Critical Analysis Thomas Edison

Rachel Williams
Richard Hutchison
History 1302
18 July 2012
Industrial Revolution: Thomas Edison The industrial revolution marked a time of great change from a rural nation to an urban-industrial society. Thomas Alva Edison was a very influential inventor of the Industrial revolution. In the 1970’s there are records of only 276 patented inventions, by the 1890’s there were 234,956 on record. Thomas Edison was responsible for some of the most revolutionary products of all time, the light bulb, the phonograph, and many others. Those inventions played a big part in the accelerated pace of the industrial change of the time. I am writing this paper to compare and contrast two authors’ views concerning Thomas Edison. The first article is “The Inventor,” written by, Richard Stengel. “The Inventor” is about how Stengel believes that Edison’s greatest invention was the modern method of invention as opposed to the light bulb. The author also explains that Edison’s methods of research and development could be used today to help our nation’s lack of both research and development despite the fact that we live in a time of great innovation. The Second article is “The Electrifying Edison,” written by Bryan Walsh. “The Electrifying Edison” is about how the great inventors of the nineteenth century shaped today’s society, and how Thomas Alva Edison was the greatest of them all. The author goes on to explain that Thomas Edison’s hands on learning process helped to shape the way children learn in the classroom today. In conclusion I am going to critique the authors using compare and contrast. “The Inventor” was written to show readers that Thomas Edison’s Invention of Inventing as well as his methods of problem solving and group work is still used today by modern innovators, such as, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Stengel believes that Thomas Edison is an example much needed in these times, being that “Though we live in a time of great innovation, the U.S. is in danger of losing its pre-eminence in science and technology.” (Stengel 1). “The Electrifying Edison,” focuses on why Thomas Edison was the greatest inventor of the nineteenth century as opposed to his greatest invention like Richard Stengel does in, “The Inventor.” Bryan Walsh associates Thomas Edison’s hands on learning process and group work to the way children learn today in the same way that Stengel compares Edison’s group work to the modern innovators. Both authors, Stengel and Walsh, were effective in there writing. The main points of each article were clearly stated and proved. Although both authors brought up good points on each topic I felt as if there articles were more opinionated than factual. I did agree with both of their opinions. Without Thomas Edison’s invention of inventing we would be nowhere we are today. I also agree that he is the greatest mind of the nineteenth century.

Works Cited

Stengel, R. (2010, June 23). The Inventor. Time Magazine , p. 1.
Walsh, B. (2010, June 23). The Electrifying Edison. Time Magazine , pp. 1-2.

Cited: Stengel, R. (2010, June 23). The Inventor. Time Magazine , p. 1. Walsh, B. (2010, June 23). The Electrifying Edison. Time Magazine , pp. 1-2.