Ian turned to the history and philosophy of science after a career in engineering. His PhD dissertation focused on the history and philosophy of technology using Thomas Edison's laboratory notebooks to understand the processes by which novel artefacts are created.

Subsequent work included industrial heritage in Australia; the science of F W Taylor's Scientific Management; and the Great Strike of 1917.  His current interests include Australia's failed attempt to build nuclear weapons; the history of manufacturing in Australia; and manufacturing's interaction with Australian history more broadly.

Chapter 1. Introduction.- Part I: Edison and Failure Chapter.- 2. Success, Failure and Innovation: the Carbon Microphone.- Chapter 3. Failure and Success.- Chapter 4. Innovation and Systems.- Chapter 5. Innovation Must Fail.- Chapter 6. Catastrophic Failure.- Part II: Edison Science and Invention.- Chapter 7. Inventive Success: the Phonograph.- Chapter 8. Scientific Failure: Etheric Force.- Part III: Edison's World.- Chapter 9. Thomas Edison and Patents.- Chapter 10. The Edisonian Method: Trial and Error.- Part IV: Reversing Edison.- Chapter 11. Reverse Engineering.- Chapter 12. Epilogue.- Bibliography.- Notes.