Have you used a ballpoint pen, a wi-fi network, or any computer program or search engine today? Do your kids have disposable diapers, Barbie dolls, and LEGOs? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then answer one more: do you know who is behind all these small and great inventions? Behind every invention is . be it a hot air balloon or a helicopter, a Barbie doll or a game of Monopoly, a wind generator or wi-fi - there are stories of real people, men and women, daredevils who changed the lives of billions of people on the planet. This encyclopedia describes the personalities of 30 inventors from the 11th century to the present day. You will learn about our ancestors and contemporaries who were able to make breakthroughs in science, technology and culture and made the world the way we see it today. Published in Russian for the first time.