Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 23
 I haven't read it and I wont! June 10, 2009
James Nowak
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I just watched Sir Harold Evans pushing his book. He talked extensively about Thomas Edison electrifying america. Edison did not do it and could not do it with his direct current. Nikola Tesla electrified america with alternating current. Evans is full of it.
 Fascinating History! June 7, 2009
Rose A. Butler (Fallon, NV, USA)
An excellent source of info on how America ingenuity changed America and the planet from early days until now. The section on Bank of America's founder as well as the article on the invention of Levis make history come alive. None of the chapters are boring.
Recommended for all ages.
 They made America May 8, 2009
David Carnevale (Harrisville, RI United States)
I thouroughly enjoyed this book. written with just enough detail and mechanical description, without going overboard. Goes into the history of these innovators as well as how they formulated their ideas. Do you know the difference between an innovator and an inventor? This book will tell you.
Great book.
 Much too abridged March 1, 2009
Graybeard (USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is a review of the audio CD version of "They Made America," by Harold Evans. The audio CD version is a severely abridged version of the book. That by itself isn't necessarily a fatal flaw of the audio book; it's just that some questionable chapters that could have easily been left out of the abridged edition and probably should have never been in the unabridged edition in the first place, were left in the abridged audio CD edition, to its disadvantage. This is unfortunate because excluding those forgettable chapters would have freed up space for some really good chapters that were left out of the abridged audio version.
For example, the chapters on Ruth Handler (inventor of the Barbie Doll), Sarah Breedlove Walker (inventor of some hair care products), and Ida Rosenthal (inventor of the Maidenform Bra), could have -- should have -- been left out of all editions.
One American woman that I was disappointed not to see a chapter on was Rear Admiral (Dr.) Grace Murray Hopper, who developed the first compiler, helped program the UNIVAC, helped develop COBOL, and did other pioneering work in computer science in the military, government and industry for 60 years. For her many accomplishments, which, in their own way, helped make America, she was the first woman to receive The National Medal of Technology.
Important person omitted! November 26, 2007
Ronald J. Fischer (San Jose, CA)
1 out of 7 found this review helpful
Harold Evans who wrote They Made America seems to have left out a very important person, Nicola Tesla. I believe he was the inventor of AC electricity, the alternating current. Edison was only interested in DC, and was adamant that direct current was the right way to go. It turned out that he was wrong. DC is very limited. Without AC electricity could not be moved over long distances.
I think I understand the reason why Tesla is omitted from this and other lists of the greats. In his elder years he got a little crazy. He was also considered somewhat of an egotist in general, which he probably was. He challenged Einstein's theory of relativity, and other modern theories, and claimed that you could not produce energy from matter. "Atomic power is an illusion" he frequently declared. He also claimed to have a "dynamic theory of gravity" which was never published.
This is a very poor reason to ignore his genius but I can't think of any other reason for it. At least the unit of magnetic flux density was named after him so some people thought he was great!
Ronald Fischer
3050 Beckley Dr
San Jose, CA 95135
(408)238-6296
Showing reviews 1-5 of 23
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