From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6-In this modernized edition of the authors' Man with a Million Ideas (Lerner, 1976; o.p.), some information has been updated, but the basic text is essentially the same. The 10 short, easy-to-read chapters chronicle the life and achievements of Frederick McKinley Jones, the first African American to become a member of the American Society of Refrigeration Engineers and to be awarded the National Medal of Technology (1991). During his lifetime (1893-1961), he developed more than 60 patents, won numerous awards, and held a national reputation as an innovative inventor and engineer. His formal schooling lasted barely four years. To all who asked how he achieved his success, his answer was simple-never be afraid to get your hands dirty, read, and believe in yourself. The book is illustrated with numerous black-and-white photographs. Libraries owning the earlier version of Jones's biography may not find enough new material to justify adding this one, but it is more attractive.
Joanne Kelleher, Commack Public Library, NYCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Gr. 3-6. He was the man who invented refrigeration units for trucks, ticket-dispensing machines for movie theaters, and many other devices that are a part of everyday life. Without being idealized, Frederick McKinley Jones is portrayed as a tenacious, optimistic African American who overcame racial prejudice and personal hardship (including problems with gambling, alcohol, and money, which are frankly discussed) to become a prolific, self-taught inventor. Well-organized, concise chapters describe Jones' life and his many inventions. Descriptions of Jones' ponderings will serve as good examples of the trial-and-error approach to scientific problems, and the inventor's experiences with bigotry are told in a simple yet profound manner. Black-and-white photos, placed with care, augment the text. The bibliographic sources cited are incomplete, with many not readily available to students, and the information contained in the endnotes might have been more useful had it been placed within the text. Still, this biography, first published in 1977 under the title
Man with a Million Ideas, makes fascinating reading.
Karen Simonetti
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
