"Inventing Modern America: From the Microwave to the Mouse" celebrates the best of American ingenuity and inventiveness. Through in-depth profiles of 35 inventors, "Inventing Modern America" tells the often-surprising stories of how every day objects and technologies were created. Each profile is illustrated with historical photographs, diagrams, and patent drawings that illuminate the inventor's life, inventive process, and creations.

The book was developed by the Lemelson-MIT Program for Invention and Innovation, whose misssion is to inspire a new generation of American scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs.