I chose to read The Wright Brothers by David McCullough, and I had the following thoughts:
- What surprised you the most?
I was most surprised to learn that, after developing the Wright Flyer and attempting to contact the United States Department of War about their invention, the department ignored their letter because they were not interested. Additionally, it intrigued me that the media dismissed the Wright brothers, as they believe man was not meant to fly.
- What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?
I most admired their dedication to trying to figure out a way to fly. The Wright brothers had little education and every time they flew the newest version of their plane they risked being killed, but they pursued their dreams without fear of the outcome and ultimately succeeded.
- What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?
I do not believe that there is anything I do not admire about the Wright brothers. They changed the course of history forever with hard work and dedication.
- Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure?
The Wright brothers encountered adversity and failure multiple times. They were forced to rebuild the model of their plane hundreds of times, as it kept crashing, and they also were denied by the media and ignored by the U.S. government when they were successful.
- What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited?
I think the Wright brothers showed an amazing level of courage and dedication. They did not allow themselves to slow down or give up just because they experienced failure, and the results are enormous.
- Identify one part of the reading that was confusing.
I was confused with the part in the book that discusses how the Wright brother’s community was originally alarmed by the use of bicycles, as they felt that they would cause children to get into trouble. This surprised me because I did not fully comprehend how modest society was back then.
- If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?
- How were you so fearless in your endeavors of creating the first flying machine?
- What was your favorite part of it all?
- For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur’s opinion of hard work? Do you share that opinion?
I believe the Wright Brothers felt that hard work was being fully dedicated and invested in whatever endeavor you wanted to accomplish. I think that they were believers in the phrase “all or nothing,” as reflected in their willingness to die in order to perfect the invention of the first flying machine.
Hi Meghan,
ReplyDeleteYour reflection about the Wright Brothers made me wish I had read that one. I may still be able to read it for one of my reflections. I too wonder how on earth they kept trying in the face of adversity. What kept them going even though they might have been killed? They must have known they were close to a miraculous discovery. Now look where we are with our ability to fly. I wonder what the next completely new discovery will change our world and who is best suited to make it happen? I’m sure you or any UF student will be up for the task!
Hey Meghan! After reading your post, the Wright Brothers journey is something that I would like to familiarize myself with. The whole post was very interesting, because I do not know much about them. I think it is awesome that when everything was telling them to stop, they kept going. The US was not interested in planes back then, but now air traffic is an essential part of life for many people. I also think its awesome that there is nothing that you do not admire about the Wright Brothers.
ReplyDeleteHi Meghan, I am really intrigued to read this book as I think the Wright Brothers are a very unique example of entrepreneurship. Besides the fact that they changed the course of human history, they had to do what very entrepreneurs have to, risking their lives to see the success of their belief. I like your final description of what you think the Wright brothers define hard work as. "All or nothing" is a very similar takeaway I had after reading Shoe Dog by Phil Knight.
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