Page 182 - Free the Idea Monkey

Chapter 12

Discovering a Yin to Your Yang

Or Are You a Walt Disney or a Roy Disney?

Perhaps no other country

celebrates innovation the way

America does.

This passion for inventions

started early in our history. Did

you know that George Washington

signed the first U.S. Patent Grant

on July 31, 1790, and the patent

examiner was none other than

Thomas Jefferson? (Thank you, Google. [Google, by the way, is patent

To see what makes Google Google, go to number 6285999 filed January 9,
http://www.google.com/patents?vid=6285999 1998; issued September 4, 2001.])

In America, we’re reminded of the life-changing power of inven-

tiveness every day. Some of the greatest inventors of yesterday

spawned the greatest brands of today. What do the names Chrysler,

Coleman, Goodyear, Campbell, Colt and Edison mean to you? Cars,

tents, tires, soup, guns and the electric light bulb, of course.

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