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The Total Inventors Manual (Popular Science): Transform Your Idea into a Top-Selling Product Hardcover – January 10, 2017

by Sean Michael Ragan (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 123 ratings
See all formats and editions
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Contrary to popular wisdom, you don’t have to be an ace electrician, a coding prodigy, or a mechanical master to come up with a game-changing invention! You just need curiosity, a strong desire to fix a problem that you see in the world, and the determination to see your ideas become reality—and this book, which will teach you everything you need to go from zero to inventor.

Everyone wants to be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, but there’s never been a clear road map to becoming a wildly successful innovator—until now. In The Total Inventor’s Manual, you’ll learn to . . .

MAKE ONE Get that great idea out of your brain and into the real world with a crash course in ideation, prototyping, and testing. Includes clever, can-do lessons in CAD, 3D-printing, laser-cutting, electronics, robotics, coding, and more.

SELL ONE Whether you’re riding the Kickstarter wave or hitting the venture capital beat, get your idea funded—and protect it with a proper patent. Then learn to refine your prototype’s look and feel to give it a boost in the market.

MAKE MANY Bring your invention to the masses with tips on manufacturing processes and best practices, plus solid advice for beginners on running a supply chain.

SELL MANY You’ve built it—time to make them come. Discover how to effectively position your product in the marketplace, deal with consumer feedback, and run—or sell—your newly successful company.

With profiles by Rachel Nuwer on the winning inventors who brought you the . . .
SPACE SUIT GLOVE  •  HEART STENT  •  SUPER SOAKER  •  ROOMBA  •  DIGITAL CAMERA  •  MAKERBOT 3D PRINTER  •  UV WATER PURIFICATION  •  HOME PREGNANCY TEST  •  AND MORE
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  1. Part of series
    Popular Science
  2. Print length
    248 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Weldon Owen
  5. Publication date
    January 10, 2017
  6. Dimensions
    7.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1681881586
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1681881584
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sean Michael Ragan is co-founder and editorial director of Foundry.net, a prominent blogger, and a former editor of MAKE: magazine. His freelance work has appeared in several books as well as Popular Science, ReadyMade, Chemical & Engineering News, and The Wall Street Journal.

Popular Science is the world’s largest science and technology magazine, with 6.1 million print readers and 10 million monthly page views on PopSci.com. The publication explores the intersection of science and everyday life, providing science and tech news along with tons of fascinating DIY projects for beginning tinkerers and pro builders alike. Founded in 1872, Popular Science is one of the oldest continuously published magazines in the United States, and is published in five languages and nine countries.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

 007 START CLOSE TO HOME

While inventing something world-changing is a worthy goal, you shouldn’t overlook the more humble problems that are likely lurking right under your nose. Think of all the pesky everyday nuisances that might be reduced or eliminated with a clever new tool, trick, or gizmo, thereby saving yourself and others like you time, money, energy, or stress. Or go after the super-specific problems that enthusiasts only discover when they’re deep in the nitty-gritty details of their work. Here are some questions to ask.

WHAT IRRITATES YOU? Or your friends, colleagues, or family members? (Besides each other, of course.) Pay attention to the struggles around you, and you may just spot a trend. How else do you think the salad spinner came into this world?

WHAT TOOL FRUSTRATES YOU? If there’s a device that gives you grief (a seat belt, garden shears, or a smartphone case—anything), how could it work better?

WHERE DO YOU WASTE TIME? We all do it. Is there a device that could help you out of a specific time trap? 

WHAT SPACES NEED IMPROVEMENT? We spend our lives in environments made by fallible human beings. What would you do differently if you were redesigning your bathroom, kitchen, workplace, computer, or car? 

HOW COULD YOUR FUN BE MORE FUN? Don’t forget your hobbies. Could your roller skates have more ankle support, or the buttons on your video game controller stick less? Believe it or not, these problems matter to a lot of people. So be a hero and fix one.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

063 CRAFT YOUR USER STORIES  

A user story is exactly what it sounds like: a short narrative written from the perspective of an imagined user that describes how that person works with your invention to achieve a goal. If your product were, say, a camera-equipped flying drone that can automatically follow you around and film your actions, one user story might go something like this: 

“As a professional surfer, I want to film myself riding waves so I can go back later, analyze my technique, and improve. I should be able to carry the camera on my board while I’m paddling out, toss it up in the air before I catch a wave, and then be able to easily replay what I just did once I get to shore.” 

Writing a user story—or several, in the likely case that your product will serve many needs—helps you articulate your hypotheses about how customers might experience your invention. Resist the urge to put off writing these narratives until after testing: Inventors are usually surprised by what inexperienced users do when they first encounter the prototype, and comparing the testing data with prewritten user stories is a great way to understand where your blind spots are. 

As for what’s lurking in those blind spots, be open to pleasant surprises. You may hear uses for your product that you’d never dreamed of—perhaps a wedding photographer who programs the drone to follow the bride around the dance floor, or a farmer who uses it to locate his herd on an expansive ranch. The more uses testers come up with, the greater your potential for market share.
 

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Weldon Owen (January 10, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 248 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1681881586
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1681881584
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.19 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 123 ratings

About the author

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Sean Michael Ragan

Sean Michael Ragan
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I am descended from 5,000 generations of tool-using primates. Also, I went to college and stuff. I have been making awesome things and writing about how to make awesome things for 15 years. My work has appeared in the pages of Popular Science, Make Magazine, c't – Magazin für Computertechnik, ReadyMade, The Wall Street Journal, and a half-dozen compilations, collections, and art books. I am a regular contributor to Make: Online, Instructables, and popsci.com.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
123 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Mikal Hart
5.0 out of 5 stars Jumping wholeheartedly into the "Maker" lifestyle.
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2017
Verified Purchase
I sometimes imagine what it would be like if I quit just tinkering around and jumped wholeheartedly into this inventor or “Maker” lifestyle you hear about. The idea is overwhelming and frankly a bit discouraging, because there are so many different aspects to this broad thing we call “inventing” and a lot of ways to run off the rails. Enter Sean Ragan’s new book, which purports to be the TOTAL Inventor’s Manual.
I picked up this colorful, abundantly illustrated book as a self-indulgent Christmas present in the hopes that it would give me a little New Years’ kick. I’m very happy with it. It turns out that yes, inventing is hard and complicated, and yes, it is indeed appallingly tricky to bring an invention to fruition, but if you are persistent and energetic, this book will guide you through the necessary 200-odd steps. I put it down feeling energized and optimistic.
Interspersed amongst the “How To” chapter-lets are profiles of and quotes from real inventors. These are especially inspiring once you realize that the main thing separating them from you is persistence and energy. Persistence and energy. Hey, I can do that! My favorite quote from the book’s collection comes from the inventor of the Dyson vacuum. It makes me feel lots better about the time I mocked up 10 different variants of a certain gizmo, none of which worked. “I made 5,127 prototypes of my vacuum before I got it right. There were 5,126 failures. But I learned from each one. That’s how I came up with a solution. So I don’t mind failure.”
5,117 to go.
16 people found this helpful
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George Stickman
5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have manual for every inventor and every "inventor-mentor"
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2017
Verified Purchase
If you want to bring a new product to market, or you mentor people that do, this Popular Science book by Sean Ragan has nailed it. He fully comprehends the risk, benefits, pitfalls and path to success that every new product must encounter, and he does it in an easy to absorb, step-by-step, logical manner. He shows you how to minimize your risk during the product development phase, fine tune and market-test the product for your most profitable market, highlights ways to get your product produced economically, and then how to get it funded and on its way into customer's lives. Whether you're half way there and stumped or just starting out, you need to have this manual in your life. Finally, the design of the manual is brilliant. The book pages are as durable as my now 60 year old Boy Scout Handbook, The fabulous illustrations keep the book light and enjoyable to glide through. It's "bulletproof" durability, water resistance, shop-proof and thus will serve not just you but the many inventors you will gift it to down the road. I wish I had this manual when I started out 50 years ago. I'm going to buy half-dozen more copies right away and send them to friends who are currently involved in product development or who mentor those that are. This could serve as an inventor's text book for a four-semester college class. Thank you, Mr. Ragan and thanks to Popular Science for bringing this product to market.

 The Total Inventors Manual (Popular Science): Transform Your Idea into a Top-Selling Product
13 people found this helpful
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Joy G
5.0 out of 5 stars Packs a punch - very useful for outline on inventions starting out
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2020
Verified Purchase
With tons of illustrations - literally on every page, this book is a great easy read for beginner level inventors to get an overview of the different aspects of inventing - enough to get the creative juices flowing. The Popular Science brand drew me into the book and I found its a great book to gift to a teenager or a young entrepreneur to get them into the creative innovation groove.
4 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars It covers what it states and helps those who have a head full of ideas or one 'mona lisa' moment and need to know 'what next'.
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2018
Verified Purchase
As an inventor it seemed to go well beyond anything id wanted to know, like creating a company, selling the company...I wanted to learn the beginnings of inventing, patenting, 3d printing, molds etc...but it did cover those areas...the examples of some inventors helped but inventing is a broad subject so finite examples are interesting but probably not relevant enough....still id recommend this is one of a library of books helping you get some of your ducks in a row.
3 people found this helpful
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Melody Klingler
5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you need to know to get started!
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2017
Verified Purchase
Whether you're hoping to inspire a budding inventor in your life, develop and perfect your latest idea, or produce, market and sell your product, this book will help! From how to use tools to running a successful Kickstarter campaign, this book has your back. It's extremely informative about every step of the process from idea to production, but it's written in an accessible and witty style that will keep you entertained while you're learning. I enjoyed all the profiles and stories of successful inventors - very inspiring.
3 people found this helpful
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Marcelo Mondrag�n Tule
5.0 out of 5 stars Lo recibí
Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2021
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Creo que fue lo que pagué, pero no satisfizo mi curiosidad, tiempo de entrega excelente, atención excelente
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JR
3.0 out of 5 stars A generalized book about inventing.
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2021
Verified Purchase
This book is very generalized, and is in no way an "Inventor's Manual". The book tries to cover from concept to market, but is written in the format that much of online
(Top Ten) type content is written. It highlights many points but fails to dig deep into anything. That being said, the book may be a good starting point for someone that doesn't know anything about inventing.
One person found this helpful
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Jody C.
5.0 out of 5 stars Very useful book!
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2018
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This beautifully illustrated book is a thorough overview of what you might need to consider when coming up with a new product. It moves from the idea phase through prototyping to seeking funding. It also include profiles of a number of successful inventors/entrepreneurs.
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Top reviews from other countries

David Gregory
5.0 out of 5 stars Knowing where to start...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2022
Verified Purchase
Nobody can turn your idea into reality, but reading books such as this can help you to evaluate your idea and direct you on the right path....
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Harry White
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on April 13, 2018
Verified Purchase
Great book.
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Luis Neto
3.0 out of 5 stars Take a look before you buy
Reviewed in Spain on May 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
I can't really say that the book is not well written and that is not easy to follow. The problem is that if you already are familiar with the maker world and if you have a good common sense of how the market and production processes works you are not going to learn a lot from this book.
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Grazing Hippo
5.0 out of 5 stars Seriously good information presented in a relaxed style.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
Packed with seriously good information presented in a relaxed way. A must for any Inventor or anyone interested in product design.
2 people found this helpful
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francescia
4.0 out of 5 stars Not been read, exactly :)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
This was a gift for my partner. I should have known better as he doesn't like reading and avoids it at all costs. I thought it would help him with his business but at this point he already knows most of the information in the book as helping other inventors is kind of what he does now so I'd be worried if he didn't know it! I had a little flick through though and I personally think that for someone who is new to the invention process it has a lot of useful tips about funding your product, 3D printing and marketing etc.
One person found this helpful
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