Interested in a talking toilet paper dispenser?

What about a motorized ice cream cone?

Slippers with built-in headlights?

Looking for a Kosher Lamp?

These aren’t gag gadgets from some lame late night talk show skit. They are actual, real products that you can buy today. Maybe you already have?

Americans love their gadgets—and Gadget Nation takes you behind the scenes and introduces you to the men and women who have spent countless hours and money, in some cases cashing in their 401(k), trying to turn their gadget idea into a gadget bonanza.

Steve Greenberg, dubbed The Innovation Insider, travels the country seeking out clever offbeat new products. His journey through the underbelly of American invention has brought him face to face with hundreds of garage inventors. Steve has spent years exploring and observing this often bizarre slice of Americana. Featuring more than 100 quirky innovations from garage inventors across the nation, this visual showcase captures America’s can-do spirit and creative energy.

Sure, there are some scary examples of gadgets that have gone terribly wrong, but others will amaze you, and still others will make you laugh.

One fascinating aspect of each story is learning which inventors have achieved some degree of financial success. In this world, logic doesn’t enter into the equation. A product that most people might look at and think, “Who needs that?” might be raking in millions and yet another product that seems truly ingenious might be drowning in red ink.

Sure, we all love our gadgets—and after reading Gadget Nation, you will start developing a deep affection for the inventors behind those gadgets.