Reluctant Genius
The Passions and Inventions of Alexander Graham Bell
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Price:
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$36.95
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On Sale:
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31/08/2006
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Formats:
Hardcover
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We all know him as the inventor of the telephone, a
white-bearded figure in the photographs taken near the end of his days when he
became the ubiquitous “Father of Telephony.” But the young Alex Bell was a
passionate and wild-eyed genius, a man given to fits of brilliance and
melancholy. He loved, above all, to invent—well beyond the telephone, his
technologies for photophones, tetrahedrals, flying machines and hydrodomes laid
the groundwork for future achievement. And he loved his wife, Mabel, the
beautiful but deaf young woman from a blueblood Boston family, who became the
mainstay of this eccentric inventor and a far greater influence on his life than
previously considered.
In this elegant and richly detailed biography, Gray goes where
no other writer has gone, delving deeply into Bell’s personality to discover why
he left the intellectual stimulation of mid-century Edinburgh; why he married a
woman so different from his own temperament and background; and why he shunned
wealth and fame, becoming a spectator on the industry he had spawned. Moving
from the sooty streets of Edinburgh to the stifling parlours of Boston society
to the isolated beauty of Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Reluctant Genius takes us
on an intimate journey into the golden age of invention. Impeccably researched
and written with Gray’s unerring eye for fascinating personal and historical
detail, Reluctant Genius is a vibrant story of a man whose life and work
echo hugely with us today.
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Author Extras
Reading Guides:
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Critical Praise for
Reluctant Genius
"[A] splendid new biography of the remarkable man who invented the telephone.... Ms. Gray devotes considerable space to the sometimes-stormy relations between Alec and Mabel, but in so doing gives Mabel her rightful place as Bell's partner as well as his wife. Reluctant Genius is a winner."
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Washington Times
"Charlotte Gray is a masterful biographer for she has translated prodigious research into a clear and insightful portrait of her subject. Thanks to her gifts as a storyteller, the accounts of Bell, his family, in-laws, friends, associates and rivals are riveting. Gray has produced a highly readable book that will captivate anyone interested in knowing the many sides of a man with a most inventive mind and in learning about Mabel Hubbard, the woman who laid the foundation for his many achievements."
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The Beaver
"A telephonic union of sensation and discovery."
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Vancouver Sun
"Rich in detail and measured in pace....It is not only a fascinating book about an important inventor...but also a good story about two lives well lived."
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The Globe and Mail
"A delightful, richly detailed biography, noted Ottawa-based writer Charlotte Gray.... weaves a beautiful tapestry of life in the late 19th century."
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Winnipeg Free Press
Reader Reviews from First Look
As I read through this biography, I was struck by how dissimilar it was to any history book I have ever read before. I loved how instead of just giving me the dry facts of each phase of Alec’s life, she gave me history lessons about the time periods covered by his life. These lessons were not set aside as sidebars, but were interwoven throughout the narrative making the biography comprehensible. If it were not for so many of these random historical facts dropped into places where they help the reader, I might have had difficulty understanding certain procedures (coming from today’s 21st century frame of mind). I recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about this great inventor, and also to my fellow Canadians.
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Desiree (Dartmouth, NS)
As I read through this biography, I was struck by how dissimilar it was to any history book I have ever read before. I loved how instead of just giving me the dry facts of each phase of Alec’s life, she gave me history lessons about the time periods covered by his life. These lessons were not set aside as sidebars, but were interwoven throughout the narrative making the biography comprehensible. If it were not for so many of these random historical facts dropped into places where they help the reader, I might have had difficulty understanding certain procedures (coming from today’s 21st century frame of mind). I recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn more about this great inventor, and also to my fellow Canadians.
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Desiree (Dartmouth, NS)
Surprisingly interesting! I found out that Bell was so much more than an inventor and this book brings him to life; not only as an inventor but as a person! If all historians were wrote in this interesting and personable manner there would be a lot more readers!
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Genevieve (Morinville, AB)
Being born and raised in Brantford this book was of interest to me. Many of the details in this book I knew were correct and made the store very enjoyable to read. This book could easily be added to the museum in Brantford for all to read.
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Kim (Kitchener, ON)
Charlotte Gray has written a thoroughly enjoyable book which gives us great insight into the life of Alexander Graham Bell. It's an engrosing account of the inventor's trials and tribulations and his never-ending quest of contributing to the betterment of society. Here is a heartfelt biography of Alexander Graham Bell, his symbiotic relationship with his wife, Mabel and his social and family life. Although anticipated, the account of his death and that of his wife shortly thereafter was an emotional experience - it was as if the reader was intimately connected to his life. I very much enjoyed this book and would heartily recommend it to others.
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Marianne (Whitby, ON)
Charlotte Gray brings to life the side of this man that most know very little about. The telephone is such a small part of him, and she describes his life beautifully. This is a thoroughly engrossing read, and one that will fascinate you. You will never find a finer one written about him.
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Shannon (Willowdale, ON)
Loved it, loved it, loved it. It was a delight to read and I enjoyed every minute of it. Gray’s writing is clear, concise and accessible. It’s a joy to read. There’s so much about Alec that I don’t know. Most people know he invented the telephone. But what else did he do? In one word: everything. He’s interests were eclectic and his research spanned many disciplines. "His imagination, like his spirit, knew no bounds". A must read for biography lovers and, well, everyone who’s ever used a telephone.
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Marie (Winnipeg, MB)
Charlotte Gray portrayed Bell's humanity. Should be required reading in schools. Excellent research work.
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Vivia (Richmond Hill, ON)
This book is a fantastic read! Charlotte Gray's account of Alexander Graham Bell's life is wonderful. It allows the reader to see the man for what he was—a teacher, a father, a lover but most of a genius. It is truly a captivating book that is a celebration of a wonderful and interesting person who was the inventor of the telephone and much, much more.
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Kristine (Goulds, NF)
Another fascinating book by Charlotte Gray. The thing I find really interesting about Reluctant Genius is the way the reader is allowed to understand Alex Bell in the context of what was going on both in his life and in the world around him. The reader is also given a sense of what was happening in the larger world at the time. Charlotte Gray makes it easy as a reader to really 'be' part of the environment of her subject. If you'd asked me about Alexander Graham Bell before I read this book, I would have known he was the inventor of the telephone. Now that I've read Reluctant Genius, I'm surprised that's all I knew about such an accomplished man. A thoroughly interesting and enjoyable read, about an interesting (and difficult) man!
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Paula (Toronto, ON)
Charlotte Gray has written a riveting biography of one of the greatest men of the 19th century, Alexander Graham Bell. How often have you read a biography that was so interesting you hated to put it down? Gray writes biography like some write fiction! She deserves a place in the upper echelon of Canadian writers.
Not only is this a fascinating biography of Bell, but also the story of Bell's marvelous wife, Mabel. She is the Ying to Bell's Yang. Where Bell was impetuous and driven, Mabel was grounded. During the many trials and unbelievable number of challenges to his copyright of the telephone (including a challenge from that oafish bore Thomas Edison), Bell might have given up if not for Mabel at his side.
I hope this book gets the attention it deserves. It should be on the curriculum of every High School and University in North America. I expect to see it stay on the bestseller lists for many weeks! And well deserved! Charlotte, you have written a classic!! Thank you!!
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Gary (Richmond, BC)
Charlotte Gray gives us a great history lesson while making an enjoyable read. She gives a in-depth portrayal of the passionate genius of Alexander Graham Bell.
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Moe (Amherstburg, ON)
A well told biography of an interesting man.
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Vincenza (Mississauga, ON)
A brilliantly researched account of Alexander Bell's personal and professional life, with good pictures of all stages of his life.
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Penelope (Milton, ON)
An excellent read. Before reading the book I had no idea the true genuis that Alex Bell was. Hearing more about his life made me truly appreciate all that he went through and achieved. I would recommend this book to anyone who takes 'modern' conveniences for granted.
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Pam (FORT NELSON Bc Canada, SA)
Reluctant Genius is an engrossing biography of an intriguing man. Charlotte Gray has done meticulous research, and she has a rare talent for finding the tiny but telling detail that will illuminate an entire scene. This thorough and extremely well-written account captured my attention from the very first chapter! Highly recommended.
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Julie (Waterloo, ON)
An extraordinarily well-researched book, Reluctant Genius paints a captivating portrait of one of Canada's most celebrated inventors. Charlotte Gray expresses great passion for the subject of Alexander Graham Bell through her writing. I mean, just think: where would we be without the telephone? I'd highly recommend this biography for history buffs and Canada lovers.
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Adam (Ottawa, FL)
Reluctant Genius, Charlotte Gray's new biography of Alexander Graham Bell effortlessly puts the reader into the inventor’s life along with his wife Mabel, the remarkable Bell family and a diverse cast of supporting characters. Drawing on primary sources such as Bell family papers, diaries and letters spanning 140 years, Gray portrays much more than just the technical hurdles of Bell's life as an inventor. Gray is equally concerned with Bell's emotional life and human foibles and she portrays the complexity of that life with objectivity and tact. This is particularly evident in her account of Bell's relationship with Hellen Keller and the strain it caused for Mabel and their children.
The text is thorough but fast-paced. And yes, of course -- Bell's telephone and related inventions are also vividly rendered. However, this biography's main accomplishment is that it succeeds in transforming the oft-seen image of the aging, grey-haired, "Father of the Telephone" into the complex, passionate and driven man that appears on the book's cover.
Gray's life of Bell rings true.
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Rod (Richmond Hill, ON, ON)
Having no knowledge of Charlotte Gray, I was pleasantly surprised in reading Reluctant Genius. Her story telling ability is very easy to get into, I found myself not wanting to put the book down. I enjoyed her clear background information, without getting confusing, but really helping to understand the personality behind the man. A great read!
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Diane (Pontypool, ON)
Once again, Charlotte Gray has created a gem. Before page 10 of “Reluctant Genius”, one is totally absorbed in the story (yes, it does feel like a novel). The wealth of detail about the life of Alexander Graham Bell is impressive, as are the descriptions of Edinburgh, London, Boston and Baddeck, to name but a few places.
It is surprising that Alec Bell has not been more highly acclaimed – his passion for and dedication to his work, his futuristic ideas (e.g. “Correspondence between distant places will in future be carried on electrically instead of by mail.”) and his successes are not well known to the average person. Yes, he is the inventor of the telephone, but how many of us know of his extensive work with the deaf (which included Helen Keller), his “apparatus” used to detect bullets, his Silver Dart, and other numerous inventions? One must read the book to fully appreciate such an inquisitive mind. We should be grateful to Charlotte Gray for providing this opportunity to get to know such a fascinating man.
Thoroughly enjoyable and most highly recommended.
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Chris (Nepean, ON)
An insightful look at an interesting man. It could just as easily have been "Mabel's Story" for she was a remarkable woman. A perfect example of "...behind every great man..." I loved how Charlotte Gray portrayed his feelings for Mabel, Cape Breton or indeed anything that took his interest. All through it I wished I could have been there to meet them and rejoice in their enthusiasm for the slightest "discovery". It was an exciting time to be alive.
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Susan (Brooklin, ON)
Reluctant Genius was an excellent read. The flow of the work was smooth and not hard to follow. Ms. Gray did an excellent job in this book of opening up to the average Canadian the very private and personal life of 'one of our own'. I was unaware that Mr. Bell had so much on the go at the same time he was working on the telephone invention, or that his father-in-law was one of the first shareholders in a Glace Bay coal mine.
This book is well worth the read, and it is an effortless job to do so! You will find that once you have started, you are nearly finished with out noticing the time that has passed. I highly recommend Reluctant Genius.
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Sheila (Legal, AB)
A brilliant portrayal of a boy who yearned to break away from a domineering father and a man who couldn't leave his family's obsessions behind. Bell picked up where his father left off in the exploration of language, sound and communication and expanded it to include acoustics, magnetics, and the early stages of fiber optics. His work for and with the hearing impaired (inspired by his mother and wife, both of whom were deaf) led to the invention of the telegraph and telephone, his most famous inventions, but far from his only achievements.
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Siobhan (Thunder Bay, ON)
Spellbinding. I got caught up in the life of the Bells. They had a synergy that produced magic. They complemented each other, protected each other and encouraged each other.
It became clear that Alexander Graham Bell's achievements would have been impossible without Mabel's support and encouragement. Her family background and connections were vital to his success but they weren't what was important. I think the one constant in their lives that captured my attention is that they were confident in each other's love and support. He was erratic, to be sure, but once she got his attention he came through. She grew up as a deaf person in a hearing household. He grew up as a hearing person in a household where his mother was deaf. They were communicators.
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Judith (Hawkesbury, ON)
I was blown away by this book. Charlotte Gray is an amazing author and brilliant story teller. I was at first surprised by the size of the book but as I approached the middle I found myself wishing it was twice as big. I'm sure my family and friends found it annoying how often I would say to them, "Did you know…” While I thought I was aware of his accomplishments, I was shocked by the number and variety discussed in this book. Ms. Gray provides her readers with a fly-on-the-wall view of his life, his relationships, his accomplishments and his disappointments. The way she speaks of Mabel brings to mind the adage, "Behind every great man, there is a great woman." This is a beautifully written, engaging and satisfying biography of a truly accomplished renaissance man. Awesome.
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Michael (Toronto, ON)
When I read Charlotte Gray's meticulously researched biography of Alexander Graham Bell's life, I became a time traveller able to share in the most intimate moments of his life.
Once started, I could not put the book down as I journeyed through the excitement of an age of invention, to which A. G. Bell contributed much more than I ever realized.
For me, the best part of this book are the insights into the motivation for his inventions, his passion, his life long desire to enrich the lives of the deaf and how much his wife contributed to his world-wide renown and success.
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Gayle (Red Deer, AB)
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Reluctant Genius
Impeccably researched, and written with Charlotte Gray’s unerring eye for personal and historical detail, Reluctant Genius tells the story of a man very different from his public image. Most of us think of Alexander Graham Bell as a white-bearded sage, but the young A lec Bell was a...
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