Who doesn’t know Sony, Honda, Apple Computer, Microsoft today? What do we know about the people who created them? How do geniuses differ from ordinary people? Innate qualities or talent, as is commonly believed? Is nature more important than nurture, and is heredity more important than social factors? It may seem not if you consider the life history of such great people as Edison, Picasso, Einstein. Albert Einstein was the genius scientist of the nuclear age, Pablo Picasso was the most iconic artist of the 20th century, and Thomas Edison was history's most prolific inventor. The similarities in the life experiences and behavioral characteristics of these three titans of progress are striking. This completely separate group of individuals, in addition to common features, also has differences. This and many other interesting things are discussed in the fascinating book “Thirteen Men Who Changed the World” by Jean N. Landrum. Byron Marcel Beach invented the first disposable ballpoint pen. For two years, until 1950, he developed a cheap but convenient pen and, having achieved the result, tried to sell his idea to one of the major pen manufacturers of the time. They turned him away - a trivial scenario - by saying he didn't understand the nuances of the world's complex distribution system. He had to choose one of three options: forget about his idea; produce the product yourself and sell it through small distributors; organize your own pen production company and your own distribution system. In the tradition of a true entrepreneur, Byron Marcel Beach decided to create his own business and distribution system, and since then the way the world writes has changed forever.