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Tesla For Beginners
The father of modern-day electricity and considered by some to be the ultimate "mad scientist," Nikola Tesla filed nearly 300 patents in his lifetime. Many of these patents resulted in functioning inventions; others were little more than wide-eyed dreams--or still await possible development. "Tesla For Beginners" examines the man behind the alternating current and wireless technologies who traveled from Serbia by steamship to arrive in the United States with only four cents in his pocket. It was in the early 1880s, at the tail end of the Industrial Revolution and the beginning of the Second Industrial Revolution, that America beckoned him.
Nikola Tesla--a poet of invention--left behind a vast and intriguing legacy. He was a scientist, physicist, mathematician, electrical engineer, and extensively published author who spent his last decades scraping for funding for celestial projects and living out his final days in penurious solitude with a pigeon.
Nikola Tesla--a poet of invention--left behind a vast and intriguing legacy. He was a scientist, physicist, mathematician, electrical engineer, and extensively published author who spent his last decades scraping for funding for celestial projects and living out his final days in penurious solitude with a pigeon.
- GenresNonfiction
176 pages, Paperback
Published November 8, 2016
3 people are currently reading
449 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 10, 2021
A good introduction to Tesla life and inventions. Easy to read and very informative. Nice summer read.
May 27, 2018
Tesla for Beginners, Robert I Sutherland-Cohen, 2016, ISBN 9781939994486
Nikola Tesla was one of the greatest scientists of modern history, on the same level as Guglielmo Marconi or Thomas Edison. Here is his story.
In the late 19th century, Tesla emigrated to America from his native Serbia. He carried more than a letter of introduction to Thomas Edison, who was The Man at that time. After working for Edison for several months, Tesla went off on his own. New York City had started to get electricity through Edison's direct current (dc) system. Tesla developed alternating current (ac), a much more efficient way of distributing energy, which has become the standard.
Tesla had an incredible memory, and a head full of ideas. It led to him receiving over 300 patents. Among other things, alternators in cars, robotics, remote control and radio are based on his work. He envisioned a hand-held device that could connect people all over the world with pictures, voice and information (sound vaguely familiar?). He became world famous.
Tesla was a great scientist, but he was not much of a businessman. Getting funding for his various projects was a constant struggle. In later years, his work went from Cutting Edge to Just Plain Weird. In 1943, he died in New York City, broke and alone.
This is an excellent, and easy to understand, book. Tesla was world famous, and seems to have been forgotten by history. If you are reading this on a cell phone, thank Nikola Tesla.
Nikola Tesla was one of the greatest scientists of modern history, on the same level as Guglielmo Marconi or Thomas Edison. Here is his story.
In the late 19th century, Tesla emigrated to America from his native Serbia. He carried more than a letter of introduction to Thomas Edison, who was The Man at that time. After working for Edison for several months, Tesla went off on his own. New York City had started to get electricity through Edison's direct current (dc) system. Tesla developed alternating current (ac), a much more efficient way of distributing energy, which has become the standard.
Tesla had an incredible memory, and a head full of ideas. It led to him receiving over 300 patents. Among other things, alternators in cars, robotics, remote control and radio are based on his work. He envisioned a hand-held device that could connect people all over the world with pictures, voice and information (sound vaguely familiar?). He became world famous.
Tesla was a great scientist, but he was not much of a businessman. Getting funding for his various projects was a constant struggle. In later years, his work went from Cutting Edge to Just Plain Weird. In 1943, he died in New York City, broke and alone.
This is an excellent, and easy to understand, book. Tesla was world famous, and seems to have been forgotten by history. If you are reading this on a cell phone, thank Nikola Tesla.
October 13, 2018
Simplified story about life and inventions of Nicola Tesla. I suppose the name of the inventor has been recently popularized by Elon Musk, thus quite a number books published.
Having read few other books on this topic I can say it gives a good look into a fascinating life of a fascinating person.
Negative point for me is demonizing Tesla opponents or competitors, specifically Edison and Marconi.
Having read few other books on this topic I can say it gives a good look into a fascinating life of a fascinating person.
Negative point for me is demonizing Tesla opponents or competitors, specifically Edison and Marconi.
December 14, 2019
I was doing some research on Tesla for a film review. This book was a minimally interesting introduction.
May 13, 2020
348 - 2020
September 29, 2023
Better than Carlson Bernard's Tesla book, but I still need to watch Youtube videos to aid my understanding while/after reading this.
January 31, 2017
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway.
This illustrated book is a solid introduction to one of the more fascinating figures in the history of science and technology. The illustrations act as a perfect vehicle for easing a reluctant reader into the subject. Recommended for those unfamiliar with Tesla. May not be for those with any previous knowledge of the inventor as there's nothing really new here.
This illustrated book is a solid introduction to one of the more fascinating figures in the history of science and technology. The illustrations act as a perfect vehicle for easing a reluctant reader into the subject. Recommended for those unfamiliar with Tesla. May not be for those with any previous knowledge of the inventor as there's nothing really new here.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews