Thomas Alva Edison: Wizard of Menlo Park

Biographical profile of Thomas Edison, regarded as the inventor of the "method of invention" as much as he is for being "the most prodigious inventor of his era, indeed of all time," as Time Magazine reported in 1999. Edison introduced the concept of the modern research facility and received 1,093 patents during his lifetime; no one else even comes close! Not all of his inventions were new discoveries; some were merely improvements in existing technology. Lamps and bulbs, for example, had been around for years, but his refinement, the incandescent bulb, made light practical, and brought it into shops, factories, and homes. And some of the patents should have been attributed to others who worked with Edison. Award-winning author and syndicated columnist Daniel Alef brings out the story of Edison and his remarkable life of ups, downs and achievements. [1,387-word Titans of Fortune article].