The Total Inventor's Manual by Sean Michael Ragan

Contrary to popular wisdom, you don’t have to be an ace electrician, a coding prodigy, or a mechanical master to come up with a game-changing invention! You just need curiosity, a strong desire to fix a problem that you see in the world, and the determination to see your ideas become reality—and this book, which will teach you everything you need to go from zero to inventor. 

Everyone wants to be the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, but there’s never been a clear road map to becoming a wildly successful innovator—until now. In The Total Inventor’s Manual, you’ll learn to get that great idea out of your brain and into the real world with a crash course in ideation, prototyping, and testing. Includes clever, can-do lessons in CAD, 3D-printing, laser-cutting, electronics, robotics, coding, and more.

Whether you’re riding the Kickstarter wave or hitting the venture capital beat, get your idea funded—and protect it with a proper patent. Then learn to refine your prototype’s look and feel to give it a boost in the market.

Bring your invention to the masses with tips on manufacturing processes and best practices, plus solid advice for beginners on running a supply chain.

Discover how to effectively position your product in the marketplace, deal with consumer feedback, and run—or sell—your newly successful company.

Sean Michael Ragan is co-founder and editorial director of Foundry.net, a prominent blogger, and a former editor of MAKE Magazine. His freelance work has appeared in several books as well as Popular Science, ReadyMade, Chemical & Engineering News, and The Wall Street Journal.

Founded in 1872, Popular Science is one of the world’s largest science and technology magazine. Each month, Popular Science reports on the intersection of science and everyday life, delivering a new look at the future now. It’s the ultimate guide to what’s new and what’s next. Popular Science is one of the oldest continuously published magazines in the United States, and is published in five languages and nine countries.