1.
- What surprised me the most about the Wright brothers was how they managed to be successful despite their upbringing. They grew up in a house with no electricity or running water, yet they managed to become ingenious mechanics for their time.
- I most admired how the brothers complemented each other. Orville and Wilbur completed each other's tasks, and always made each other better people. They made one of the best teams I can think of.
- I did not appreciate how, according to the author, Wilbur only cared about the money and did not care about the innovation and overall success of the achievement. One person even told Wilbur: "I am afraid, my friend, that your usually sound judgment has been warped by the desire for great wealth."
- The Wright brothers encountered a lot of adversity, most notably from other Americans. Their pursuit of flight was often made fun of and generally ignored in America. However, their achievement received a lot of recognition from France, as Wilbur Wright spent a lot of time studying in France. Once the Wright brothers became successful, most Americans gave in and acknowledged their accomplishments.
3. I was confused by the sister's role in their achievement. The author made it sound like she deserved a lot of credit for her encouragement and presence, but I had never heard of her sister before this book, so I am skeptical.
4. My first question for the Wrights would be: How much influence did your time in France have on your inventions? My second question would be: What was the biggest obstacle for the two of you to achieve flight?
5. In my opinion, the Wright brothers enjoyed hard work and excelled in a stressful environment. They had their backs against the wall throughout the process, as nobody had ever attempted this daring innovation before. There may be a question about Wilbur's personal motivations, as the author discussed how he only cared about profits.
Greg,
ReplyDeleteYour post gave lots of information on the Wright Brothers that was definitely valuable to me since I don't know a lot about them or their lives. I didn't know that Wilbur was apparently very concerned about the money and I never would have guessed they were in it for monetary reasons prior to reading this. Additionally, I think both the questions you would ask them would give you some unique background about them that would prove invaluable to learning more about their process.
Hi Greg
ReplyDeleteI feel like there are countless people in the world with brilliant, innovative ideas, but what really makes a great, successful entrepreneur is how persistent they are regardless of what others say. I hate how people would laugh at those trying hard to achieve what they believe in. I had no idea that one of the Wright brothers was so fixated on wealth. Interesting post, keep up the good work!