Mystery Invention Scores Book Deal

The story reads like the plot of a James Bond movie, but has the potential to end in the silliness of an Austin Powers flick.

The Harvard Business School Press (HBSP) has paid a $250,000 advance for a book about a secret, potentially revolutionary device nicknamed "Ginger," without ever laying eyes (even bionic ones) on the manuscript or on the machine itself.

The international man of mystery in this story of high-tech inventions is Dean Kamen, one of the foremost technological and medical inventors in America. Kamen claims his invention will "profoundly affect our environment and the way people live worldwide."

"It will be an alternative to products that are dirty, expensive, sometimes dangerous and often frustrating, especially for people in the cities," Kamen asserts.

Many pundits have speculated that "Ginger" is a kind of transport device. Razor Scooter, a leading manufacturer of the newly-trendy product, views Kamen's enigmatic invention as a potential competitor in the scooter market and plans to issue a statement today.

HBSP, investors in the device and those few individuals who have seen the invention remain reticent about the book and Kamen's machinne.

And when Insider.com broke the news last week about the book deal between HBSP, Kamen and the book's ghost author, Steve Kemper, the story unleashed a torrent of speculation about the nature of the invention. Some imagine that it might be a personal hovercraft, others simply a high-tech scooter.

Random House, the largest publisher in America, had enough reservations about printing Kamen's book that along with its $300,000 signing offer, the publishing house insisted upon an escape clause that would allow them to cancel the deal if they were dissappointed with the invention. Kamen declined the offer.

Hollis Heimbouch, senior editor at HBSP, said she had little information with which to evaluate the book besides the reputation of the machine's inventor and the testimonies of a few witnesses to the machine who had been sworn to secrecy.

A proposal for Kamen's invention has been seen by Jeff Bezos, president of the online retailer Amazon.com, Amazon's press office confirmed yesterday.

Venture capital and technology moguls have been quick to weigh in on Ginger, saying that the invention could revolutionize urban planning and change people's daily life worldwide.

Ginger is so revolutionary, according to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, that "if enough people see the machine you won't have to convince them to architect cities around it. It'll just happen."

Kamen says his new invention can be assembled in five to 10 minutes, from parts that could fit into a few duffle bags, and is projected to cost less than $2,000.

Kamen is the founder of DEKA Research of Manchester, N.H. and has won numerous prizes and awards for his mechanical contributions to medical science. He invented the portable insulin pump and a wheelchair that can negotiate stairs, sand and gravel.

--Staff writer Benjamin D. Grizzle can be reached at grizzle@fas.harvard.edu.