Telephone Gambit Cl

by Shulman,Seth

• ISBN13: 9780393062069
• ISBN10: 0393062066
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-01-17
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Summary

While researching Alexander Graham Bell at MIT's Dibner Institute, Seth Shulman scrutinized Bell's journals and within them he found the smoking gun, a hint of deeply buried historical intrigue. Delving further, Shulman unearthed the surprising story behind the invention of the telephone: a tale of romance, corruption, and unchecked ambition.Bell furtively'”and illegally'”copied part of Elisha Gray's invention in the race to secure what would become the most valuable U.S. patent ever issued. And afterward, as Bell's device led to the world's largest monopoly, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, he hid his invention's illicit beginnings. In The Telephone Gambit , Shulman challenges the reputation of an icon of invention, rocks the foundation of a corporate behemoth, and offers a probing meditation on how little we know about our own history.

Table of Contents

Playing Telephone	p. 11
Disconnected	p. 17
On the Hook	p. 26
Calling Home	p. 39
No Answer	p. 50
Operator Assistance	p. 63
Clear Reception	p. 77
Person-to-Person	p. 84
Interference	p. 96
Caller I.D.	p. 110
Tapping the Phone	p. 126
Bad Connection	p. 138
On the Line	p. 147
Call Waiting	p. 163
Party Line	p. 179
Conference Call	p. 198
Acknowledgments	p. 213
Notes	p. 217
Credits	p. 243
Index	p. 245
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