Trials of an Inventor: Life and Discoveries of Charles Goodyear

Originally published in 1866, shortly after the death of Charles Goodyear, the remarkable history of this great man and his invention of rubber making. In addition to the technical information, this biography provides a fascinating and detailed personal and business history. His was a life of many problems, including pawning his furniture for bread, a stay in a French debtor's prison, and many other troubles.