The tinkerers : the amateurs, DIYers, and inventors who make America great / Alec Foege.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Wising up about a smartphone -- Tinkering at the birth of a nation and beyond -- Contemporary tinkerer finds his way -- Edison's folly reinvents tinkering for the modern age -- Myhrvold's magic tinkering factory -- When tinkering veers off-course -- The tinkerer archetype is reborn -- Parc and the power of the group -- A trio of alternative tinkering approaches -- Tully's school for tinkerers -- Concluding thoughts on tinkering.

Shows how tinkering has been the guiding force behind both major corporate-sponsored innovations and smaller scale inventions with great potential, Argues that America still cultivates visionary innovators who do not allow cultural obsessions with efficiency and conformity to interfere with their passion and creativity.