With more than 1,093 patents to his name, Thomas Alva Edison ranks as the archetypal inventor and innovator—a modern day Prometheus, the figure from Greek mythology whose wily intelligence allowed him to steal fire from the gods and harness it for mankind.
  For Edison, who actually encouraged such lofty comparisons, the results of his creative “fire” are admired for their sheer volume and breadth: electric lighting, electric power, the phonograph, motion pictures, improvements to the telephone and telegraph, domestic cultivations of rubber, artificial cement and even wax paper.
  In terms both reverential and candid, Edison on Innovation portrays a man at times mythical in his creative prowess but whose work often centered on creating reliable income streams and exploiting under-served markets with modest or incremental improvements...

Discussion Questions:
3. Describe Thomas A. Edison. Which of his traits surprised you? Why?
Read author Alan Axelrod’s statements in the final paragraph. Do you agree with his assertions? Why or why not?
4. State two of the management lessons Axelrod includes in his book about Edison. Why are these important?
According to Edison, how can failure be considered success? Do you agree? Why or why not?