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Lightning Strikes: Timeless Lessons in Creativity from the Life and Work of Nikola Tesla
Seventy years after his death, Nikola Tesla has become a rock star. Lightning Strikes examines his complete life and legacy, including Tesla’s profound influence on everything from systems integration to drone warfare. Engineers, entrepreneurs, and academics will find it invaluable not only for the never-before-published interviews and archives, but also for the creative principles that visionaries like Larry Page and Elon Musk have used to build iconic brands and groundbreaking inventions. The book also reveals why the government and business leaders wanted to shut down Tesla’s bold experiments, and how hundreds of his ideas are now being implemented globally—including clean power, robotics, alternating current motors, and wireless transmission of power and information.
As a bonus, a free augmented reality app from Yetzer Studio allows you to scan beautiful full-color illustrations in the book, unlocking an interactive 3D animation as well as videos honoring Tesla's life and legacy.
As a bonus, a free augmented reality app from Yetzer Studio allows you to scan beautiful full-color illustrations in the book, unlocking an interactive 3D animation as well as videos honoring Tesla's life and legacy.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published October 11, 2016
13 people are currently reading
537 people want to read
About the author
John F. Wasik
19 books8 followersI'm the author of 19 books to date. They've spanned the gamut from personal finance and environmental topics to infrastructure, technology and creativity. I like telling stories that answer a question: How did we get electricity in our homes? How can we best save for retirement? What do we need to know about workplace automation? I have a hybrid set of interests that cross the boundaries of history, geography, science, economics and ecology. I've spoken across North America on these subjects and am thrilled to present my ideas and books to live audiences. I'm also a working journalist, contributing to The New York Times, Forbes and Real Clear Investigations. As a former columnist for Reuters and Bloomberg, my columns were published in five continents. I'm also a musician, poet and county commissioner and forest preserve vice president.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 20, 2016
This book isn't an ordinary biography, or even a raving lionization of an unsung futurist. What you have here is a story told in three parts: a biography of Tesla himself; a deep examination of his controversial personality (genius, possibly diagnosably mentally ill, and everything in between) who persevered and overcame tremendous misfortune to change the world and yet died penniless; and a reflection on how Tesla's personality and daily activities and routines might inspire us to greater levels of productivity and creativeness.
There's a ton to be learned from this book. Most interestingly to me was how dramatically he was beset by bad luck, unscrupulous business partners, unlucky bad business decisions ... and then looking at the world today, and how much of it he foresaw and wrote about. A hundred+ years ago, he was writing about the smart phones, GPS, Internet, drones, and other technology we take for granted today. While others carried on his dreams, it was only matter of time before his "crazy" ideas would hatch and change our lives forever, just as much as the ability to have electric light inside the home changed the lives of everyone who was being poisoned and having their houses burned down by gas-powered light.
To this day Tesla is influencing our future with ideas that have yet to be realized. Yet he was so repeatedly screwed by powerful men who could renege on a verbal deal to award thousands of dollars if he ever accomplished something thought imposible--and did. Or sold out of a company for needed cash when he could have had stock certificates that would have gone on to make him fabulously wealthy. In a way it's sad-- he was a genius but seemingly at every turn the wind blew the wrong way as far as his financial well being.
On the other hand, he was able to keep up his work by being a master showman and marketer. He learned how to use his inventions to capture the attention of an audience (and sponsors) and further his research. This ability to influence people to his thinking, probably more than anything, was the one thing that kept him going, other than plain old "American" grit. He was a renaissance man, studied in aspects of art and culture, and this wide breadth of knowledge, as opposed to a strict engineering education, we are led to believe, is partly responsible for his great ability to solve problems in different and unexpected ways.
Wasik adds a lot of VERY interesting background knowledge that puts Tesla's times in perspective for the modern reader.
For example, at the time cities were being electrified, we imagine lines being strung down the street and everybody plugging their stuff in and dancing with joy. But imagine if you didn't HAVE any electric appliances or lights. Why would you need electricity?? Light bulbs at the time were so expensive that for a single light bulb, people would be offered 6-month payment plans. In order to create the demand for electricity that would fuel its growth, companies actually drove down the street giving away free electric irons.
Al Capone had a storefront operation where he gave away free food for the unemployed during the recession.
J.P. Morgan (the man, not the company) had his mansion electrified, but the generating plant was loud and polluting. So much so that his neighbors were in revolt and he had to buy their patience with expensive cigars.
Tesla met Mark Twain after having corresponded. Twain, another multidimensional figure, it's believed was mystified by Tesla's electricity. At one point they were gathered with friends and Twain asked Tesla to run electricity through him so Twain could feel this magical force. Apparently the magical force caused Twain to quickly need to use the bathroom facilities, to the great amusement of the others.
Throughout the book is a hunt for information on Tesla's mysterious "Death Ray", which he claimed would defend cities from attack from hundreds of miles away. Similar to the high energy laser powered weapons being developed by the military today, or a forerunner of Reagan's SDI. Tesla's papers are gone -- if there ever were any papers. He kept much in his head, which was sadly focused on feeding his pigeons towards the end of his life. And questions remain (and the government remains elusive) about documents that were seized when Tesla was spied upon and considered to be a possible enemy of the United States due to his birth in an eastern-blok country and the (hyped up by Tesla himself) potential for his inventions to be a tremendous game changer in war. Where are his notes about his mysterious "death ray"? The Feds are stonewalling. I'm no conspiracy theorist, but it does raise questions when FOIA requests go unanswered or heavily redacted.
Other battles ensue, including of course the much-spoken-of AC/DC battle with Edison and his backers (which Tesla won on technology grounds, but didn't get rich from), and the little known patent battles with Marconi (which Tesla also won, posthumously, so never got rich from). Heartbreaking. But while Tesla himself may have been discouraged by the Marconi outcome, he would not have quit working over it. He was too driven. Despite his "death ray", his overriding goal was always peace: how many people could be helped, saved, protected.
Closing out each chapter of the book is a section on how we can adapt Tesla's mode of thinking to expand our own creative genius. I found mild value in this feel good stuff -- I'm no new-wave creative type -- but there were occasional nuggets that could maybe get you out of writer's block or a "mind rut".
And closing out the book is a chapter on how the future, as it might be envisioned by Tesla, bodes for humanity. I differ slightly with Wasik on this, I think, as Wasik goes for an argument that robotics are a net negative due to job loss. To this I can only say, would he that the assembly line were never invented? Countless man-hours were saved by that automation technology, enabling motorcars to be affordable to the commoner. Sure, no one was pushing things around by hand anymore, but those people could be more effectively used and the overall output increased with technology. Would he have rows of people screwing toothpaste caps on toothpaste tubes a'la Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? I can't accept that automation is a net negative.
My other potential debate point in the last chapter is Wasik throws in an opinion on the "greater good" vs the power of the individual. I won't argue it deeply here but to me the notion of a powerful individual who can make his own decisions directly leads to the greater good. That's the foundation of the "invisible hand" that makes our economic system work. People do what's in their own interest and everyone as a whole benefits. Unlike centrally planned economies such as Venezuela that inevitably go in the tank with vast amounts of lives lost as a result, or Cuba, where individuals were prohibited from privately owning companies-- no incentive to innovate equals no innovation. There ARE other Tesla's out there, even today. Perhaps even reading this review. We need to stand out of their way, let them do their work, and let the world be the judge.
Thanks to Wasik for an exciting and very motivational and uplifting read that underscores the power of relentless belief in oneself and hard work as an honorable way to live a life.
There's a ton to be learned from this book. Most interestingly to me was how dramatically he was beset by bad luck, unscrupulous business partners, unlucky bad business decisions ... and then looking at the world today, and how much of it he foresaw and wrote about. A hundred+ years ago, he was writing about the smart phones, GPS, Internet, drones, and other technology we take for granted today. While others carried on his dreams, it was only matter of time before his "crazy" ideas would hatch and change our lives forever, just as much as the ability to have electric light inside the home changed the lives of everyone who was being poisoned and having their houses burned down by gas-powered light.
To this day Tesla is influencing our future with ideas that have yet to be realized. Yet he was so repeatedly screwed by powerful men who could renege on a verbal deal to award thousands of dollars if he ever accomplished something thought imposible--and did. Or sold out of a company for needed cash when he could have had stock certificates that would have gone on to make him fabulously wealthy. In a way it's sad-- he was a genius but seemingly at every turn the wind blew the wrong way as far as his financial well being.
On the other hand, he was able to keep up his work by being a master showman and marketer. He learned how to use his inventions to capture the attention of an audience (and sponsors) and further his research. This ability to influence people to his thinking, probably more than anything, was the one thing that kept him going, other than plain old "American" grit. He was a renaissance man, studied in aspects of art and culture, and this wide breadth of knowledge, as opposed to a strict engineering education, we are led to believe, is partly responsible for his great ability to solve problems in different and unexpected ways.
Wasik adds a lot of VERY interesting background knowledge that puts Tesla's times in perspective for the modern reader.
For example, at the time cities were being electrified, we imagine lines being strung down the street and everybody plugging their stuff in and dancing with joy. But imagine if you didn't HAVE any electric appliances or lights. Why would you need electricity?? Light bulbs at the time were so expensive that for a single light bulb, people would be offered 6-month payment plans. In order to create the demand for electricity that would fuel its growth, companies actually drove down the street giving away free electric irons.
Al Capone had a storefront operation where he gave away free food for the unemployed during the recession.
J.P. Morgan (the man, not the company) had his mansion electrified, but the generating plant was loud and polluting. So much so that his neighbors were in revolt and he had to buy their patience with expensive cigars.
Tesla met Mark Twain after having corresponded. Twain, another multidimensional figure, it's believed was mystified by Tesla's electricity. At one point they were gathered with friends and Twain asked Tesla to run electricity through him so Twain could feel this magical force. Apparently the magical force caused Twain to quickly need to use the bathroom facilities, to the great amusement of the others.
Throughout the book is a hunt for information on Tesla's mysterious "Death Ray", which he claimed would defend cities from attack from hundreds of miles away. Similar to the high energy laser powered weapons being developed by the military today, or a forerunner of Reagan's SDI. Tesla's papers are gone -- if there ever were any papers. He kept much in his head, which was sadly focused on feeding his pigeons towards the end of his life. And questions remain (and the government remains elusive) about documents that were seized when Tesla was spied upon and considered to be a possible enemy of the United States due to his birth in an eastern-blok country and the (hyped up by Tesla himself) potential for his inventions to be a tremendous game changer in war. Where are his notes about his mysterious "death ray"? The Feds are stonewalling. I'm no conspiracy theorist, but it does raise questions when FOIA requests go unanswered or heavily redacted.
Other battles ensue, including of course the much-spoken-of AC/DC battle with Edison and his backers (which Tesla won on technology grounds, but didn't get rich from), and the little known patent battles with Marconi (which Tesla also won, posthumously, so never got rich from). Heartbreaking. But while Tesla himself may have been discouraged by the Marconi outcome, he would not have quit working over it. He was too driven. Despite his "death ray", his overriding goal was always peace: how many people could be helped, saved, protected.
Closing out each chapter of the book is a section on how we can adapt Tesla's mode of thinking to expand our own creative genius. I found mild value in this feel good stuff -- I'm no new-wave creative type -- but there were occasional nuggets that could maybe get you out of writer's block or a "mind rut".
And closing out the book is a chapter on how the future, as it might be envisioned by Tesla, bodes for humanity. I differ slightly with Wasik on this, I think, as Wasik goes for an argument that robotics are a net negative due to job loss. To this I can only say, would he that the assembly line were never invented? Countless man-hours were saved by that automation technology, enabling motorcars to be affordable to the commoner. Sure, no one was pushing things around by hand anymore, but those people could be more effectively used and the overall output increased with technology. Would he have rows of people screwing toothpaste caps on toothpaste tubes a'la Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? I can't accept that automation is a net negative.
My other potential debate point in the last chapter is Wasik throws in an opinion on the "greater good" vs the power of the individual. I won't argue it deeply here but to me the notion of a powerful individual who can make his own decisions directly leads to the greater good. That's the foundation of the "invisible hand" that makes our economic system work. People do what's in their own interest and everyone as a whole benefits. Unlike centrally planned economies such as Venezuela that inevitably go in the tank with vast amounts of lives lost as a result, or Cuba, where individuals were prohibited from privately owning companies-- no incentive to innovate equals no innovation. There ARE other Tesla's out there, even today. Perhaps even reading this review. We need to stand out of their way, let them do their work, and let the world be the judge.
Thanks to Wasik for an exciting and very motivational and uplifting read that underscores the power of relentless belief in oneself and hard work as an honorable way to live a life.
April 8, 2017
I had abandoned another biography of Tesla, which delved deeply into the engineering and physics of his inventions. What I liked about this one was the focus on the man and his beliefs, and the people around him.
While technically it may not be a very good biography, it is a an easy read and a superb introduction to the engineer who built the 20th century.
While technically it may not be a very good biography, it is a an easy read and a superb introduction to the engineer who built the 20th century.
May 4, 2022
This was a very serviceable biography/profile of a man who's still something of a conundrum. Tesla's revolutionary ideas regarding (especially) electricity and communication never really took hold, in part because of the work and actions of contemporaries like Edison and Marconi, in part because Tesla's attitude was more humanitarian instead of profit-driven, and in part just because of the ineffable reasons that lead some to great success and others to ultimate frustration.
Mr. Wasik has certainly done his research, though he was stifled somewhat because (at least at the time he was writing) he was unable to track down certain records and artifacts that SHOULD have been in the government's possession, but were not discoverable through FOIA requests. Perhaps those items are in the same warehouse where they stored the Ark of the Covenant at the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Maybe time will bring those things to light.
I will admit that I skipped most of the TeslAction self-help sidebars, because that wasn't the focus of my reading. The special app that gives the reader access to videos and a VR version of a Tesla coil were nice additions, though.
Mr. Wasik has certainly done his research, though he was stifled somewhat because (at least at the time he was writing) he was unable to track down certain records and artifacts that SHOULD have been in the government's possession, but were not discoverable through FOIA requests. Perhaps those items are in the same warehouse where they stored the Ark of the Covenant at the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Maybe time will bring those things to light.
I will admit that I skipped most of the TeslAction self-help sidebars, because that wasn't the focus of my reading. The special app that gives the reader access to videos and a VR version of a Tesla coil were nice additions, though.
November 27, 2016
I received an advance reading copy of this book, for free, through Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for my honest review.
Lightning Strikes: Timeless Lessons in Creativity from the Life and Work of Nikola Tesla, by John F. Wasik, is an odd book. Not a bad book per se, but definitely not what I expected it to be. I was expecting more of a traditional biography of Tesla, however, at times I felt as if I were reading multiple books at once. This book was all over the place; really disjointed. The book is categorized under “science/history”. There’s plenty of science and plenty of history. There’s also a lot of new age, self-help, psychobabble, and some really off-the-wall conspiracy theory stuff regarding a government cover-up of a “death ray” allegedly created by Tesla.
An example of the disjointedness can be found halfway through the book. Following a discussion of Tesla’s financial problems, and the abandonment of his Wardenclyffe Tower, there is a four page, full-color advertisement for a Nikola Tesla app readers are encouraged to download. After the commercial break (and presumably after readers are done playing with their iPhones), it’s back to Tesla… but not really. Instead the author begins discussing a rough patch in his own life. The economy collapsed in 2008, he lost his job, there were deaths and illness in his family, and so on and so forth. Whether it’s Tesla, Wasik, or you, when life has got you down all you have to do is “Be Resilient”, or so says Wasik’s next “TeslAction” self-help nugget.
As the book fragmented, and split off into many directions, I found it difficult to keep focused on the story of Tesla. Wasik is a self-proclaimed “Teslaphile”. He is a well-versed scholar on the subject of Tesla. His research is thorough, and he provides copious notes at the end of the book. In Lightning Strikes, Wasik extensively quotes (perhaps a little too extensively) other books written about Tesla, including Tesla’s 1919 autobiography.
Unfortunately, Wasik also interjects himself into the narrative too often. He describes his travels, who he interviewed while researching the book, personal setbacks in his own life, and his difficulties with the federal government when attempting to obtain documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regarding the “death ray” Tesla was supposedly working on at the time of his death. Wasik also seems to have an irrational disdain for Tesla’s contemporaries, particularly Edison, but also Marconi.
I would recommend this book to Teslaphiles, and to anyone struggling with creativity issues who might benefit from the TeslActions at the end of each chapter. For everyone else who is interested in the life and work of Nikola Tesla, I would recommend skipping Lightning Strikes, and instead reading one of the more traditional Tesla biographies, which are quoted extensively in this book.
Lightning Strikes: Timeless Lessons in Creativity from the Life and Work of Nikola Tesla, by John F. Wasik, is an odd book. Not a bad book per se, but definitely not what I expected it to be. I was expecting more of a traditional biography of Tesla, however, at times I felt as if I were reading multiple books at once. This book was all over the place; really disjointed. The book is categorized under “science/history”. There’s plenty of science and plenty of history. There’s also a lot of new age, self-help, psychobabble, and some really off-the-wall conspiracy theory stuff regarding a government cover-up of a “death ray” allegedly created by Tesla.
An example of the disjointedness can be found halfway through the book. Following a discussion of Tesla’s financial problems, and the abandonment of his Wardenclyffe Tower, there is a four page, full-color advertisement for a Nikola Tesla app readers are encouraged to download. After the commercial break (and presumably after readers are done playing with their iPhones), it’s back to Tesla… but not really. Instead the author begins discussing a rough patch in his own life. The economy collapsed in 2008, he lost his job, there were deaths and illness in his family, and so on and so forth. Whether it’s Tesla, Wasik, or you, when life has got you down all you have to do is “Be Resilient”, or so says Wasik’s next “TeslAction” self-help nugget.
As the book fragmented, and split off into many directions, I found it difficult to keep focused on the story of Tesla. Wasik is a self-proclaimed “Teslaphile”. He is a well-versed scholar on the subject of Tesla. His research is thorough, and he provides copious notes at the end of the book. In Lightning Strikes, Wasik extensively quotes (perhaps a little too extensively) other books written about Tesla, including Tesla’s 1919 autobiography.
Unfortunately, Wasik also interjects himself into the narrative too often. He describes his travels, who he interviewed while researching the book, personal setbacks in his own life, and his difficulties with the federal government when attempting to obtain documents under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regarding the “death ray” Tesla was supposedly working on at the time of his death. Wasik also seems to have an irrational disdain for Tesla’s contemporaries, particularly Edison, but also Marconi.
I would recommend this book to Teslaphiles, and to anyone struggling with creativity issues who might benefit from the TeslActions at the end of each chapter. For everyone else who is interested in the life and work of Nikola Tesla, I would recommend skipping Lightning Strikes, and instead reading one of the more traditional Tesla biographies, which are quoted extensively in this book.
November 11, 2016
John F Wasik examines Teslas legacy. He explains how hundreds of Teslas ideas are implemented in todays global technical developments and those who have been inspired by Teslas many powerful ideas and world changing endeavors. THANK YOU GOODREADS FIRST READS FOR THIS FREE BOOK!!!!!
January 18, 2017
This book was very informative about Tesla's life & achievements as well as a bit of a self-help book. It was definitely interesting to learn about Tesla and all that he went through.
August 20, 2022
Great book about Nikola Tesla's legacy.
John F Wasik describes journey of one of the greatest genius living on this planet.
You will learn about many Tesla's incredible ideas implemented in today's technologies that are deeply influencing entire world today but I am sure his ideas will resonate in our society even in the 22nd century...
Tesla was hundreds years ahead of his time, sometimes misunderstood but still dedicated to his mission. His mission was creating a world full of peace through the technology.
John F Wasik describes journey of one of the greatest genius living on this planet.
You will learn about many Tesla's incredible ideas implemented in today's technologies that are deeply influencing entire world today but I am sure his ideas will resonate in our society even in the 22nd century...
Tesla was hundreds years ahead of his time, sometimes misunderstood but still dedicated to his mission. His mission was creating a world full of peace through the technology.
September 13, 2022
Overall a decent book as it was informative. I had a struggle getting through it. I didn't like the "textbooky" vibes it gave off. Especially with the "Teslactions" at the end of each chapter.
On a more positive note, the images in the book were very interesting to look at and read about. The images which came to life with the downloadable AR app were also really cool.
On a more positive note, the images in the book were very interesting to look at and read about. The images which came to life with the downloadable AR app were also really cool.
July 11, 2022
I very much enjoyed the information in this book. I wasn't a huge fan of the preach-y textbook-style motivational stuff at the end of the chapters. It felt like it was being written for kids. But the rest of the content was really interesting.
February 8, 2019
My favorite book on Tesla to date
May 18, 2019
Really enjoyed this book ... gave me a much better sense of who Nikola Tesla was and an appreciation of his life and work.
Read
June 11, 2019if you have more free time and you have read all the books in the world or you have nothing to read, then you can read this book
April 22, 2022
An inspiring read about a remarkable scientist who it would seem was misunderstood and taken advantage of.
September 4, 2025
Not worth the time
May 9, 2022
In my opinion, this book is worth a read. After reading this book it lets me think this book has some similarities from the book Range by David Epstein and Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance, Do you ??
In this book, you'll find:
1. How passionate Tesla was in inventing things, sharing his ideas and meeting people like JP Morgan, Edison, Samuel Insull.
2. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall - by Confucius.
3. Be open-minded and see things using diff POV and keep inventing.
4. A team with diff expertise is crucial when you want to build great things.
5. Knowing what are your strengths and weakness, keep discovering them, there's no such word as "It was too late to discover them" or you can ask your family/friends too.
6. Some of the struggles Tesla experienced.
I hope this book can have a more clear ascending timeline because I found the years sometimes go back and forward.
These are some of the things I found from this book. I hope you find it useful too.
In this book, you'll find:
1. How passionate Tesla was in inventing things, sharing his ideas and meeting people like JP Morgan, Edison, Samuel Insull.
2. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall - by Confucius.
3. Be open-minded and see things using diff POV and keep inventing.
4. A team with diff expertise is crucial when you want to build great things.
5. Knowing what are your strengths and weakness, keep discovering them, there's no such word as "It was too late to discover them" or you can ask your family/friends too.
6. Some of the struggles Tesla experienced.
I hope this book can have a more clear ascending timeline because I found the years sometimes go back and forward.
These are some of the things I found from this book. I hope you find it useful too.
February 28, 2022
Rather than a biography as such, nor a technical description and assessment of his inventions (though either of those would be enjoyable, too), this book emphasizes the traits that made Tesla creative. Each chapter ends with an invitation to reflection: how can the reader apply Tesla's thought processes to enhance one's own creativity. A pleasantly readable look at the personality of an innovator who has become a pop icon.
January 8, 2023
A light overview of the life of Tesla, as the author says in the intro. I haven't read any of the biographies or his autobiography so this was a great introduction. Now I must know more.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews