventor. Thomas Goodyear certainly lived a strange and interesting lift. This book details this well in a short interesting read.
Some pieces of history just do not seem to be the stuff of entertaining books - such as the history of rubber. Mr. Slack turns this bit of history into a thoroughly entertaining and informative book. Of course, he had the whacky Charles Goodyear to help along the way. To say Goodyear was obsessive would be to understate the case.
Mr. Slack weaves the efforts of Goodyear and his rivals to make rubber a useful commodity into a compelling read. Goodyear's successful efforts - after years of amusing failures - are purloined along the way by a rogue's gallery of figures. The title would imply a greater role for Hancock than he appeears in the book, but Mr. Slack shows his scientific methodology and buusiness sense in contrast to Goodyear's lack thereof to great effect.
As we watch Goodyear trip and fall repeatedly on his way to stumbling onto the answer, Mr. Slack explains the science behind the experiments well. Adding to the book is Mr. Slack's ability to give the historical perspective. He relates well the times and the burgeoning industrial age, so that when the answer to production of rubber is found, its impact on the age is comprehended by the reader.
A terrific and well-written history. Strongly recommended.
Everyday from the elastic bands in the office to the tires on planes and automobiles, rubber keeps the world moving and together. The story of how it went from an impractical curiosity to a modern marvel of science is the subject of this fascinating story.
Charles Goodyear was a failed businessman with a determination to wrest from India-gum rubber the secret of the age. How to prepare the substance so it could withstand the extremes of heat and cold. Without this knowledge all rubber products were doomed to a short life span and an ignominious end as a sticky glob or a frozen and brittle pile of scraps. Goodyear sacrifices all the comforts he has; he begs and borrows shamelessly from his friend and family. He is thrown into debtor's prison more than once. His family sickens from lack of heat and proper nutrition. Against all the odds, the crackpot genius does discover the long sought process and then his REAL troubles start.
If Charles Goodyear thought that no one wants to be your friend when you are unsuccessful, his list of enemies Is nothing compared to when he has success in his grasp. Out of the woodwork come charlatans and crooks all ready willing and able to steal the victory laurels from their rightful owner.
This is the kind of story that fill the headlines today and makes us all lament about hoe much better things were in the `old days'. The more things change they more they stay the same.
a great book.
Charles was determined and would be considered by most, including the author, a "mad man." People are attracted to those who have a deep meaning, a purpose that comes before the self. His wife who passed early was clearly one of those people. She kept him close and served him so he could keep on the path of advancing rubber for the sake of humanity.

His wife knew what Charles was onto was special, and that is why she stayed with him. Despite being a poor provider. The author could only came up with, "How did she stay with Charles when he was using her oven to bake rubber strips?"
The book is well researched and sheds some light on one of the most important , while least famous, scientific discovery of our time the modern rubber processing.
While telling this story, the author does also a great job in portraying with vivid colors some aspects of the life and society of 1800 America.
Goodyear devotes his existence to study and modify the behavior of the rubber and during this pursuit endures poverty, frequent prison stints and health deterioration. But most of all he neglects completely the needs of his family, spending all his money on rubber research.
While Mr Slack defines Goodyear as an " obsessed " man I think a more correct definition could be closer to mental illness.
The book spends quite some space in describing the legal fights between the key players involved with patents regarding rubber processing, and I found these sections not very interesting.
4 stars.