{"product_id":"the-naphtha-revolution-the-untold-story-of-an-invention-that-changed-the-world-hardcover","title":"The Naphtha Revolution: The Untold Story of an Invention That Changed the World - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eGraeme Ferguson\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA beautifully illustrated coffee-table book that launches the reader into the moneyed world of late 19th-century America, when men once known as Robber Barons amassed great fortunes and bought glamorous boats for themselves and their friends and family. In these early days, boats were powered by steam engines, but unfortunately some of the boilers exploded, with lethal consequences. It was a Swedish immigrant, Frank Ofeldt, who found the answer: naphtha, a derivative of oil that was used in lamps. He found a way to control the volatile substance, and then used his knowledge and experience to invent the naphtha launch, the world's first successful motorboat. It was, as the late author Weston Farmer put it, a landmark in the history of technology--like the Model T Ford, the DC-3 airplane, and the Zippo lighter. As told by a modern inventor, the late co-founder of Imax, this book describes the 19th-century invention, its financing, production, and the challenges in bringing it to market.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGraeme Ferguson \u003c\/b\u003ewas co-inventor of the IMAX(R) motion picture system that changed the way we see movies. He was co-founder of IMAX Corporation, and, for over 20 years, the company's first president. He produced and directed several pioneering films, including \u003ci\u003ePolar Life\u003c\/i\u003e, a multi- screen film for Expo '67 in Montreal; \u003ci\u003eNorth of Superior\u003c\/i\u003e, the first film to be shot entirely in IMAX; and \u003ci\u003eThe Dream Is Alive\u003c\/i\u003e, the first IMAX film to be shot in space. He was also an antique boat enthusiast and owned a cabin launch, Heather Belle, which was once powered by a fuel called Naphtha.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 304\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.34 x 10.31 x 8.35 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 06, 2022\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47472269983922,"sku":"9781988025902","price":60.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0770\/3891\/1666\/files\/60c9d4026291052235e83194b4974840.webp?v=1779105259","url":"https:\/\/box.dadyminds.org\/products\/the-naphtha-revolution-the-untold-story-of-an-invention-that-changed-the-world-hardcover","provider":"DADYMINDS BOX","version":"1.0","type":"link"}