The book basically tells the story of Henry Ford, from his early childhood until his death in 1947.
However, the book is not a basic biography, but focuses on his contribution to the invention of the automobile and, perhaps more importantly, the "modern age", including mass production, standardization, economies of scale and even urban culture.
Was it good?
For me, not having ready any other Ford biography, the book is highly fascinating. The book not only describes how the internal combustion engine automobile and industrialized mass production came to be, but also sheds light on the mindset of Ford and his colleagues who brought all this about (including Ford's contemporary competitors).
In particular, it became very obvious that it did not suffice by any means for Ford to be in teh right place at the right time, but in addition he expended significant effort in inventing some key technical constructions (such as the carburettor), conducting important publicity stunts (e.g. in early car racing) and organizing for efficiency and scale.
Towards the end, it also highlights the mental - and some organizational - inertia towards quite necessary renewal.
The main take-away for me?
Like some other inventor-innovator-related books, the main take-away here for me is that the right idea is just a start: in addition to that there must be a lot of hard work to bring the idea to fruition. Thus, some short journalistic accounts on new innovations or innovators often do not do justice on all the work that takes place "behind the scenes".
Who should read the book?
I think that the book is of quite general interest, and it is certainly written in such a way that basically anyone can enjoy it. However, those interested in cars, (history of) technology and engineering in general probably will enjoy the book the most.
The book on Amazon.com: I invented the modern age
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