Awesome Achievers in Technology

Book Title: Awesome Achievers in Technology: Super and Strange Facts about 12 Almost Famous History Makers

Note:

1. I read the Uncorrected proof or the Advance Review Copy(ARC). So the review I post here is solely for this version of the book and does not reflect the quality of the future corrected or improvized edition.
2. This review basically highlights the high points of the book as well as the areas which need further nourishment.
3. This book is targeted at Middle-Grade children and falls under the category 'Juvenile-NonFiction'

What is it about?

You have probably heard or even used Apple's AI assistant application popularly known as the 'Siri'. But do you know the brain behind the technology or the person who lent her voice to it?

Henry Ford is considered as the Father of Automobiles and it is a well-known fact. But do we actually know the persons behind the most important safety aspects of any car that whizzes past you on the road? 'Seat belt' and 'Wind Screen Wiper'. Though they constitute a minor part of an automobile, they actually save the lives of over a million people every year.

Their achievements may have gone unheard in this fast-moving world, But thanks to Alan Katz, who made a commendable effort to present us with a compilation of 12 'Awesome Achievers' who have Directly/In-Directly contributed to the betterment of the world we live in today. From the man behind the World Wide Web - the very technology I use to post a review and you use to read it, to the man who made us all become Couch Potatoes by inventing the TV Remote Control, this book lays down the information about 12 such persons and their achievements, the key driving force that led them to invent a solution, and much more.

The Highs:

They say the first impression is the best one and I was really impressed with what the author had to say in the book's preface. Since I'm not allowed to post the exact words without his consent, I'll put it down in my own words.

The way Alan Katz sees, there are 3 types of heroes:

The Fictional Cape-wearing ones, though exciting but not real.
The real-life nation-saving military personnel who deserve the utmost respect.
And then there is this Giant list of Heroic Figures whose crucial achievements have been poorly celebrated.

In the age where we often patronize the reel-life heroes more, I love the fact that he addressed the contributions of the silent achievers and Trailblazers of the world without which some of the technological comforts we enjoy today would cease to exist.

At the end of each chapter, the author presented his very own views/opinions about the achievers which were, most of the time very humorous. I found myself grinning whenever I read his funny suggestions, Crazy ideas, and thoughts. There is definitely this Fun Factor which would allow the child to develop an instant liking to it.

The scope of improvement:

Even though the book is directed at pre-teens, I'd actually like the book to be backed with even more detail about their backstory, the kind of upbringing they had, the numerous failures they incurred during the course of development of the product/technology etc.

I'm not sure whether the Artwork/Illustrations in the book were the rough ones or the actual ones which would later be printed, but they were pretty neat and cute. They could do with a bit of coloring though, but Full Credits to Chris Judge for his superb work.

Please do make a series out of this. I really wish to know about even more 'Awesome Achievers'.

Footnotes:

Although I could've simply just stopped with rating the book, I took time and effort to write this review sheerly because of the author's genuine attempt to educate the younger generation by showing them some of the un-heard but true heroes of the world.

So, When I see an author with such noble intentions, I would go any length to support him and make his voice heard or his work known by the community.

Thanks to author/publisher/netgalley for an ARC of the book.

While we know all about major companies and its founder , there are so many things are essential to our everyday life that we have never stopped and look up who made it possible. Like the microwave that is essential to everyday life or the fibre optic technologies without which we cannot stay connected.. This book beautifully covers those.

Since this book is for children, i think the author has done an excellent job of covering the important points in a crisp way and not make it like a lesson. If kids are interested they can always find more info themselves.

The sketches and formatting did not come out good in the kindle edition however since its an unedited copy, i am sure it will be ok before final release.

Whenever I get books like this, I start by skimming the table of contents to see if any of the names are any that I recognize. Then I see when i read the book how many of their achievements I know about. This book was no different - of the 12 listed in the table of contents I thought I may have recognized 1 name, but I wasn't entirely sure. Then I read the note from the author that said, "And then there's a giant list of heroic figures that are unknown to most people. Top achievers whose work hasn't been properly celebrated" So maybe it makes sense that I didn't recognize these names upon first inspection. But their achievements I knew all about - Atari, Siri, seat belts, Sierra Online, TV remote, windshield wiper, cell phone, home security system, web browser, fiber optic cables, microwave oven, Scotchguard.

Some of these things I use daily, and still have no idea where they came from or invented them. Well, now I know. Will I remember? We'll see the next time one of their names pops up at trivia. In addition to the information about each inventor, each chapter has some extra details, some fun notes from the author and some illustrations as well. There's also a sneak peak at Awesome Achievers in Science - and wouldn't know you BOTH of the guys mentioned I knew who they were and what they achieved. Guess I'll have to read that one next.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review, I was not otherwise compensated. This book will be released August 6, 2019 from Perseus Books, Running Press.