Have you used a ballpoint pen, wi-fi network, any computer program or search engine today? Do your kids have disposable diapers, Barbie dolls and LEGO constructor? 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 - be it a balloon or helicopter, a Barbie doll or a Monopoly game, a wind generator or wi-fi - are the stories of real people, men and women, the daredevils who changed the lives of billions of the world's inhabitants. 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 a breakthrough in science, technology and culture and made the world the way we see it today. Published in Russian for the first time.