The Wright Brothers, David McCullough
1) What surprised you the most?
I think what surprised me the most was reading about the Wright Brothers upbringing and their education. Although they only had a public high school education they went on to create one of the most notable inventions in history and change the world as we know it. Growing up in a house with no electricity or indoor plumbing, they lived a simple life where they often read books and developed most of their knowledge through reading. This surprised me because it proves that where you come from does not define you or your intelligence and as long as you are passionate about your goals you can reach them, just as the Wright Brothers did.
2. What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?
What I admire most about the Wright Brothers is their persistence in their work. Whether it be running a print shop, a bicycle store, or their passion for flight, they never gave up even when the odds were against them. What is more admirable to me about the duo is that they continuously risked their lives in the name of science and innovation in order to develop their products. They understood how dangerous it was for them to perform research and trials but continued onward in pursuit of their invention. 
3. What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?
Something that I personally did not admire about the Wright Brothers was how even though they worked tirelessly to stay committed to their goal, it consumed their entire life. The author rarely spoke of accomplishments the two made outside of their aircraft aspirations. While I do believe it is important to stay committed to your goal, I also think there is value in being able to step away sometimes and focus on other important things in life such as family and friends. 
4. Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?
The Wright Brothers faced adversity from the time they were born. They grew up in a small town where they had no electricity or indoor plumbing and only received a public high school education. Their family had little money and they didn't receive help from anyone of significance throughout their ventures- instead relying on passion and innovation. Also, Wilbur was in an accident before he was supposed to attend college that prohibited him from doing so. With all of these obstacles, the brothers did not allow themselves to be discouraged, instead they used adversity as an opportunity to pursue their passions and help motivate them. 
2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 
3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.
One part of the reading that was slightly confusing to me was why the United States would not be interested in their aircraft and why there was criticism for their work at first. The idea that no man should fly is one of close-minded ideals that ran across America. It wasn't until they received publicity for trying to sell their aircraft to Europe that they received the credit for their accomplishment that they deserved. 
4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?
The first questions I would ask the entrepreneur would be about the risk of testing their planes for the first time and how they felt about the dangerous aspects of their research. Not many entrepreneurs would risk their life for their product but the Wright Brothers continued to do this time after time in order to develop their ideas. The second question I would ask these brothers would be how they felt about not being recognized for their work immediately in the United States. After working tirelessly to produce their aircraft, they received criticism for their work even though it would ultimately changed transportation and defense forever. This question would be interesting to me because they must have felt defeated in that moment and I would be curious to know how they overcame that disappointment. 
5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?
I strongly believe that the Wright Brothers had the opinion that with hard work and an idea anything is possible. These brothers were hard working all their lives in anything that they pursued, whether it be a newspaper, a bicycle store, or creating an aircraft. Without the dedication to their work, their failures would have led them to stop but they continued to work hard and stay on the path toward success. I definitely agree with this opinion because it is easy to want to give up when something doesn't go your way but if you remain persistent you can always find success.