Power of Words
In 1878, Thomas Alva Edison announced that he would try to invent a practical electric light bulb. Such was the faith of the world in this young man (he was only thirty-one ) that, on the bare announcement, illuminating-gas stocks tumbled in value in New York and London.

Allergy to Money
Andrew Carnegie, one of the richest Americans ever, practically became allergic to money as he grew richer and older. He was offended, he said, just by the sight and touch of it, and never carried any. Because he had no money with him with which to pay the fare, Carnegie was once put off a London tram.

Right Price
Thomas Alva Edison's first attempt at marketing an invention was an offer of a new stock ticker he had devised to the president of a large Wall  Street firm. Edison wanted to ask $5,000, but he was only twenty-three and completely inexperienced, and his nerve failed him. He asked the president to make an offer, and the president offered $40,000. Edison learned the lesson of not asking too little, and that was probably more valuable to him than this particular sum.

Shocking your Fellows
Henry Ford shocked his fellow capitalists by more than doubling the daily wage of most of his workers in 1914, eleven years after he had established his first automobile factory. He knew what he was doing. The buying power of his workers was increased, and their raised consumption stimulated buying elsewhere. Ford called it the "wage motive. "