Highlighting mainly lesser-known inventors of well-known products, these books straightforwardly relate the history, science, process of discovery, and the challenges each person faced in developing his or her invention. The accurate but sometimes fragmented narratives are supplemented by photos, sidebars, diagrams, and a four-page appendix about how to develop an innovative idea into an invention. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

It's hard to imagine a car without windshield wipers, but when the first windshields appeared on cars in 1904, drivers had to clean them by hand. And it's hard to imagine that in a time dominated by male drivers and scientists, it was a woman who invented the first wipers. Although scant information exists on Mary Anderson, this entry in the Inventors at Work series provides enough background on this atypical woman. Accompanied by archival photos and (undocumented) primary source quotes, the book tells how, after riding on street cars in the snow, Anderson patented her design for a window cleaning device. She was never able to sell her patent, but the text describes how windshield wipers eventually became successful and a necessary part of driving. An intriguing look at an everyday device.