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Invention: A Life
Dyson has become a byword for high-performing products, technology, design, and invention. Now, James Dyson, the inventor and entrepreneur who made it all happen, tells his remarkable and inspirational story in A Life , “one of the year’s most relevant and revelatory business books” ( The Wall Street Journal ) .
Famously, over a four-year period, James Dyson made 5,127 prototypes of the cyclonic vacuum cleaner that would transform the way houses are cleaned around the world. In devoting all his resources to iteratively setbacks came hard-fought success. His products—including vacuum cleaners, hair dryer and hair stylers, and fans and purifiers—are not only revolutionary technologies, but design classics. This was a legacy of his time studying at the Royal College of Art in the 1960s, when he was inspired by some of the most famous artists, designers, and inventors of the era, as well as his engineering heroes such as Frank Whittle and Alex Issigonis.
In A Life , Dyson reveals how he came to set up his own company and led it to become one of the most inventive technology companies in the world. It is a compelling and dramatic tale, with many obstacles overcome. Dyson has always looked to the future, even setting up his own university to help provide the next generation of engineers and designers. For, as he says, “everything changes all the time, so experience is of little use.”
Whether you are someone who has an idea for a better product, an aspiring entrepreneur, whether you appreciate great design or a page-turning read, A Life is an “entertaining and inspiring memoir” ( Kirkus Reviews , starred review) that offers motivation, hope, and much more.
Famously, over a four-year period, James Dyson made 5,127 prototypes of the cyclonic vacuum cleaner that would transform the way houses are cleaned around the world. In devoting all his resources to iteratively setbacks came hard-fought success. His products—including vacuum cleaners, hair dryer and hair stylers, and fans and purifiers—are not only revolutionary technologies, but design classics. This was a legacy of his time studying at the Royal College of Art in the 1960s, when he was inspired by some of the most famous artists, designers, and inventors of the era, as well as his engineering heroes such as Frank Whittle and Alex Issigonis.
In A Life , Dyson reveals how he came to set up his own company and led it to become one of the most inventive technology companies in the world. It is a compelling and dramatic tale, with many obstacles overcome. Dyson has always looked to the future, even setting up his own university to help provide the next generation of engineers and designers. For, as he says, “everything changes all the time, so experience is of little use.”
Whether you are someone who has an idea for a better product, an aspiring entrepreneur, whether you appreciate great design or a page-turning read, A Life is an “entertaining and inspiring memoir” ( Kirkus Reviews , starred review) that offers motivation, hope, and much more.
Audiobook
Published September 2, 2021
About the author
James Dyson
20 books49 followersSir James Dyson is a British industrial designer and founder of his company called Dyson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
February 15, 2024
Could be my favorite autobiography by an entpreneur/inventor. There are so many insights into as to how to best create a thriving longterm business, how to live a creative life and how to go against the grain. James Dyson invented the cyclonic vacuum cleaner and went onto create a company worth 6.5 billion pounds (in 2022).
I couldn't help but think of how closely Dyson aligns in the key personality traits needed for a entrepreneur: high in openness, high in conscientiousness, low in neuroticicsm, high in extroversion and disagreeable. I can't imagine starting a business in the middle of a recession but Dyson did it. Dyson perpetually values people who are willing to test new ideas over experienced careerists, going against the grain and long-term thinking which is made possible by owning your company. I just love his perspective and wish I could be able to live like that as well. Dyson also believes that if you build a product than is better than your competitors, the consumer will notice it. He doesn't believe in focus groups: he believes in testing your ideas directly on the market.
The book is also a portrait of the period in which he lived which is interesting. Growing up after the second world war without a father, you had to be able to care of yourself and not rely on other people. His mother, it would seem, was relentlessly resourceful. She managed to raise three kids and eventually get a diploma from Oxford. I suppose the book espouses traditional middle class values (i.e. those found in Benjamin Franklings autobiography).
The only downside was perhaps all the information on all his inventions. That did not really interest me (as I am not an engineer, quite the opposite!), being instead more interested in business, creativity and how to live your values.
I couldn't help but think of how closely Dyson aligns in the key personality traits needed for a entrepreneur: high in openness, high in conscientiousness, low in neuroticicsm, high in extroversion and disagreeable. I can't imagine starting a business in the middle of a recession but Dyson did it. Dyson perpetually values people who are willing to test new ideas over experienced careerists, going against the grain and long-term thinking which is made possible by owning your company. I just love his perspective and wish I could be able to live like that as well. Dyson also believes that if you build a product than is better than your competitors, the consumer will notice it. He doesn't believe in focus groups: he believes in testing your ideas directly on the market.
The book is also a portrait of the period in which he lived which is interesting. Growing up after the second world war without a father, you had to be able to care of yourself and not rely on other people. His mother, it would seem, was relentlessly resourceful. She managed to raise three kids and eventually get a diploma from Oxford. I suppose the book espouses traditional middle class values (i.e. those found in Benjamin Franklings autobiography).
The only downside was perhaps all the information on all his inventions. That did not really interest me (as I am not an engineer, quite the opposite!), being instead more interested in business, creativity and how to live your values.
September 20, 2021
“We should be encouraging the young to become doers, rather than virtue signallers, to help them strive to solve the problems of their age while looking forward to a better future”
“I wasn’t even trained as an engineer or scientist. I did, however, have the bloody-mindedness not to follow convention, to challenge experts and to ignore Doubting Thomases”
Hear Hear
“I wasn’t even trained as an engineer or scientist. I did, however, have the bloody-mindedness not to follow convention, to challenge experts and to ignore Doubting Thomases”
Hear Hear
September 9, 2021
I was always a big fan of Dyson products and this book pretty much solidified my views about the company. They really care about engineerins details and will go against the grain if it means they might create a better product. They believe in family ownership of the company which I could not agree more. I see Dyson's values as a sort of hybrid between Apple and Patagonia.
Though there are many things I disagree with James - mainly patents. He thinks they should be easier to get and longer lasting to increase competitive advantage of companies / patent owners. I think this would increase patent trolls and be a huge net negative. He claims no one would invest time and money into producing things if patents would be less protected. But we only need to look at open source software or Wikipedia to see that is clearly not the case.
He's also a proponent for Brexit since he claims European countries always want to get their own way and since there is so much lobbying going on in EU that ends up hurting Dyson. While I agree that there's way too much lobbying and it being detrimental to EU citizens, it's naïve to believe same thing does and will not happen in UK alone. Also, precisely because UK always wants things their own way, is why we all ended up in this mess.
But all in all it is a good autobiography and I can certainly recommend a read.
Though there are many things I disagree with James - mainly patents. He thinks they should be easier to get and longer lasting to increase competitive advantage of companies / patent owners. I think this would increase patent trolls and be a huge net negative. He claims no one would invest time and money into producing things if patents would be less protected. But we only need to look at open source software or Wikipedia to see that is clearly not the case.
He's also a proponent for Brexit since he claims European countries always want to get their own way and since there is so much lobbying going on in EU that ends up hurting Dyson. While I agree that there's way too much lobbying and it being detrimental to EU citizens, it's naïve to believe same thing does and will not happen in UK alone. Also, precisely because UK always wants things their own way, is why we all ended up in this mess.
But all in all it is a good autobiography and I can certainly recommend a read.
Want to read
September 7, 2021WSJ review, by Henry Petroski:https://www.wsj.com/articles/inventio... (Paywalled. As always, I'm happy to email a copy to non-subscribers)
Excerpt:
The fact that James Dyson himself did not get a degree in engineering disproves the idea that Britain cannot produce some outstanding engineers. It certainly did so during the Industrial Revolution, the Victorian era, and World War II. What Mr. Dyson’s almost unique bootstrap achievement does confirm is his contention that the existing educational system in the West is not living up to its potential.
Maybe? Possibly TMI? I'll have a look, when the library gets a copy. I'm lukewarm about our Dyson stick-vac. PITA to empty the thing! And clumsy to use, as a Dust-buster. It does a good job, but I much prefer a bag.
Excerpt:
The fact that James Dyson himself did not get a degree in engineering disproves the idea that Britain cannot produce some outstanding engineers. It certainly did so during the Industrial Revolution, the Victorian era, and World War II. What Mr. Dyson’s almost unique bootstrap achievement does confirm is his contention that the existing educational system in the West is not living up to its potential.
Maybe? Possibly TMI? I'll have a look, when the library gets a copy. I'm lukewarm about our Dyson stick-vac. PITA to empty the thing! And clumsy to use, as a Dust-buster. It does a good job, but I much prefer a bag.
March 8, 2022
Can you imagine 5,127 vacuum cleaners? Because I can’t. I have no idea how he managed to fail 5,126 times and yet continued for the 5,127th time. The degree of determination and resilience he shows is astounding.
I love this book because of how his passion for design, engineering and art oozes through the pages. I am a sucker for illustrations so to have accompanying pages of his sketches, blueprints and designs was a big plus.
I’ve always thought Dyson products were expensive and never truly understood why you’d pay so much for it. Now I understand.
This book shares many important lessons. From the importance of keeping your designs yours, to finding the right people to work with, to believing in yourself. And even if you get all those things right, there are political mazes to navigate, layers of bureaucratic red tape, politicians who are all talk with no action. His struggle with the British system and views on manufacturing (a path frowned upon and viewed as second class) is definitely smthg he feels strongly for and is eager to see change.
I like this book because I like what James Dyson stands for.
I love this book because of how his passion for design, engineering and art oozes through the pages. I am a sucker for illustrations so to have accompanying pages of his sketches, blueprints and designs was a big plus.
I’ve always thought Dyson products were expensive and never truly understood why you’d pay so much for it. Now I understand.
This book shares many important lessons. From the importance of keeping your designs yours, to finding the right people to work with, to believing in yourself. And even if you get all those things right, there are political mazes to navigate, layers of bureaucratic red tape, politicians who are all talk with no action. His struggle with the British system and views on manufacturing (a path frowned upon and viewed as second class) is definitely smthg he feels strongly for and is eager to see change.
I like this book because I like what James Dyson stands for.
September 4, 2021
A very good book I enjoyed reading it James Dyson is a fantastic British inventor I never thought Dyson had so many things I had never heard of Dyson farming a recommend read 10/10
October 11, 2022
Kill me now ...
Faux modesty, tedious name-dropping, more tributes to 'wonderful people' than an Academy Award Ceremony ... utterly boring writing, interspersed with sales catalogue blurb.
I agree with his school teachers that English is not his strength.
This man whinges about the UK and tries to justify moving his manufacturing business out of the country whilst professing to be patriotic and praising all things Japanese.
A stunning lack of self-awareness from a man who clearly loves himself deeply.
Now I understand why so many women use rude, generic terms for men of a certain age. This is a good example of a supremely boring, self-satisfied individual.
Faux modesty, tedious name-dropping, more tributes to 'wonderful people' than an Academy Award Ceremony ... utterly boring writing, interspersed with sales catalogue blurb.
I agree with his school teachers that English is not his strength.
This man whinges about the UK and tries to justify moving his manufacturing business out of the country whilst professing to be patriotic and praising all things Japanese.
A stunning lack of self-awareness from a man who clearly loves himself deeply.
Now I understand why so many women use rude, generic terms for men of a certain age. This is a good example of a supremely boring, self-satisfied individual.
August 17, 2023
I didn't know how many things Dyson really participated in.
I had no clue about his University, his deep integration with Asia and the cyclone-based products.
An exciting book on engineering this world - past and our future.
The holistic approach of James, as described in this small book, is truly remarkable; imagine a person who sees the inner workings of everything and sets up on the journey to improve it.
The Dyson farms? Well, I didn't know either.
I wish I stumbled upon engineering earlier in my life.
p.s. his way of writing, though, becomes somewhat repetitive, and it gets boring at times.
But who am I to judge his great mind and his creative writings?
I had no clue about his University, his deep integration with Asia and the cyclone-based products.
An exciting book on engineering this world - past and our future.
The holistic approach of James, as described in this small book, is truly remarkable; imagine a person who sees the inner workings of everything and sets up on the journey to improve it.
The Dyson farms? Well, I didn't know either.
I wish I stumbled upon engineering earlier in my life.
p.s. his way of writing, though, becomes somewhat repetitive, and it gets boring at times.
But who am I to judge his great mind and his creative writings?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2022
I have found his designs interesting, ground breaking technologically and aesthetically. His struggles along the way show the perseverance and grit it takes to be a successful entrepreneur and I agree with many of his thoughts on technical education. A bit braggy but that seems true of almost all autobiographies.
January 19, 2023
Would’ve given it 3.5stars if I could…great insight on design and engineer thinking/concepts, and also on keeping an open mind and learning from the youth. But the man can drag on and on. Seemed a little full of himself but not here to judge.
September 16, 2021
An excellent lookninto the life of one of the great modern inventors. The author's passion and drive rings through on every page. Although most will relate to the Dyson vaccum I found the other areas which Dyson have branch into even more interesting. Education, farming, cars; James thirst for the improvement of these areas is inspirational. Onwards and upwards! Thank you James for sharing your story.
August 27, 2023
Good story, strong message and a lot of details
October 26, 2023
Usually love these kinds of books but didn’t vibe with it. Found it an absolute chore to get through. Felt like a bit of a Dyson ad the entire time too
September 25, 2021
Boring at some parts. But great inventor journey
January 22, 2024
Truly a very inspiring journey of a down to earth inventor. Worth a read for those who pursue their passion in building a meaningful life.
April 27, 2022
Gets a lot of bad stick, but he's such an inspiration! I think we could all learn a lot from his work ethic, curiosity, and pure optimism.
September 10, 2022
This was a difficult book to read. There is a lot of technical details in the book which makes some the chapters a bit dry. I also felt that there was too much marketing to the DYSON company which was something I did not like.
The author tells his story from a career point view with few personal stories. He talks about his inventions and technology advancement. There was defiantly some struggle in his story which may inspire the reader. The author cites that he tested and built 5127 hand-made prototypes in order to make his cyclonic vacuum. I guess he tried to make it sounds like when Thomas Adison tested 1000 lightbulb to reach the final invention of his lightbulb. Anyway, the author sees inventions as: “More about endurance and patient observation than brainwaves”. He believes that people will learn far more by trial and error than by conventional educations. He sees failure as a necessity in the development of the mind and personality.
James Dyson is clearly a practical man. He did not excel in his academic studies but was excellent “stuff Maker”, hard worker and very creative. These qualities probably compensated for his weak academic performance. He studied Industrial Design in the Royal College of Art in London.. (5 minutes’ walk from the Royal School of Mines which I studied in). So, he was not an engineer by background but became one by practice.
He discussed a lot of aspects in his career, like vacuum cleaners, designing electric cars, farming and other technology research. He did not hide his conservative views about European Union and why Britain should not be part of it. He also showed that a lot of his company researches are secretive and he cannot discuss the details of them in the book.
He also shared his views on education and how the education in the UK deteriorated after WWII. He discussed how the British stopped innovating after WWII because the urgency of innovation has stopped after the war was won. He even claimed that English people currently look down on science and technology. He aggressively criticized the British Education system which in his opinion is falling behind in technology and science.
One thing that caught my intention is his talk about how he lost his father at young age. He pointed out that 85% of British prime ministers, and 12 US presidents including (Barak Obama & George Washington) lost their fathers as children. Then he said: “ Perhaps early loss can sometime inspire people to great achievements?”… Being a reader of autobiographies myself, I can attest to this statement. The majority of famous and accomplished people I read about in books are indeed orphans which makes me wonder… is there a link between being an orphan and success? Who knows .. maybe !
Few Highlights:
No longer can we lead life by repeating what we have learned and what has worked in the past.
Learning by failure is a remarkably good way of gaining knowledge. Failure is to be welcomed rather than avoided. It is a part of learning. It should not be feared by the engineer or scientist or indeed by anyone else.
One of the really important principles I learned to apply was changing only one thing at a time and to see what difference that one change made.
As Buckminster Fuller said, ‘You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.’
Learning by doing. Learning by trial and error. Learning by failing. These are all effective forms of education.
Education should be about problem-solving rather than retaining knowledge simply to pass exams.
I have got to the point where I truly worry if everything is going smoothly. It’s rather like being the US cavalry officer in an old western when he says, ‘I don’t like it, Sergeant − seems too quiet’ and immediately gets an arrow in the chest.
Those kind people totally missed the point. I didn’t work on those 5,127 vacuum cleaner prototypes or even set up Dyson to make money. I did it because I had a burning desire to do so
The author tells his story from a career point view with few personal stories. He talks about his inventions and technology advancement. There was defiantly some struggle in his story which may inspire the reader. The author cites that he tested and built 5127 hand-made prototypes in order to make his cyclonic vacuum. I guess he tried to make it sounds like when Thomas Adison tested 1000 lightbulb to reach the final invention of his lightbulb. Anyway, the author sees inventions as: “More about endurance and patient observation than brainwaves”. He believes that people will learn far more by trial and error than by conventional educations. He sees failure as a necessity in the development of the mind and personality.
James Dyson is clearly a practical man. He did not excel in his academic studies but was excellent “stuff Maker”, hard worker and very creative. These qualities probably compensated for his weak academic performance. He studied Industrial Design in the Royal College of Art in London.. (5 minutes’ walk from the Royal School of Mines which I studied in). So, he was not an engineer by background but became one by practice.
He discussed a lot of aspects in his career, like vacuum cleaners, designing electric cars, farming and other technology research. He did not hide his conservative views about European Union and why Britain should not be part of it. He also showed that a lot of his company researches are secretive and he cannot discuss the details of them in the book.
He also shared his views on education and how the education in the UK deteriorated after WWII. He discussed how the British stopped innovating after WWII because the urgency of innovation has stopped after the war was won. He even claimed that English people currently look down on science and technology. He aggressively criticized the British Education system which in his opinion is falling behind in technology and science.
One thing that caught my intention is his talk about how he lost his father at young age. He pointed out that 85% of British prime ministers, and 12 US presidents including (Barak Obama & George Washington) lost their fathers as children. Then he said: “ Perhaps early loss can sometime inspire people to great achievements?”… Being a reader of autobiographies myself, I can attest to this statement. The majority of famous and accomplished people I read about in books are indeed orphans which makes me wonder… is there a link between being an orphan and success? Who knows .. maybe !
Few Highlights:
No longer can we lead life by repeating what we have learned and what has worked in the past.
Learning by failure is a remarkably good way of gaining knowledge. Failure is to be welcomed rather than avoided. It is a part of learning. It should not be feared by the engineer or scientist or indeed by anyone else.
One of the really important principles I learned to apply was changing only one thing at a time and to see what difference that one change made.
As Buckminster Fuller said, ‘You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.’
Learning by doing. Learning by trial and error. Learning by failing. These are all effective forms of education.
Education should be about problem-solving rather than retaining knowledge simply to pass exams.
I have got to the point where I truly worry if everything is going smoothly. It’s rather like being the US cavalry officer in an old western when he says, ‘I don’t like it, Sergeant − seems too quiet’ and immediately gets an arrow in the chest.
Those kind people totally missed the point. I didn’t work on those 5,127 vacuum cleaner prototypes or even set up Dyson to make money. I did it because I had a burning desire to do so
January 9, 2022
“It is a story told through a life of creating and developing things, as well as expressing a call to arms for young people to become engineers, creating solutions to our current and future problems.”
In Invention: A Life, Dyson describes his many failures as an inventor, the importance of mentorship, education, and self-reliance. The book explores his love for great design, scientists, innovators, engineers, and farming. The Book explores his constant desire to learn, fearlessness to step into the unknown, and an unflagging spirit of entrepreneurialism. Ultimately, it is a celebration of the role that young minds play in solving the world’s biggest problems, regardless of experience. 1
The book is a journey of an entrepreneur, the ups and downs, the value of having a supportive partner or spouse (Deidre), the importance of having a mentor (Jeremy Fry) that always pushes you to succeed, a dedicated financial institution or bank manager that is ready to take the plunge with you. His story shows how far determination, willpower, dedication, persistence, and perseverance can take someone with a commitment to succeed.
Dyson made 5,127 prototypes of his Cyclonic and Bagless Vacuum Cleaner before he got to a model he could set about licensing.
5,127 hand-made prototypes – One-Track Mindedness
“In 1983, after four years of building and testing 5,127 hand-made prototypes of my cyclonic vacuum, I finally cracked it. Perhaps I should have punched the air, whooped loudly, and run down the road from my workshop shrieking ‘Eureka!’ at the top of my voice. Instead, far from feeling elated, which surely after 5,126 failures I should have been, I felt strangely deflated.
How could this have been? The answer lies in failure. Day after day, with the wolf at the door, I had been pursuing the development of an ever more efficient cyclone for collecting and separating dust from a flow of air. I built several cyclones each day, conducting tests on each one to evaluate its effectiveness in collecting dust as fine as 0.5 microns − the width of a human hair is between 50 and 100 microns − while using as little energy as possible.”
“This might sound boring and tedious to the outsider. I get that. But when you have set yourself an objective that, if reached, might pioneer a better solution to existing technologies and products, you become engaged, hooked and even one-track-minded.”
On Failure
“Learning by failure is a remarkably good way of gaining knowledge. Failure is to be welcomed rather than avoided. It is a part of learning. It should not be feared by the engineer or scientist or indeed by anyone else.”
Folklore depicts invention as a flash of brilliance. That eureka moment! But it rarely is, I’m afraid. It is more about failure than ultimate success. I even thought of calling this book James Dyson: Failure, but was talked out of it because it might give the wrong impression. People want to read about success. Funnily enough, engineers who are good at inventing things are never satisfied with their latest creation. They tend to look at it quizzically and say, ‘I now know how to make it better’, which is a wonderful opportunity! This is the start of their reinvention, marking another leap in performance.
“Research is about conducting experiments, accepting and even enjoying failures, but going on and on, following a theory garnered from observing the science. Invention is often more about endurance and patient observation than brainwaves.”
On Curiosity
My tale is one of not being brilliant. I wasn’t even trained as an engineer or scientist. I did, however, have the bloody-mindedness not to follow convention, to challenge experts and to ignore Doubting Thomases. I am also someone who is prepared to slog through prototype after prototype searching for the breakthrough. If a slow starter like me could succeed, surely this might encourage others.
Curiosity – Experience is not the best teacher, it is the ability to maintain that curiosity that matters
I was naïve and eager to learn all that as I progressed. It was a steep learning curve, though, and still is. Everything changes all the time, so experience is of little use. I didn’t know that at the time and assumed that it would become easier with experience. It must be encouraging for those just graduating to know that is not the case. Fifty-two years later I can assure my graduates that I am no better for my experience.
“At Dyson, we don’t particularly value experience. Experience tells you what you ought to do and what you’d do best to avoid. It tells you how things should be done when we are much more interested in how things shouldn’t be done. If you want to pioneer and invent new technology you need to step into the unknown and, in that realm, experience can be a hindrance.”
If you want to pioneer and invent new technology you need to step into the unknown and, in that realm, experience can be a hindrance
Role of Supportive Partner and Network
The failures began to excite me. ‘Wait a minute, that should have worked, now why didn’t it?’ I was scratching my head, mystified, but then had another idea for an experiment that might lead to solving the problem. I was usually covered in dust, getting deeper and deeper into debt, yet happy and absorbed. Fortunately, my wife, Deirdre, allowed me to put our house and home life at risk, while the bank was kind enough to lend us money.
Long-Distance Running – Crossing the Pain Barrier
The first thing I knew I was good at, and something that I had taught myself as a teenage schoolboy, was long-distance running. Once through the pain barrier, I found I had the determination, or sheer bloody mindedness, to keep on running. Running, early in the morning or late at night, through that hauntingly beautiful landscape proved to be more than a ritual challenge. It was an escape from school, allowing me to think that anything and everything was possible.
Cross-Training
It was playing games, however, that taught me the need to train hard and to understand teamwork and tactics. The planning of surprise tactics, and the ability to adapt to circumstance, are vital life lessons. These virtues are unlikely to be learned from academic life and certainly not from learning by rote
Acting in plays, which I very much enjoyed, taught me about character, learning to express thoughts and to emphasise dramatically in speech.
Long-distance running allowed me the freedom to roam the wilds of Norfolk while depending on no one but myself. Running also taught me to overcome the pain barrier: when everyone else feels exhausted, that is the opportunity to accelerate, whatever the pain, and win the race. Stamina and determination along with creativity are needed in overcoming seemingly impossible difficulties in research and other challenges in life.
Running also taught me to overcome the pain barrier: when everyone else feels exhausted, that is the opportunity to accelerate, whatever the pain, and win the race.
Losing his father and Self-Reliance
“I felt the devastating loss of my dad, his love, his humour and the things he taught me. I feared for a future without him. Having recently become a boarder at the school, away from my family, I was suddenly alone. It didn’t do to cry or show emotion, just a stiff upper lip. Ever since, a part of me has been making up for that painfully unjust separation from my father and for the years he lost. Perhaps I had to learn quickly to make decisions for myself, to be self-reliant and be willing to take risks. Little could be worse than my father dying when he did.”
I had to learn quickly to make decisions for myself, to be self-reliant and be willing to take risks.
On Creativity
“It makes me sad and concerned that schools are failing to teach creativity. Yet life today demands it more and more. We need to create fresh solutions to seemingly intractable problems, to devise new software, to create something different in order to compete in the global economy. These abilities are a prerequisite today. No longer can we lead life by repeating what we have learned and what has worked in the past. The world, thankfully, is becoming better educated, and competition has never been so fierce. The advantage we in the West have relied upon for so long is being diminished. In order to stay ahead we need to focus increasingly on our creativity.”
In Invention: A Life, Dyson describes his many failures as an inventor, the importance of mentorship, education, and self-reliance. The book explores his love for great design, scientists, innovators, engineers, and farming. The Book explores his constant desire to learn, fearlessness to step into the unknown, and an unflagging spirit of entrepreneurialism. Ultimately, it is a celebration of the role that young minds play in solving the world’s biggest problems, regardless of experience. 1
The book is a journey of an entrepreneur, the ups and downs, the value of having a supportive partner or spouse (Deidre), the importance of having a mentor (Jeremy Fry) that always pushes you to succeed, a dedicated financial institution or bank manager that is ready to take the plunge with you. His story shows how far determination, willpower, dedication, persistence, and perseverance can take someone with a commitment to succeed.
Dyson made 5,127 prototypes of his Cyclonic and Bagless Vacuum Cleaner before he got to a model he could set about licensing.
5,127 hand-made prototypes – One-Track Mindedness
“In 1983, after four years of building and testing 5,127 hand-made prototypes of my cyclonic vacuum, I finally cracked it. Perhaps I should have punched the air, whooped loudly, and run down the road from my workshop shrieking ‘Eureka!’ at the top of my voice. Instead, far from feeling elated, which surely after 5,126 failures I should have been, I felt strangely deflated.
How could this have been? The answer lies in failure. Day after day, with the wolf at the door, I had been pursuing the development of an ever more efficient cyclone for collecting and separating dust from a flow of air. I built several cyclones each day, conducting tests on each one to evaluate its effectiveness in collecting dust as fine as 0.5 microns − the width of a human hair is between 50 and 100 microns − while using as little energy as possible.”
“This might sound boring and tedious to the outsider. I get that. But when you have set yourself an objective that, if reached, might pioneer a better solution to existing technologies and products, you become engaged, hooked and even one-track-minded.”
On Failure
“Learning by failure is a remarkably good way of gaining knowledge. Failure is to be welcomed rather than avoided. It is a part of learning. It should not be feared by the engineer or scientist or indeed by anyone else.”
Folklore depicts invention as a flash of brilliance. That eureka moment! But it rarely is, I’m afraid. It is more about failure than ultimate success. I even thought of calling this book James Dyson: Failure, but was talked out of it because it might give the wrong impression. People want to read about success. Funnily enough, engineers who are good at inventing things are never satisfied with their latest creation. They tend to look at it quizzically and say, ‘I now know how to make it better’, which is a wonderful opportunity! This is the start of their reinvention, marking another leap in performance.
“Research is about conducting experiments, accepting and even enjoying failures, but going on and on, following a theory garnered from observing the science. Invention is often more about endurance and patient observation than brainwaves.”
On Curiosity
My tale is one of not being brilliant. I wasn’t even trained as an engineer or scientist. I did, however, have the bloody-mindedness not to follow convention, to challenge experts and to ignore Doubting Thomases. I am also someone who is prepared to slog through prototype after prototype searching for the breakthrough. If a slow starter like me could succeed, surely this might encourage others.
Curiosity – Experience is not the best teacher, it is the ability to maintain that curiosity that matters
I was naïve and eager to learn all that as I progressed. It was a steep learning curve, though, and still is. Everything changes all the time, so experience is of little use. I didn’t know that at the time and assumed that it would become easier with experience. It must be encouraging for those just graduating to know that is not the case. Fifty-two years later I can assure my graduates that I am no better for my experience.
“At Dyson, we don’t particularly value experience. Experience tells you what you ought to do and what you’d do best to avoid. It tells you how things should be done when we are much more interested in how things shouldn’t be done. If you want to pioneer and invent new technology you need to step into the unknown and, in that realm, experience can be a hindrance.”
If you want to pioneer and invent new technology you need to step into the unknown and, in that realm, experience can be a hindrance
Role of Supportive Partner and Network
The failures began to excite me. ‘Wait a minute, that should have worked, now why didn’t it?’ I was scratching my head, mystified, but then had another idea for an experiment that might lead to solving the problem. I was usually covered in dust, getting deeper and deeper into debt, yet happy and absorbed. Fortunately, my wife, Deirdre, allowed me to put our house and home life at risk, while the bank was kind enough to lend us money.
Long-Distance Running – Crossing the Pain Barrier
The first thing I knew I was good at, and something that I had taught myself as a teenage schoolboy, was long-distance running. Once through the pain barrier, I found I had the determination, or sheer bloody mindedness, to keep on running. Running, early in the morning or late at night, through that hauntingly beautiful landscape proved to be more than a ritual challenge. It was an escape from school, allowing me to think that anything and everything was possible.
Cross-Training
It was playing games, however, that taught me the need to train hard and to understand teamwork and tactics. The planning of surprise tactics, and the ability to adapt to circumstance, are vital life lessons. These virtues are unlikely to be learned from academic life and certainly not from learning by rote
Acting in plays, which I very much enjoyed, taught me about character, learning to express thoughts and to emphasise dramatically in speech.
Long-distance running allowed me the freedom to roam the wilds of Norfolk while depending on no one but myself. Running also taught me to overcome the pain barrier: when everyone else feels exhausted, that is the opportunity to accelerate, whatever the pain, and win the race. Stamina and determination along with creativity are needed in overcoming seemingly impossible difficulties in research and other challenges in life.
Running also taught me to overcome the pain barrier: when everyone else feels exhausted, that is the opportunity to accelerate, whatever the pain, and win the race.
Losing his father and Self-Reliance
“I felt the devastating loss of my dad, his love, his humour and the things he taught me. I feared for a future without him. Having recently become a boarder at the school, away from my family, I was suddenly alone. It didn’t do to cry or show emotion, just a stiff upper lip. Ever since, a part of me has been making up for that painfully unjust separation from my father and for the years he lost. Perhaps I had to learn quickly to make decisions for myself, to be self-reliant and be willing to take risks. Little could be worse than my father dying when he did.”
I had to learn quickly to make decisions for myself, to be self-reliant and be willing to take risks.
On Creativity
“It makes me sad and concerned that schools are failing to teach creativity. Yet life today demands it more and more. We need to create fresh solutions to seemingly intractable problems, to devise new software, to create something different in order to compete in the global economy. These abilities are a prerequisite today. No longer can we lead life by repeating what we have learned and what has worked in the past. The world, thankfully, is becoming better educated, and competition has never been so fierce. The advantage we in the West have relied upon for so long is being diminished. In order to stay ahead we need to focus increasingly on our creativity.”
December 30, 2023
Invention is James Dyson’s autobiography and story of how he failed over 5K times to design his ideal vacuum cleaner and how be built the company of Dyson we know today. It was a time when British ingenuity was in decline and a revamping of the education system was in order. Dyson worked tirelessly to start a university, drive innovation and research (even when it ran counter to the maximization of profit). Don’t get me wrong he worked hard to make sure he was profitable, but he was willing to take a risk that might not pan out when others would have taken the safer course. His foray into electric cars was well ahead of its time and his other technological ventures were a far wider portfolio than I expected having only know about the vacuum cleaner. He writes well with crisp prose and chapters that are focused. It is an interesting story and one that touches on many areas of life reflecting the changing mood of Britain throughout modern history. His foray into the United States was marked by costly litigation that was eventually settled out clearing the way for him to sell. Very interesting story for those interested in business history, technology and the idea of invention.
October 11, 2021
In itself, nothing wrong with this biography.
However, it is hard to distinguish between the biography of James Dyson himself and that of his company.
I do enjoy the occasional business story, many excellent books in that category I’ve read before. This one though, you can tell it is written by the man himself. It is fairly dry, interesting in a clinical sort of way, pragmatic in how he regards the world and folks around him, and a very technological telling of the evolution of his company. Oh, right… it’s supposed to be a personal biography. It is, in a way, but what it seem to do.. is seem to be a 300 page commercial for all things Dyson. And it is hard not to admire in a way, because he is obviously passionate about it.. but it just seems so full of salesmanship, although that in itself is something he dislikes in an activity for himself.
As he has approached His business throughout the years, is simply explaining how his things work. He does this.. in depth.. all throughout the book. It took me longer to get through because I just kept losing interest, and I had two other very interesting books on the go. (I started and finished both during the period I had this book open).
I have a Dyson, yes it’s good, but I didn’t pick this book up to learn about how it was made. What’s next.. a book about how my microwave was built next? Pass.
On to an adventure.
However, it is hard to distinguish between the biography of James Dyson himself and that of his company.
I do enjoy the occasional business story, many excellent books in that category I’ve read before. This one though, you can tell it is written by the man himself. It is fairly dry, interesting in a clinical sort of way, pragmatic in how he regards the world and folks around him, and a very technological telling of the evolution of his company. Oh, right… it’s supposed to be a personal biography. It is, in a way, but what it seem to do.. is seem to be a 300 page commercial for all things Dyson. And it is hard not to admire in a way, because he is obviously passionate about it.. but it just seems so full of salesmanship, although that in itself is something he dislikes in an activity for himself.
As he has approached His business throughout the years, is simply explaining how his things work. He does this.. in depth.. all throughout the book. It took me longer to get through because I just kept losing interest, and I had two other very interesting books on the go. (I started and finished both during the period I had this book open).
I have a Dyson, yes it’s good, but I didn’t pick this book up to learn about how it was made. What’s next.. a book about how my microwave was built next? Pass.
On to an adventure.
February 3, 2023
I absolutely loved this book and James Dyson the person. His passion, persistence, style, approach, and desire to create are inspiring! I really enjoyed this read and hope to learn more about him in the future.
March 15, 2022
Folklore depicts invention as a flash of brillance. That eureka moment. But it rarely is. It is more about failure than ultimate success. Stamina and determination along with creativity are needed to overcome seemingly impossible difficulties in research and other challenges in life. Was willing to try and fail: were 5,127 prototypes to get a model for the cyclonic vacuum cleaner they could license. It was not a eureka moment: change one thing at a time and see what difference that one change makes. Learning by trial and error, or experimentation, can be exciting; the lessons learned deeply engrained. Learning by failure is a remarkably good way of gaining knowledge. Failure is to be welcomed rather than avoided.
I learned that what passes for experience in many professions, disciplines and walks of life is often an attitude that becomes blinkered over time. At Dyson, we don't particularly value experience. Experience tells you what you ought to do and what you'd best to avoid. It tells you how things should be done when we are much more interested in how things shouldn't be done. if you want to pioneer and invent new technology, you need to step into the unknown and, in that realm, experience can be a hinderance.
Experts told him it was impossible to use cyclonic extraction below 20 microns. The technology needed to get to 0.3 microns. He had to go through empirical testing to find the answers for himself. He managed to do what the expert view had deemed impossible.
Hires young, inexperienced people who were bright and ambitious to run parts of the business and offices around the world. Flat organisation structure: empowers people to make decisions quickly and get things done. Everyone is in a product team, dedicated to delivering their product on time. Have specialists who can parachute in to solve problems as they arise. Fail and learn as they go.
Invests heavily in R&D: focus is engineering curiosity and excellence before profit.
Rather like the way some sharks have to keep moving to stay alive, innovative, engineering-led manufacturers need continuous innovation to stay competitive. Striving for new and better products is often what defines such companies.
Went out on his own to start his business: for me though, risk has long been an antidote to inertia. Took on a lot of personal risk and debt to start Kirk-Dyson where he was eventually botted from, and then started again on Dyson. He remained in control of Dyson after being scarred by his experience with Kirk-Dyson. Lived with very high debt for many years. Very practical, always tinkering and building things.
Admired engineers like Alex Issigonis and Andre Lefebvre who questioned orthodoxy, experimented, took calculated risks, stood on the edge of error to get things right. And when they got there, they kept asking questions.
Concerned and saddened that schools are failing to teach creativity, yet life today demands it more and more. There is a culture in Britain of looking down on manufacturing and selling, inventing and getting your hands dirty. Lack of focus on engineering and manufacturing like in other countries like Germany.
Ever since, a part of me has been making up for that painfully unjust separation from my father and for the years he lost. Perhaps I had to learn quickly to make decisions for myself, to be self-reliant and be willing to take risks. Little could be worse than my father dying when he did [when Dyson was 8.]
A life of perpetual learning, pursuing science, engineering and technology, has certainly been a truly magical and fulfilling adventure.
I learned that what passes for experience in many professions, disciplines and walks of life is often an attitude that becomes blinkered over time. At Dyson, we don't particularly value experience. Experience tells you what you ought to do and what you'd best to avoid. It tells you how things should be done when we are much more interested in how things shouldn't be done. if you want to pioneer and invent new technology, you need to step into the unknown and, in that realm, experience can be a hinderance.
Experts told him it was impossible to use cyclonic extraction below 20 microns. The technology needed to get to 0.3 microns. He had to go through empirical testing to find the answers for himself. He managed to do what the expert view had deemed impossible.
Hires young, inexperienced people who were bright and ambitious to run parts of the business and offices around the world. Flat organisation structure: empowers people to make decisions quickly and get things done. Everyone is in a product team, dedicated to delivering their product on time. Have specialists who can parachute in to solve problems as they arise. Fail and learn as they go.
Invests heavily in R&D: focus is engineering curiosity and excellence before profit.
Rather like the way some sharks have to keep moving to stay alive, innovative, engineering-led manufacturers need continuous innovation to stay competitive. Striving for new and better products is often what defines such companies.
Went out on his own to start his business: for me though, risk has long been an antidote to inertia. Took on a lot of personal risk and debt to start Kirk-Dyson where he was eventually botted from, and then started again on Dyson. He remained in control of Dyson after being scarred by his experience with Kirk-Dyson. Lived with very high debt for many years. Very practical, always tinkering and building things.
Admired engineers like Alex Issigonis and Andre Lefebvre who questioned orthodoxy, experimented, took calculated risks, stood on the edge of error to get things right. And when they got there, they kept asking questions.
Concerned and saddened that schools are failing to teach creativity, yet life today demands it more and more. There is a culture in Britain of looking down on manufacturing and selling, inventing and getting your hands dirty. Lack of focus on engineering and manufacturing like in other countries like Germany.
Ever since, a part of me has been making up for that painfully unjust separation from my father and for the years he lost. Perhaps I had to learn quickly to make decisions for myself, to be self-reliant and be willing to take risks. Little could be worse than my father dying when he did [when Dyson was 8.]
A life of perpetual learning, pursuing science, engineering and technology, has certainly been a truly magical and fulfilling adventure.
January 7, 2024
I was first introduced to Dyson by a friend who told me that this is one of the superior vacuum cleaners and more expensive than the usual lot. Until then I never paid attention to a vacuum cleaner it was just another household equipment. The price point really got me interested and I eventually bought one and it blew me away with the performance and significant difference with the peers.
I picked up this book to supplement my curiosity from that time and surprise that unlike any other popular pop culture brands it was British company.
What I thought is just about extra in a small motor for their supreme performance ended up much more than that.
The book for me was 3.5 rating. The book started off well giving insight on how James’s Journey started as a designer, and his eventual foray into the engineering. There are details about his earlier projects before Dyson days. At times overdetailing of those projects and challenges makes it tad boring.
The book picks up it pace once the Dyson story begins and go through different hoops and challenges of design, engineering, manufacturing, and eventual production. He passionately explains how they broke the established rules of the game and created this one of a product. While listening about the catalogue I was sad to see of all the eventual products that were eventually launched an interesting electric car did not make it to production.
Of their future projects I'm looking forward to seeing where they take up their investments and involvement in agriculture and how it turns out outside of Britain.
This biography is also a socio-political commentary on the Britain's political mindset during early '50s.The money that they earned(looted) in the past decades made them complacent enabled them to live a much more luxurious life without much effort. This led to admiration non-essential classic things like drama, music, art, and a disdain for more practical knowledge like science, engineering technologies. This eventually caused Britain to fall off from the race of being the mega power.
It's almost like history coming a full circle. Reading the book, one realizes the prosperity of Britain during 20th century was primarily driven by creating colonies and milking them out for their benefit. Once the colonial era ended so did the supremacy of the Britain because they never used the looted money to invest in gaining knowledge.
Towards the end of the book, I also found James getting overindulgent with his own ideas. The perspective became too one tone driven by engineering framework of the worldly affairs and overlooking the rest.
Overall it makes for an interesting read, but a crispier editing would have done wonders.
I picked up this book to supplement my curiosity from that time and surprise that unlike any other popular pop culture brands it was British company.
What I thought is just about extra in a small motor for their supreme performance ended up much more than that.
The book for me was 3.5 rating. The book started off well giving insight on how James’s Journey started as a designer, and his eventual foray into the engineering. There are details about his earlier projects before Dyson days. At times overdetailing of those projects and challenges makes it tad boring.
The book picks up it pace once the Dyson story begins and go through different hoops and challenges of design, engineering, manufacturing, and eventual production. He passionately explains how they broke the established rules of the game and created this one of a product. While listening about the catalogue I was sad to see of all the eventual products that were eventually launched an interesting electric car did not make it to production.
Of their future projects I'm looking forward to seeing where they take up their investments and involvement in agriculture and how it turns out outside of Britain.
This biography is also a socio-political commentary on the Britain's political mindset during early '50s.The money that they earned(looted) in the past decades made them complacent enabled them to live a much more luxurious life without much effort. This led to admiration non-essential classic things like drama, music, art, and a disdain for more practical knowledge like science, engineering technologies. This eventually caused Britain to fall off from the race of being the mega power.
It's almost like history coming a full circle. Reading the book, one realizes the prosperity of Britain during 20th century was primarily driven by creating colonies and milking them out for their benefit. Once the colonial era ended so did the supremacy of the Britain because they never used the looted money to invest in gaining knowledge.
Towards the end of the book, I also found James getting overindulgent with his own ideas. The perspective became too one tone driven by engineering framework of the worldly affairs and overlooking the rest.
Overall it makes for an interesting read, but a crispier editing would have done wonders.
Read
August 18, 2023This book inspired me to dream again.
I read it after leaving a suboptimal working situation. I was part of the founding team of a software company I helped scale to over $1M in revenue within 6 months of starting. I poured my blood sweat and tears into the project only to realize 5 months in my co-founders saw me as an employee rather than a founder and were only willing to pay me a pittance (less than 1% of equity of the company) even though I was the entire technology side of the business. The only win-win situation left for me was to hand over my IP, take the breakup fee and for us to split ways. Leaving my IP behind was painful and I haven't completely recovered. I didn't know there were situations where the product of my thoughts could be so carelessly mishandled, especially when they made the business viable. I didn't know that the emotional fallout of having your baby taken from you would make it so hard to be optimistic about babies. Seeing Dyson go through a similar situation and how he handled it was comforting.
Dyson is an engineer's engineer. He understands to squeeze out the last 5% of performance to make something great, you got to deeply understand every part of the system you're selling and often times that means building it in house. Dyson isn't afraid of investing in crazy moonshot ideas (like the car), even if it never launches. Dyson starts from first principles instead and their technology edge (electric motors, airflow technology) and builds stuff from there. There have been so many times I've been chastised for focusing on building a technology edge over distribution problems and it was nice to see there's two ways to build a business. I believe the right way is to build technology edge first and worry about marketing later as technology edge defines viability while marketing can usually be figured out if you're building something useful. It is great to see that others have built enormous business which apply this strategy and it works.
I read it after leaving a suboptimal working situation. I was part of the founding team of a software company I helped scale to over $1M in revenue within 6 months of starting. I poured my blood sweat and tears into the project only to realize 5 months in my co-founders saw me as an employee rather than a founder and were only willing to pay me a pittance (less than 1% of equity of the company) even though I was the entire technology side of the business. The only win-win situation left for me was to hand over my IP, take the breakup fee and for us to split ways. Leaving my IP behind was painful and I haven't completely recovered. I didn't know there were situations where the product of my thoughts could be so carelessly mishandled, especially when they made the business viable. I didn't know that the emotional fallout of having your baby taken from you would make it so hard to be optimistic about babies. Seeing Dyson go through a similar situation and how he handled it was comforting.
Dyson is an engineer's engineer. He understands to squeeze out the last 5% of performance to make something great, you got to deeply understand every part of the system you're selling and often times that means building it in house. Dyson isn't afraid of investing in crazy moonshot ideas (like the car), even if it never launches. Dyson starts from first principles instead and their technology edge (electric motors, airflow technology) and builds stuff from there. There have been so many times I've been chastised for focusing on building a technology edge over distribution problems and it was nice to see there's two ways to build a business. I believe the right way is to build technology edge first and worry about marketing later as technology edge defines viability while marketing can usually be figured out if you're building something useful. It is great to see that others have built enormous business which apply this strategy and it works.
October 27, 2022
Part biography, part discussion of his company, part politics, but entirely self-serving. For context, I enjoy some Dyson products, but do not worship the man.
The book starts off with his early biography, which unfortunately is quite boring. Once we move move on to the inventions, it's a little more interesting. He talks about building boats, ball barrows, before delving into vortex vacuums. Unfortunately, it's fairly light on the engineering details, probably because too much would bore a conventional audience. When the book wades into politics, it's unbearable and completely self-serving. It's not wholly left or right politics either. I don't care for the drama either.
There was a pattern to the book of Dyson coming up against a problem, and the people opposed were cast as villains, dedicating to profiting off of Dyson or opposing him. The first few times, it seemed admirable that Dyson overcame such obstacles. However, as we went further on, it felt like the opposing side was not given at all. What opposing reasons had not been presented in order to cast this one-sided protagonist view? Looking back at previous stories, they became more unclear as well. It's not that I don't believe him in terms of how he felt or how hard he worked, but it was obvious that you couldn't trust his story alone.
Overall, the book was unsatisfying. There wasn't enough scientific data to make it interesting for me, and the drama weighed much of the book down.
The book starts off with his early biography, which unfortunately is quite boring. Once we move move on to the inventions, it's a little more interesting. He talks about building boats, ball barrows, before delving into vortex vacuums. Unfortunately, it's fairly light on the engineering details, probably because too much would bore a conventional audience. When the book wades into politics, it's unbearable and completely self-serving. It's not wholly left or right politics either. I don't care for the drama either.
There was a pattern to the book of Dyson coming up against a problem, and the people opposed were cast as villains, dedicating to profiting off of Dyson or opposing him. The first few times, it seemed admirable that Dyson overcame such obstacles. However, as we went further on, it felt like the opposing side was not given at all. What opposing reasons had not been presented in order to cast this one-sided protagonist view? Looking back at previous stories, they became more unclear as well. It's not that I don't believe him in terms of how he felt or how hard he worked, but it was obvious that you couldn't trust his story alone.
Overall, the book was unsatisfying. There wasn't enough scientific data to make it interesting for me, and the drama weighed much of the book down.
December 7, 2021
As a retired engineer, I was drawn to this book because of the uniqueness of the Dyson vacuum cleaner. It turns out that I am within months of being the same age as Dyson; his description of his life events resonating with my memories through the years. An unexpected element of the book was the many encounters he had with unethical individuals and companies that took advantage of him. I also found his description of the inefficiency of government officials and bureaucrats to mirror my experience.
I read a lot of historical crime fiction from authors such as Victoria Thompson, Ann Perry, and Charles Todd. Common to the books of all three are the fact that the British public in the Victorian age and the early 20th century looked down on both the police and businessmen. Gentlemen were respected because they did not need to work for a living. Dyson makes it very clear that the attitude has not changed over the decades.
His attitude towards "Saving the Planet" is also interesting and refreshing. While wanting to do so, he believes in discovering practical ways that actually improve things and deplores virtue signaling and popular approaches like wind turbines and solar panels that have been ordained by Al Gore and others as THE answer. Amen.
I read a lot of historical crime fiction from authors such as Victoria Thompson, Ann Perry, and Charles Todd. Common to the books of all three are the fact that the British public in the Victorian age and the early 20th century looked down on both the police and businessmen. Gentlemen were respected because they did not need to work for a living. Dyson makes it very clear that the attitude has not changed over the decades.
His attitude towards "Saving the Planet" is also interesting and refreshing. While wanting to do so, he believes in discovering practical ways that actually improve things and deplores virtue signaling and popular approaches like wind turbines and solar panels that have been ordained by Al Gore and others as THE answer. Amen.
July 29, 2023
It's an understatement to say that this book is inspiring or riveting, because the stories told in this book reveal it is much more than that... But in short, I freaking love this book!
This is a story of how James Dyson sees design and engineering; how he views invention (as incremental improvements rather than a sudden eureka, which is unrealistic); how he embraces failure with the motto of "numquam tendere cessa" (never give up trying); how he fervently refuses to blindly follow conventional wisdom and instead listen to his intuition and values; how he fell in love with problem-solving, a trait of his that can never be faked; how he learns from countless failed prototypes.
There is also no shortage of the harsh moments that James Dyson had lived through, from his first betrayal of being kicked out of the company he started (thanks to his very own shareholders), to his lengthy legal battles with the company Amway that tried to clone Dyson technology after backing out of a licensing agreement, to facing political resistance trying to expand his factories in the UK, and so much more...
It is a combination of everything that made this a remarkable book to read.
This is a story of how James Dyson sees design and engineering; how he views invention (as incremental improvements rather than a sudden eureka, which is unrealistic); how he embraces failure with the motto of "numquam tendere cessa" (never give up trying); how he fervently refuses to blindly follow conventional wisdom and instead listen to his intuition and values; how he fell in love with problem-solving, a trait of his that can never be faked; how he learns from countless failed prototypes.
There is also no shortage of the harsh moments that James Dyson had lived through, from his first betrayal of being kicked out of the company he started (thanks to his very own shareholders), to his lengthy legal battles with the company Amway that tried to clone Dyson technology after backing out of a licensing agreement, to facing political resistance trying to expand his factories in the UK, and so much more...
It is a combination of everything that made this a remarkable book to read.
December 21, 2023
BUILT AND TESTED 5127 PROTOTYPES OF THE CYCLONIC VACUUM BEFORE THEY CRACKED IT.
It makes me sad and concerned that schools are failing to teach creativity.
Learning by trial and error, or experimentation, can be exciting, the lessons learned deeply ingrained.
85% of British PM's lost their fathers as children.
If you want to pioneer and invent new technology you need to step into the unknown and in that realm, experience can be a hindrance.
Fry believed in taking on young people with no experience because this way he employed those with curious, unskilled and open minds.
Word of mouth and editorials remain the best way to tell people what you have done.
One of the really important principles I learned to apply was changing only one thing at a time to see what difference that one change made.
The existing manufacturers were more interested in defending the vacuum cleaner bag market.
Permanently dissatisfied is how an engineer should feel.
We devised a system of reporting remarks heard by customers and store salesmen all over the world so that everyone in the company can see this priceless intelligence.
It makes me sad and concerned that schools are failing to teach creativity.
Learning by trial and error, or experimentation, can be exciting, the lessons learned deeply ingrained.
85% of British PM's lost their fathers as children.
If you want to pioneer and invent new technology you need to step into the unknown and in that realm, experience can be a hindrance.
Fry believed in taking on young people with no experience because this way he employed those with curious, unskilled and open minds.
Word of mouth and editorials remain the best way to tell people what you have done.
One of the really important principles I learned to apply was changing only one thing at a time to see what difference that one change made.
The existing manufacturers were more interested in defending the vacuum cleaner bag market.
Permanently dissatisfied is how an engineer should feel.
We devised a system of reporting remarks heard by customers and store salesmen all over the world so that everyone in the company can see this priceless intelligence.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2022
Audio book was neat hearing James talk about his own life in his words and then hearing his son and wife share their version in post script.
First half of book was the best hearing about all of James struggles to get Dyson off the ground. Entrepreneurship is tough so hearing first hand about his roller coaster was inspiring and honest.
Second half got a lil too political / reputation clearing for me. I’m not British so hasn’t heard all of the negative stuff James was defending… didn’t care too much about why he was right vs others wrong.
Loved the ending when James recapped what made him successful and what inspires him to do more at Dyson. Plus hearing from his family members about their experience with James’ struggles was neat because we always worry about supporting our loved ones monetarily but there’s so much they learned from James even when he was penniless - resolve, determination, grit…
One thing: James Dyson was a decades long in the making over night success who learned the hard way the importance of ownership of one’s ideas and company.
First half of book was the best hearing about all of James struggles to get Dyson off the ground. Entrepreneurship is tough so hearing first hand about his roller coaster was inspiring and honest.
Second half got a lil too political / reputation clearing for me. I’m not British so hasn’t heard all of the negative stuff James was defending… didn’t care too much about why he was right vs others wrong.
Loved the ending when James recapped what made him successful and what inspires him to do more at Dyson. Plus hearing from his family members about their experience with James’ struggles was neat because we always worry about supporting our loved ones monetarily but there’s so much they learned from James even when he was penniless - resolve, determination, grit…
One thing: James Dyson was a decades long in the making over night success who learned the hard way the importance of ownership of one’s ideas and company.
January 1, 2022
Dyson (the person) is a beast with the goal to improve humanity through making quality products using the method of (incremental progress via) changing only one thing at a time and observing the effect.
This simple approach makes him accessible unlike other the eccentric tech entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk.
He made 5127 iterations of his vacuum __himself__ before getting it right.
The story of his grit is inspiring -- losing his father at a young age and persevering.
He walks through the story of his designs of the ball barrow to the vacuum to the hand held vacuum to hand driers to beauty products. Seeing it from a more technical standpoint of cyclones and motors gives the product line and the company more cohesiveness and respect.
Overall, strong recommendation for anyone who appreciates technology, design, and good products -- and a story of perseverance. (Also, he personally narrates the audiobook is which is fun.)
This simple approach makes him accessible unlike other the eccentric tech entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk.
He made 5127 iterations of his vacuum __himself__ before getting it right.
The story of his grit is inspiring -- losing his father at a young age and persevering.
He walks through the story of his designs of the ball barrow to the vacuum to the hand held vacuum to hand driers to beauty products. Seeing it from a more technical standpoint of cyclones and motors gives the product line and the company more cohesiveness and respect.
Overall, strong recommendation for anyone who appreciates technology, design, and good products -- and a story of perseverance. (Also, he personally narrates the audiobook is which is fun.)
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