Against the Odds

The inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner tells the story of his incredible struggle to design and launch a machine that worked better than all others. When he brought his Dual Cyclone vacuum to market, manufacturers of traditional vacuums responded first with ridicule, then lawsuits, and finally with imitations. By 1997 Dyson's company was generating annual revenue of over ?100 million per year in the United Kingdom, and sales of more than one billion dollars worldwide. Dyson's freewheeling account of his struggles, failures and successes is interspersed with his unorthodox ideas on business, and his hard-won insights on how to turn an inspired idea into a household name. Against the Odds will inspire engineers, inventors and entrepreneurs and appeal to students around the world. First published in the UK, this updated edition includes the latest on Dyson's legal and business battles to establish the Dual Cyclone vacuum worldwide, and includes the story of his most recent innovation, the 2-drum Dyson Contrarotator (TM) Washing Machine, and his launch into the US.