"In a small town in Ohio, a dreamy, rather stupid 'poor white' boy suddenly becomes a rich and famous inventor. This classic novel of Americana, first published in 1920, tells the story of the power unleashed by that happenstance-- a force that overnight dotted a vast valley with cities, built a network of industry, made quick men rich and fearful men poor. In telling of the 'poor white's' love, it shows how the forces that twist men made the boy's story a wild and terrible one, bigger than the mere story of one person."--P. [4] of cover.