Invention
A Life of Learning Through Failure
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Narrated by:
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James Dyson
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Written by:
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James Dyson
About this listen
Dyson has become a byword for high-performing products, technology, design, and invention. Now, James Dyson, the inventor and entrepreneur who made it all happen, tells his remarkable and inspirational story in Invention: A Life, "one of the year's most relevant and revelatory business books" (The Wall Street Journal).
Famously, over a four-year period, James Dyson made 5,127 prototypes of the cyclonic vacuum cleaner that would transform the way houses are cleaned around the world. In devoting all his resources to iteratively developing the technology, he risked it all, but out of many failures and setbacks came hard-fought success. His products - including vacuum cleaners, hair dryers and hair stylers, and fans and purifiers - are not only revolutionary technologies, but design classics. This was a legacy of his time studying at the Royal College of Art in the 1960s, when he was inspired by some of the most famous artists, designers, and inventors of the era, as well as his engineering heroes such as Frank Whittle and Alex Issigonis.
In Invention: A Life, Dyson reveals how he came to set up his own company and led it to become one of the most inventive technology companies in the world. It is a compelling and dramatic tale, with many obstacles overcome. Dyson has always looked to the future, even setting up his own university to help provide the next generation of engineers and designers. For, as he says, “everything changes all the time, so experience is of little use”.
Whether you are someone who has an idea for a better product, an aspiring entrepreneur, whether you appreciate great design or a pause-resisting story, Invention: A Life offers you inspiration, hope, and much more.
©2021 James Dyson. All rights reserved. Originally published in Great Britain in 2021 by Simon & Schuster UK. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.You may also enjoy...
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- Written by: John Huey, Sam Walton
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Overall
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What it means to commit everything to your dream.
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Written by: John Huey, and others
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- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
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chronically and no story
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Written by: Leander Kahney
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- The Adventures of a Business Maverick
- Written by: Sam Zell
- Narrated by: Sam Zell
- Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
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Story
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-
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-
Onward
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- Written by: Howard Schultz, Joanne Gordon
- Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
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-
Overall
-
Performance
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Performance
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What listeners say about Invention
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- Michael Watchorn
- 2021-09-11
Difficult to listen to
I really wanted to hear the Dyson story, but I just couldn't listen to him tell it. Painful.
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