KhizooologyThe Wright Brothers
An invention grows through tests, records, and support.
Big Idea
McCullough uses correspondence and records to trace the Wrights' work on flight and the people who supported it.
Practical skills
Experience with machinery helps turn questions into workable experiments.
Observation
Studying flight prompts attention to control as well as lift.
Iteration
Tests and revisions matter more than a single legendary moment.
Family support
Katharine and other relationships complicate a story focused on two individuals.
Historical context
The biography sits within a wider history of competing aviation experiments.
Notooo Take
Break a difficult engineering problem into something you can measure and revise.
One Thing to Keep
An invention grows through tests, records, and support.