George Westinghouse: Powering the World

by William R Huber

While most know Thomas Edison for his invention of the light bulb, his counterpart, George Westinghouse, is too often overlooked. Westinghouse, however, became known as one of the most prolific inventors and businessmen of the Industrial Revolution. This biography reveals the man whose teachers suspected was mentally disabled and who quit college after one semester, yet founded more than 60 different companies employing 50,000 people, and received 361 U.S. patents. He later fought the "Battle of the Currents" (AC vs. DC) with Thomas Edison and won. Westinghouse, with his engineers, provided power and light for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. They harnessed the massive power of Niagara Falls and sent it over wires to light Buffalo and eventually the Northeast. His electric engines powered trains, and his air brakes stopped them. His scientific contributions forever changed the world.

291 pages, Paperback

Published February 14, 2022

Reviews

[Kyle Nase · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good biography of George Westinghouse. I felt the author did a good job of covering his whole life and providing enough background on the technologies and relationships that he had throughout the years to fill in the gaps. It also wasn’t too long, which I think was a good thing.

[Dan]

Good but simplistic treatment