Before the World Was Ready

Eight fascinating tales of scientists ahead of their time, from Copernicus to Rachel Carson.

Earth revolves around the sun. Washing hands helps stop the spread of disease. Poisons in the environment affect the entire ecosystem. Today, these ideas are common knowledge, but at one time they were all rejected. It can take years for people to accept a new idea or invention that changes the way they see the world.

In this thought-provoking book, you'll find out what happened when people weren't ready to listen to innovators who came up with revolutionary ideas. Discover why "mad scientist" Nikola Tesla's futuristic ideas about electricity were dismissed, why Charles Darwin delayed publishing his controversial theory of evolution for decades, and how Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace nearly invented the first computer in the 1800s. Nowadays, we think of these scientists are heroes, but they all endured great personal hardships for daring to think differently.