What motivated a man trained in theology to uncover the theory of evolution? How did a shop owner's daughter become Prime Minister of a very chauvinistic nation? How did a man with a severe hearing problem invent the phonograph and the first sound movie camera? What prompted an 8th-grade dropout to unravel the technical mysteries of the catalytic engine? And why did somebody who "could not write" turn into one of the most prolific and successful authors...