Who Built That : Awe-Inspiring Stories of American Tinkerpreneurs

Conservative journalist Malkin provides an eclectic journey of American capitalism, from the colonial period to the Industrial Age to the present, spotlighting little-known "tinkerpreneurs" who achieved their dreams of doing well by doing good. Learn how Paul Revere became America's first tech titan, how famous patent holders Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain championed the nation's unique system of intellectual property rights, and more.;Engineers of prosperity. Maglite's Tony Maglica : torchbearer of the American Dream ; The wizards of cool : air-conditioning innovators Willis Carrier and Irvine Lyle ; Roebling : the family that built America's most famous bridges -- The miracle of the mundane. I, toilet paper ; Crowning glory : how William Painter's bottle caps became a $9 billion business ; "Keep looking" : how Painter's razor-sharp genius inspired King Gillette ; Seeing dollars in the dirt : the wisdom of Charles E. Hires -- BFFs : dynamic duos of American business. Death-defying mavericks of glass : Edward Libbey and Michael Owens ; "Perfect partnership" : Westinghouse, Tesla, and the harnessing of Niagara Falls -- Past, present, future. Smart limbs : the next generation of American tinkerpreneurs. Firebrand conservative columnist, commentator, Internet entrepreneur, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Michelle Malkin tells the fascinating, little-known stories of the inventors who have contributed to American exceptionalism and technological progress. In July 2012, President Obama infamously proclaimed: "If you?ve got a business?you didn?t build that. Somebody else made that happen." Malkin wholeheartedly disagrees. Who Built That is a rousing tribute to the hidden American capitalists who pioneered everyday inventions. They?re the little big things we take for granted: bottle caps and glassware, tissue paper, flashlights, railroad signals, bridge cables, revolutionary plastics, and more. Malkin takes readers on an eclectic journey of American capitalism, from the colonial period to the Industrial Age to the present, spotlighting awe-inspiring and little-known "tinkerpreneurs" who achieved their dreams of doing well by doing good. You?ll learn how famous patent holders Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain championed the nation?s unique system of intellectual property rights; how glass manufacturing mavericks Edward Libbey and Mike Owens defied naysayers to revolutionize food, beverage, and pharmaceutical packaging; how penniless Croatian immigrant Anthony Maglica started his $400 million Maglite flashlight business in a rented garage; and many more riveting stories that explain our country?s fertile climate for scientific advancement and entrepreneurship. To understand who we are as people, we need to first understand what motivates America?s ordinary and extraordinary makers and risk-takers. Driven by her own experience as a second-generation beneficiary of the American Dream, Malkin skillfully and passionately rebuts collectivist orthodoxy to celebrate the engineers, mechanics, designers, artisans, and relentless tinkerers of all backgrounds who embody our nation?s spirit of self-made entrepreneurialism Firebrand conservative columnist, commentator, Internet entrepreneur, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Michelle Malkin tells the fascinating, little-known stories of the inventors who have contributed to American exceptionalism and technological progress. Call them America's "tinkerpreneurs"—unsung innovators who commercialized their "little" ideas to create products, companies, wealth, and opportunities that thrive today. Tireless, self-made, and largely self-taught, they raised our standard of living with the creation of items we daily take for granted, from razors to bottle caps, flashlights to bridge cables. This entertaining and enlightening treasury is, in part, Michelle Malkin's response to President Obama's infamous assertion that "if you've got a business, you didn't build that." She examines how factors such as profit motive, intellectual property rights, patriotism, faith, family, and an unwavering belief in American exceptionalism set the stage for the creation of toilet paper, glass bottles, the hydroelectric power plant, and more. Demonized by the left as greedy villains and selfish barons, these visionaries have nurtured job-creating powerhouses used today by "progressive" propagandists who can't comprehend how much comfort and convenience they enjoy as a result of the ingenious contributions by these original American dreamers. Are they rich? You bet. They earned their private rewards for the public good. Find out Who Built That —and the next time you turn on your air conditioner, say thank you.