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The Man Who Invented the Twentieth Century
s/t: Nikola Tesla, Forgotten Genius of Electricity
Nikola Tesla was responsible for many electrical inventions, but is largely unheard of. Using Tesla's own writings, court transcripts and FBI files, this book pieces together the true extent of Tesla's scientific genius and tells the tale of how his name came to be so widely forgotten.
Nikola Tesla was responsible for many electrical inventions, but is largely unheard of. Using Tesla's own writings, court transcripts and FBI files, this book pieces together the true extent of Tesla's scientific genius and tells the tale of how his name came to be so widely forgotten.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
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July 6, 2021
Nihil in sacculo quod non fuerit in capite (“Non c’è niente nelle tasche che prima non sia stato in testa”)
scrisse Tesla in una delle sue lettere; peccato che per lui questa cosa non fosse vera.
Un uomo di genio, ma totalmente inetto con gli affari commerciali, tanto da perdere tutte le proprie royalty sui suoi brevetti a beneficio dei suoi mecenati, per non dire aguzzini.
Nikola, figlio del reverendo Milutin Tesla, nacque nel villaggio di Smiljan in Croazia, allo scoccare della mezzanotte tra il dieci e l’undici luglio del 1856, durante una spettacolare tempesta di fulmini. La levatrice che assisteva la madre Djouka rimase così impressionata da questo fatto che disse che il bambino sarebbe stato «il figlio della tempesta». Non poteva sapere quanto fosse appropriata quell’osservazione, per un uomo destinato a creare fulmini artificiali tanto potenti da scuotere il mondo.
Appena laureato in ingegneria elettrica (e con ben 12 lingue nel suo bagaglio culturale) si trasferì a New York senza un soldo, senza averi e senza ambizioni.
L'unica cosa che lui bramava ardentemente era quella di costruire e far funzionare un motore a corrente alternata.
«Per quanto mi riguarda era un voto sacro, una questione di vita o di morte. Sapevo che se avessi fallito sarei morto».
Si presentò da Edison, il guru dell'elettricità, ma non riuscì ad ad ottenere ascolto.. Anzi, venne sfruttato per le sue idee e pagato col minimo salariale.
Quando conobbe Edison, rimase colpito dai metodi poco scientifici del grande inventore, e diceva di lui: «Se Edison dovesse trovare un ago in un pagliaio, procederebbe con la meticolosità di un’ape, esaminando ogni singolo filo di paglia fino a trovare l’oggetto della sua ricerca». L’abilità di Edison infatti non era nel campo dell’elettricità, ma era la capacità di fare soldi utilizzando le idee di qualcun altro.
Dopo Edison, arrivarono altri sfruttatori che, presentandosi, davano a lui il contentino per farlo stare zitto e nel frattempo si arricchivano con le sue invenzioni.
La maggior parte delle volte fu soprattutto colpa sua. Sapevate che fu il vero inventore della radio? Ah no?
Benché Tesla avesse brevettato questo impianto, non lo sfruttò mai commercialmente, e nemmeno si preoccupò di presentarlo al mondo. Soltanto sei mesi dopo la sua morte, in un tribunale americano, venne accolta la sua pretesa di aver brevettato la radio prima di Marconi; ma allora sia lui che lo scienziato italiano erano morti, e i libri di storia continuarono ad attribuire la paternità dell’invenzione della radio a quest’ultimo.
Non solo!
Inventò inoltre il tachimetro delle automobili, il contagiri meccanico, la diffusione radio, l’energia elettrica a corrente alternata e le turbine senza pale. Come è possibile che un uomo così versatile, le cui invenzioni hanno reso possibile la nostra civiltà moderna, sia stato dimenticato? I nomi dei suoi contemporanei, come Edison, Marconi, Westinghouse e persino J.P. Morgan, sono tutti diventati leggendari, ma Tesla è quasi del tutto sconosciuto alla gente, che però continua a beneficiare delle sue invenzioni tutti i giorni.
Tesla morì come aveva vissuto: solo e disperato, destinato all’oblio a causa della sua ultima volontà di aiutare il governo degli Stati Uniti. Era uno scienziato incredibilmente brillante, un profeta in grado di leggere davvero nel futuro, ma che il suo tempo non fu in grado di comprendere. Era così individualista ed egocentrico che non instaurò mai nessuna relazione personale, né con gli uomini né con le donne.
Un vero genio incompreso che ha precorso i suoi tempi...
Quando passerete vicino a una fila di tralicci che trasportano l’energia elettrica, che permettono la vostra vita civilizzata, mettetevi una mano in tasca e dedicate un ringraziamento a Nikola Tesla, il solitario, dimenticato, verboso, ossessionato, brillante genio che ha fatto tutto questo per voi.
La Natura e le sue leggi risiedono nascoste nell’oscurità”: Dio disse: “Sia Tesla! E la luce fu”
scrisse Tesla in una delle sue lettere; peccato che per lui questa cosa non fosse vera.
Un uomo di genio, ma totalmente inetto con gli affari commerciali, tanto da perdere tutte le proprie royalty sui suoi brevetti a beneficio dei suoi mecenati, per non dire aguzzini.
Nikola, figlio del reverendo Milutin Tesla, nacque nel villaggio di Smiljan in Croazia, allo scoccare della mezzanotte tra il dieci e l’undici luglio del 1856, durante una spettacolare tempesta di fulmini. La levatrice che assisteva la madre Djouka rimase così impressionata da questo fatto che disse che il bambino sarebbe stato «il figlio della tempesta». Non poteva sapere quanto fosse appropriata quell’osservazione, per un uomo destinato a creare fulmini artificiali tanto potenti da scuotere il mondo.
Appena laureato in ingegneria elettrica (e con ben 12 lingue nel suo bagaglio culturale) si trasferì a New York senza un soldo, senza averi e senza ambizioni.
L'unica cosa che lui bramava ardentemente era quella di costruire e far funzionare un motore a corrente alternata.
«Per quanto mi riguarda era un voto sacro, una questione di vita o di morte. Sapevo che se avessi fallito sarei morto».
Si presentò da Edison, il guru dell'elettricità, ma non riuscì ad ad ottenere ascolto.. Anzi, venne sfruttato per le sue idee e pagato col minimo salariale.
Quando conobbe Edison, rimase colpito dai metodi poco scientifici del grande inventore, e diceva di lui: «Se Edison dovesse trovare un ago in un pagliaio, procederebbe con la meticolosità di un’ape, esaminando ogni singolo filo di paglia fino a trovare l’oggetto della sua ricerca». L’abilità di Edison infatti non era nel campo dell’elettricità, ma era la capacità di fare soldi utilizzando le idee di qualcun altro.
Dopo Edison, arrivarono altri sfruttatori che, presentandosi, davano a lui il contentino per farlo stare zitto e nel frattempo si arricchivano con le sue invenzioni.
La maggior parte delle volte fu soprattutto colpa sua. Sapevate che fu il vero inventore della radio? Ah no?
Benché Tesla avesse brevettato questo impianto, non lo sfruttò mai commercialmente, e nemmeno si preoccupò di presentarlo al mondo. Soltanto sei mesi dopo la sua morte, in un tribunale americano, venne accolta la sua pretesa di aver brevettato la radio prima di Marconi; ma allora sia lui che lo scienziato italiano erano morti, e i libri di storia continuarono ad attribuire la paternità dell’invenzione della radio a quest’ultimo.
Non solo!
Inventò inoltre il tachimetro delle automobili, il contagiri meccanico, la diffusione radio, l’energia elettrica a corrente alternata e le turbine senza pale. Come è possibile che un uomo così versatile, le cui invenzioni hanno reso possibile la nostra civiltà moderna, sia stato dimenticato? I nomi dei suoi contemporanei, come Edison, Marconi, Westinghouse e persino J.P. Morgan, sono tutti diventati leggendari, ma Tesla è quasi del tutto sconosciuto alla gente, che però continua a beneficiare delle sue invenzioni tutti i giorni.
Tesla morì come aveva vissuto: solo e disperato, destinato all’oblio a causa della sua ultima volontà di aiutare il governo degli Stati Uniti. Era uno scienziato incredibilmente brillante, un profeta in grado di leggere davvero nel futuro, ma che il suo tempo non fu in grado di comprendere. Era così individualista ed egocentrico che non instaurò mai nessuna relazione personale, né con gli uomini né con le donne.
Un vero genio incompreso che ha precorso i suoi tempi...
Quando passerete vicino a una fila di tralicci che trasportano l’energia elettrica, che permettono la vostra vita civilizzata, mettetevi una mano in tasca e dedicate un ringraziamento a Nikola Tesla, il solitario, dimenticato, verboso, ossessionato, brillante genio che ha fatto tutto questo per voi.
La Natura e le sue leggi risiedono nascoste nell’oscurità”: Dio disse: “Sia Tesla! E la luce fu”
August 13, 2021
Un fedele romanzo biografico costruito a partire dalle prolisse lettere che Tesla ha scritto e ricevuto nella sua lunga vita. La storia di un genio incompreso, di un profeto lungimirante e sicuramente di un ingegnere fenomeno con scarsissimo senso del business. Un affresco della corsa al progresso tipica del XX secolo con tutte le luci e ombre di un mondo che è stato stravolto nel corso di pochi anni.
August 30, 2022
Nikola Tesla, una mente geniale e magnifica che sognava un mondo in pace, grazie all'elettricità wireless da lui inventata e non solo. Un uomo che ha dedicato, letteralmente, la sua vita alle invenzioni, come ad esempio l'utilizzo della corrente alternata per trasportare l'elettricità a lunghe distanze, che hanno rivoluzionato la vita di ognuno di noi e continueranno a rivoluzionare in futuro la società.
Considerato folle dalla maggior parte delle persone e capitalisti dell'epoca, sfruttato e abusato dai vari J.P.Morgan, Westinghouse, etc pose le fondamenta della nostra società elettrica. Senza di lui le nostre vite sarebbero state più buie e la storia dell'umanità sicuramente sarebbe stata differente.
Buffo è che Elon Musk abbia chiamato "Tesla" una delle sue ditte, perché Musk rappresenta proprio il capitalismo che a Tesla non interessava.
Sono sicuro che, dopo aver letto questo libro, potrai entrare a far parte della comunità della mano in una tasca dove Tesla, osservandoti, approverà soddisfatto.
Considerato folle dalla maggior parte delle persone e capitalisti dell'epoca, sfruttato e abusato dai vari J.P.Morgan, Westinghouse, etc pose le fondamenta della nostra società elettrica. Senza di lui le nostre vite sarebbero state più buie e la storia dell'umanità sicuramente sarebbe stata differente.
Buffo è che Elon Musk abbia chiamato "Tesla" una delle sue ditte, perché Musk rappresenta proprio il capitalismo che a Tesla non interessava.
Sono sicuro che, dopo aver letto questo libro, potrai entrare a far parte della comunità della mano in una tasca dove Tesla, osservandoti, approverà soddisfatto.
March 4, 2011
I chose this book because I wanted to learn more about Nikola Tesla, and it definitely fulfilled my expectations. Although at times I wanted more technical detail, I think that for the most part the author did a good job of describing Tesla's work in layman's terms. There were a few terms I didn't understand, like the word dynamo, but after reading the book, I was able to easily understand why alternating current (AC) is preferable to direct current (DC).
This book is not beautifully written, so I would not recommend it as a work of literature. Tesla was a fascinating man, albeit a horrible businessman, and the body of his work and how he was mistreated by Edison and Westinghouse are unknown to most people. If you are interested in knowing more about his inventions and why modern society owes so much to his work, I would recommend this book.
This book is not beautifully written, so I would not recommend it as a work of literature. Tesla was a fascinating man, albeit a horrible businessman, and the body of his work and how he was mistreated by Edison and Westinghouse are unknown to most people. If you are interested in knowing more about his inventions and why modern society owes so much to his work, I would recommend this book.
November 20, 2009
In his introduction, R. Lomas says he wanted to tell an easy-read story about Tesla’s life, with an emphasis on why he never gained fortune on his inventions. The answer is as simple as this; Tesla was a terrible businessman.
Nikola Tesla was born an ethnic Serb in the village of Smiljan in Croatia, when the church bell tolled the last second of the 10th of July 1856. It was a stormy night and Tesla was dubbed a child of thunder from his birth on. His father was a priest in the Serbian Orthodox Church. Having lost his older brother, Dana, who was supposed to follow in his father’s footsteps, Nikola always felt that he failed to meet his parent’s expectations. This need to substitute for his parent’s loss led into a fervent perfectionism in whatever he did.
After receiving superb education, Tesla worked as a telegrapher in Budapest, where he received a recommendation to work for the grand T. A. Edison. Nikola got robbed in Paris and arrived to New York with only what he had in his pockets.
Very soon, Tesla found himself disappointed in Edison. Edison, who had a brilliant nose for business, didn’t agree with Tesla’s idea that electricity should be accessible and free to all people alike. After numerous misfortunate business deals, Tesla, who never doubted in the rightness of his ideas and beliefs, came out short not only of financial reward, but also public recognition, which in a particular way was more important to him. He wanted to prove his success to his parent’s. He was considered a mad scientist, seeking publicity with his sci-fi ideas. Unfortunately, Tesla was so ahead of his contemporaries that, what seems normal today was pure fantasy at his time.
Tesla was raised to appreciate knowledge per se, not for the profit it might spawn. Few people believed in his vision; fewer were willing to support him financially so he could work on his projects that were financially worthless, but beneficial for all humankind.
The man who managed to harness the energy of the Niagara Falls died at the age of 86, alone in a hotel room, with no one but pigeons to talk to.
Tesla was acquainted with many famous people of the time. In Samuel Clemens (AKA Mark Twain) he saw a fatherly figure. Even as a child, Tesla enjoyed Twain’s novel and considered them beneficial for his health. Tesla disagreed with Einstein’s theory, and recent experiments proved him right. He invented the radio three years before Marconi, but never received public recognition because of his perfectionism and unwillingness to share his inventions before they were completed up to finest details. He invented the first toy on remote control, plasma grenades, worked with X-rays three years before Roentgen; he was able to create thunders and believed in sending sound and pictures around the world-and even into space.
Tesla was aware that the success of a certain idea depends on the atittude of his contemporaries. If it came at the right moment, people would accept it; unfortunately, Tesla’s contemporaries were either too ignorant or to blind to recognize the immense potential of Tesla’s inventions.
In conclussion:
When we were kids in elementary school, we visited the Technical Museum in Zagreb where some of Tesla’s equipment is exhibited. Everything still works perfectly. We widened our eyes when the assistant would make a bulb shine in his hand, when an artificial thunder would strike above our heads or when the egg would start to spin on a velvet stand.
I would feel ashamed if I didn’t put effort in learning more about this genius. A man to whom the world owes so much, who said was “equally proud of his Serbian origin and his Croatian homeland” deserves at least that much as a group of students being aware of his importance.
This book might be a real gem for someone whose area of work includes electricity and magnetism. Though I assumed it would contain too much physics, I decided to focus on the other level of the story. As for me, it was a bit exhausting to read, and I admit, I skipped the passages about physics. I miss that wire in my head, and I always barely passed my math, physics and chemistry test. But again-to someone interested in these areas, it would be a thriller. Still, there were quite some interesting and funny things. After all, it provided me with the moment when I close the back cover and leave satisfied, not regreting any single moment I put into reading this book.
Nikola Tesla was born an ethnic Serb in the village of Smiljan in Croatia, when the church bell tolled the last second of the 10th of July 1856. It was a stormy night and Tesla was dubbed a child of thunder from his birth on. His father was a priest in the Serbian Orthodox Church. Having lost his older brother, Dana, who was supposed to follow in his father’s footsteps, Nikola always felt that he failed to meet his parent’s expectations. This need to substitute for his parent’s loss led into a fervent perfectionism in whatever he did.
After receiving superb education, Tesla worked as a telegrapher in Budapest, where he received a recommendation to work for the grand T. A. Edison. Nikola got robbed in Paris and arrived to New York with only what he had in his pockets.
Very soon, Tesla found himself disappointed in Edison. Edison, who had a brilliant nose for business, didn’t agree with Tesla’s idea that electricity should be accessible and free to all people alike. After numerous misfortunate business deals, Tesla, who never doubted in the rightness of his ideas and beliefs, came out short not only of financial reward, but also public recognition, which in a particular way was more important to him. He wanted to prove his success to his parent’s. He was considered a mad scientist, seeking publicity with his sci-fi ideas. Unfortunately, Tesla was so ahead of his contemporaries that, what seems normal today was pure fantasy at his time.
Tesla was raised to appreciate knowledge per se, not for the profit it might spawn. Few people believed in his vision; fewer were willing to support him financially so he could work on his projects that were financially worthless, but beneficial for all humankind.
The man who managed to harness the energy of the Niagara Falls died at the age of 86, alone in a hotel room, with no one but pigeons to talk to.
Tesla was acquainted with many famous people of the time. In Samuel Clemens (AKA Mark Twain) he saw a fatherly figure. Even as a child, Tesla enjoyed Twain’s novel and considered them beneficial for his health. Tesla disagreed with Einstein’s theory, and recent experiments proved him right. He invented the radio three years before Marconi, but never received public recognition because of his perfectionism and unwillingness to share his inventions before they were completed up to finest details. He invented the first toy on remote control, plasma grenades, worked with X-rays three years before Roentgen; he was able to create thunders and believed in sending sound and pictures around the world-and even into space.
Tesla was aware that the success of a certain idea depends on the atittude of his contemporaries. If it came at the right moment, people would accept it; unfortunately, Tesla’s contemporaries were either too ignorant or to blind to recognize the immense potential of Tesla’s inventions.
In conclussion:
When we were kids in elementary school, we visited the Technical Museum in Zagreb where some of Tesla’s equipment is exhibited. Everything still works perfectly. We widened our eyes when the assistant would make a bulb shine in his hand, when an artificial thunder would strike above our heads or when the egg would start to spin on a velvet stand.
I would feel ashamed if I didn’t put effort in learning more about this genius. A man to whom the world owes so much, who said was “equally proud of his Serbian origin and his Croatian homeland” deserves at least that much as a group of students being aware of his importance.
This book might be a real gem for someone whose area of work includes electricity and magnetism. Though I assumed it would contain too much physics, I decided to focus on the other level of the story. As for me, it was a bit exhausting to read, and I admit, I skipped the passages about physics. I miss that wire in my head, and I always barely passed my math, physics and chemistry test. But again-to someone interested in these areas, it would be a thriller. Still, there were quite some interesting and funny things. After all, it provided me with the moment when I close the back cover and leave satisfied, not regreting any single moment I put into reading this book.
September 11, 2020
I think I prefer autobiographies more than biography because they let the subject to their own story. Even though autobiographies at times are inaccurate, I think they are better at telling a story than a more factual biography. They inspire and enthuse in a unique way so I would suggest that anyone interested in Tesla read his works first.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
July 17, 2019
Libro perfetto per farsi una chiara idea su chi fosse Nikola Tesla!
May 28, 2016
I had steered clear of biographies the last couple of years after a run of books that swung to either glowing adulation or hatchet job. This one manages to sound slightly unbiased though the author does slip up at times - most notably when characterizing Tesla's main rival Edison. The books I've read on Edison usually show him as the well meaning avuncular genius. I learnt from this book that he was the spawn of satan ;)
So while it's clear from the outset that the author is firmly in Team Tesla, he doesn't gloss over the fact that it was Tesla's poor interpersonal skills (in the prevailing internet counter culture often swept under the 'he was eccentric' rug) that led to his downfall as a businessman.
However it's not Tesla the businessman but Tesla the inventor that makes this book fascinating. I confess I picked this up after being intrigued by a certain Oatmeal cartoon and the book doesn't disappoint. That Tesla was the first one to discover a multitude of technologies and got credit for none of them (in spite of it being proven in patent courts in U.S.), his wild and bizarre experiments that threatened cities, the eventual sealing of all records relating to him by the FBI, all seem to be the fevered rantings of some conspiracy fanatic but in fact are all true. Tesla lived a most interesting life and the book reflects that. Highly recommended.
So while it's clear from the outset that the author is firmly in Team Tesla, he doesn't gloss over the fact that it was Tesla's poor interpersonal skills (in the prevailing internet counter culture often swept under the 'he was eccentric' rug) that led to his downfall as a businessman.
However it's not Tesla the businessman but Tesla the inventor that makes this book fascinating. I confess I picked this up after being intrigued by a certain Oatmeal cartoon and the book doesn't disappoint. That Tesla was the first one to discover a multitude of technologies and got credit for none of them (in spite of it being proven in patent courts in U.S.), his wild and bizarre experiments that threatened cities, the eventual sealing of all records relating to him by the FBI, all seem to be the fevered rantings of some conspiracy fanatic but in fact are all true. Tesla lived a most interesting life and the book reflects that. Highly recommended.
March 7, 2024
Tesla, un genio incompreso o semplicente un sognatore sfruttato?
Leggere questa biografia sulla storia e le scoperte di Nikola Tesla è fonte per me di meraviglia per il suo immenso genio e di rabbia verso chi si è approfittato della sua indole non commerciale. Sfruttato per tutta la sua vita da uomini d'affari senza scrupoli e morto povero in un piccolo albergo è comunque riuscito a fare dono al mondo di una piccola parte del suo genio con invenzioni incredibili: radio, comandi a distanza, turbine elettriche, elettricità alternata, e qualche altro centinaio di invenzioni che hanno creato il mondo che conosciamo oggi.
Libro ben strutturato ed esaustivo.
Leggere questa biografia sulla storia e le scoperte di Nikola Tesla è fonte per me di meraviglia per il suo immenso genio e di rabbia verso chi si è approfittato della sua indole non commerciale. Sfruttato per tutta la sua vita da uomini d'affari senza scrupoli e morto povero in un piccolo albergo è comunque riuscito a fare dono al mondo di una piccola parte del suo genio con invenzioni incredibili: radio, comandi a distanza, turbine elettriche, elettricità alternata, e qualche altro centinaio di invenzioni che hanno creato il mondo che conosciamo oggi.
Libro ben strutturato ed esaustivo.
March 11, 2022
Wow,un libro che descrive veramente dal profondo la vita e le opere di un genio indiscusso al quale dobbiamo davvero tutto ciò che è di uso quotidiano..e mentre cammino con una mano in tasca accanto ad un traliccio il mio pensiero va a te Nikola Tesla
November 12, 2015
This book never really justifies its title. In its favour, it is readable and very informative. It is about Nikolai Tesla, the Serbian genius who made such enormous contributions to technology via his discoveries and inventions in the field of electric engineering. I knew next to nothing about Tesla but apparently there is a whole world of Tesla worshippers out there. The story of the book is mainly about how Tesla emigrated to America, his business relationship with Westinghouse and Edison, and all his various triumphs. Tesla was a curious character who lived in hotels, a germaphobe who would only dry his hands on a towel once, a solitary character who found it difficult to relate to his fellow human beings. However, Lomas never justifies the title of the book in the sense of properly explaining how the twentieth century (however defined) came about because of Tesla's technological inventions. It is all a bit of a stretch. Still, this book is worth reading if Tesla is new to you. There is plenty to learn here.
March 21, 2020
Awesome story, mediocre writing
I really enjoyed learning about Tesla’s life and work. I found the story to be inspiring, though certainly tragic. The writing was less exciting with odd repetition of at times entire sentences verbatim. The timeline was in places obscure. Assumptions were made by the author of underlying psychological motivations. Looking back I wish the writing had been as amazing as the story.
I really enjoyed learning about Tesla’s life and work. I found the story to be inspiring, though certainly tragic. The writing was less exciting with odd repetition of at times entire sentences verbatim. The timeline was in places obscure. Assumptions were made by the author of underlying psychological motivations. Looking back I wish the writing had been as amazing as the story.
September 10, 2014
Brilliant outline of Tesla´s life and work, strongly recommended to everyone who wants to learn who Nikola Tesla was and what legacy he left us. For more specifics I would suggest to read his own publications even though they may puzzle you :)
October 9, 2014
Fast and furious. Makes me wonder what I want to perfect (4 hours a day for 7 years). Inspiring, but sad.
May 3, 2017
Get it read☺
Superb read about a great man to whom we all owe thanks...
Another good one by Mr lomas , bravo sir.
Superb read about a great man to whom we all owe thanks...
Another good one by Mr lomas , bravo sir.
November 29, 2021
Una lettura illuminante che racconta attraverso scritti autografi, articoli dell'epoca, trascrizioni di tribunali e file finalmente desecretati dell'FBI la vita e le imprese di Tesla, genio straordinario.
Nikola, figlio del reverendo Milutin Tesla, nasce nel 1856 nella notte tra il dieci e l'undici luglio, durante una spettacolare tempesta di fulmini. La sua levatrice molto impressionata disse che sarebbe stato "il figlio della tempesta". Una previsione piuttosto azzeccata.
Tutte le duecento pagine di questo libro hanno il sapore del romanzo d'avventura e sono costellate di episodi interessanti sulla vita di Tesla, i suoi successi scientifici, gli insuccessi personali e commerciali.
Mi è piaciuto il racconto del primo incontro tra Tesla e Edison, non voglio fare spoiler, ma dirò solo che Tesla rimane molto deluso e si chiede come ha fatto un uomo senza preparazione teorica ad aver realizzato così tanto, e dubita di se stesso come mai prima d'allora, chiedendosi se per caso non avesse sprecato il suo tempo nello studio della matematica, scienza, letteratura, arte e dodici lingue che parla fluentemente...
La lettura è molto piacevole e accattivante; ho scoperto una miniera di informazioni sull'uomo e il genio, aneddoti relativi alla sua infanzia, la natura artistica, la cronica incapacità di valutare economicamente il suo lavoro e la scarsa autostima della quale soffre nonostante la fama che ad un certo punto riesce a raggiungere. Ho adorato la descrizione delle sue particolari dimostrazioni scientifiche sotto forma di spettacoli a dimostrazione della sicurezza della corrente alternata: uno dei suoi trucchi più stupefacenti è tenere un filo elettrico di una bobina di Tesla in mano e produrre una scintilla dalle dita dell'altra mano per accendere una lampada. Ho immaginato le facce degli spettatori dell'epoca, avranno avuto gli occhi fuori dalle orbite!
Dalle pagine emerge la figura di un uomo colto, capace di tradurre la poesia medievale, fare citazioni letterarie e far ruotare un campo magnetico, che non ha mai manifestato un interesse reale per le persone, ossessionato dalla pulizia, profeta in grado di leggere il futuro, oppresso dalla cattiva sorte e sfruttato da coloro che gli stavano intorno. La sua morte ha i contorni del thriller...
Una lettura alla portata di tutti, scorrevole, davvero godibile e completa. Consigliatissima!
Editore: Piano B
Anno edizione:2017
In commercio dal:23 gennaio 2017
Pagine:208 p., Brossura
Per coloro che desiderano approfondire maggiormente consiglio anche: "UN TRIPUDIO DI ELETTRICITA'" di Nikola Tesla-Visioni e lettere di un genio, un piccolo volume di centosessanta pagine circa che conducono al cuore delle idee spettacolari e del lavoro di Tesla, attraverso i suoi scritti e le lettere.
"Non ho mai inventato quello che la necessità immediata suggeriva, ma sempre quello che in un particolare momento volevo inventare, indipendentemente dai tempi."
Editore: Piano B
Collana: La mala parte
Anno edizione:2015
In commercio dal:1 gennaio 2015
Pagine:160 p., Brossura
Nikola, figlio del reverendo Milutin Tesla, nasce nel 1856 nella notte tra il dieci e l'undici luglio, durante una spettacolare tempesta di fulmini. La sua levatrice molto impressionata disse che sarebbe stato "il figlio della tempesta". Una previsione piuttosto azzeccata.
Tutte le duecento pagine di questo libro hanno il sapore del romanzo d'avventura e sono costellate di episodi interessanti sulla vita di Tesla, i suoi successi scientifici, gli insuccessi personali e commerciali.
Mi è piaciuto il racconto del primo incontro tra Tesla e Edison, non voglio fare spoiler, ma dirò solo che Tesla rimane molto deluso e si chiede come ha fatto un uomo senza preparazione teorica ad aver realizzato così tanto, e dubita di se stesso come mai prima d'allora, chiedendosi se per caso non avesse sprecato il suo tempo nello studio della matematica, scienza, letteratura, arte e dodici lingue che parla fluentemente...
La lettura è molto piacevole e accattivante; ho scoperto una miniera di informazioni sull'uomo e il genio, aneddoti relativi alla sua infanzia, la natura artistica, la cronica incapacità di valutare economicamente il suo lavoro e la scarsa autostima della quale soffre nonostante la fama che ad un certo punto riesce a raggiungere. Ho adorato la descrizione delle sue particolari dimostrazioni scientifiche sotto forma di spettacoli a dimostrazione della sicurezza della corrente alternata: uno dei suoi trucchi più stupefacenti è tenere un filo elettrico di una bobina di Tesla in mano e produrre una scintilla dalle dita dell'altra mano per accendere una lampada. Ho immaginato le facce degli spettatori dell'epoca, avranno avuto gli occhi fuori dalle orbite!
Dalle pagine emerge la figura di un uomo colto, capace di tradurre la poesia medievale, fare citazioni letterarie e far ruotare un campo magnetico, che non ha mai manifestato un interesse reale per le persone, ossessionato dalla pulizia, profeta in grado di leggere il futuro, oppresso dalla cattiva sorte e sfruttato da coloro che gli stavano intorno. La sua morte ha i contorni del thriller...
Una lettura alla portata di tutti, scorrevole, davvero godibile e completa. Consigliatissima!
Editore: Piano B
Anno edizione:2017
In commercio dal:23 gennaio 2017
Pagine:208 p., Brossura
Per coloro che desiderano approfondire maggiormente consiglio anche: "UN TRIPUDIO DI ELETTRICITA'" di Nikola Tesla-Visioni e lettere di un genio, un piccolo volume di centosessanta pagine circa che conducono al cuore delle idee spettacolari e del lavoro di Tesla, attraverso i suoi scritti e le lettere.
"Non ho mai inventato quello che la necessità immediata suggeriva, ma sempre quello che in un particolare momento volevo inventare, indipendentemente dai tempi."
Editore: Piano B
Collana: La mala parte
Anno edizione:2015
In commercio dal:1 gennaio 2015
Pagine:160 p., Brossura
June 28, 2020
The recent film - ‘The Current War’ more or less covers the 1st 1/2 half of the book so perhaps it would’ve been better if I had read the book before reading this book.
In short, Tesla was:
-a genius far ahead of his time
-had supremely poor interpersonal skills
-very naive and gullible in a business perspective, so he was easily manipulated by bankers and people like Edison
-his Immature urge to please authority figures maybe one of the factors contributing to him being taken advantage of
-basically he just cared about advancement in science and nothing else.
(Maybe this is why Elon Musk prefers Edison who brings innovations into the mass market, though he still admired Tesla of course)
During reading this book, I did at times feel sad how he was manipulated by his supposed ‘trusted backers’ like Edison and JP Morgan. Who knows what he would have developed had he been more mature in the business aspect and actually cared about how he was going to fund his never-ending lab experiments? What a shame.
To sum up , I enjoyed this short read to understand a bit more about this ‘highly skilled uncontrollable eccentric’ and have developed deep admiration of his work that built the foundation of our modern society.
In short, Tesla was:
-a genius far ahead of his time
-had supremely poor interpersonal skills
-very naive and gullible in a business perspective, so he was easily manipulated by bankers and people like Edison
-his Immature urge to please authority figures maybe one of the factors contributing to him being taken advantage of
-basically he just cared about advancement in science and nothing else.
(Maybe this is why Elon Musk prefers Edison who brings innovations into the mass market, though he still admired Tesla of course)
During reading this book, I did at times feel sad how he was manipulated by his supposed ‘trusted backers’ like Edison and JP Morgan. Who knows what he would have developed had he been more mature in the business aspect and actually cared about how he was going to fund his never-ending lab experiments? What a shame.
To sum up , I enjoyed this short read to understand a bit more about this ‘highly skilled uncontrollable eccentric’ and have developed deep admiration of his work that built the foundation of our modern society.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2024
Beautifully written as I felt like I was watching the movie as the vision panned out in my mind. Can Christopher Nolan or someone make this a movie please?
I was familiar with Edison and Faraday but never knew about Tesla until 10 years after graduating high-school.
And it seems like, according to the book, Tesla had no one to blame but himself. And it shows that no matter how intelligent, talented and well-intended you are, you still need social intelligence and other people around you, the right people.
Being so focussed and obsessed with your work that it comes at a cost of something else. Being in a relationship with wrong people can distract you from your life goal. We're social animals after all, so we're always going to be influenced by those around us. You could bring someone along the journey with you but it might not be as fast, but at least you may get there together eventually, if you were on the same level.
For Tesla, he chose the lonely path in order to get ahead. And, thankfully, his sacrifice may just have given us electricity and other technologies that make our lives easier today and contributed to our advancement.
I was familiar with Edison and Faraday but never knew about Tesla until 10 years after graduating high-school.
And it seems like, according to the book, Tesla had no one to blame but himself. And it shows that no matter how intelligent, talented and well-intended you are, you still need social intelligence and other people around you, the right people.
Being so focussed and obsessed with your work that it comes at a cost of something else. Being in a relationship with wrong people can distract you from your life goal. We're social animals after all, so we're always going to be influenced by those around us. You could bring someone along the journey with you but it might not be as fast, but at least you may get there together eventually, if you were on the same level.
For Tesla, he chose the lonely path in order to get ahead. And, thankfully, his sacrifice may just have given us electricity and other technologies that make our lives easier today and contributed to our advancement.
January 7, 2021
The Man Who Invented The Twentieth Century
This is a short, simple review as I did not rate the book, details below.
TMWITTC is a novel written by Robert Lomas, in which he describes the special and sad life of Nikola Tesla, one of history's greatest physicists. Tesla was born in a small village in Croatia, to a poor family. Tesla then graduated from the Graz University of Technology before using all the money he had to buy a ticket for a ferry ride to the USA. Once in New York, Tesla had numerous engineering jobs, all while focusing on his project of a new current. He met Thomas Edison who was pushing AC, and the rivalry stemmed from there. Tesla was screwed over multiple times due to a lack of business skills, and unfortunately died in a hotel in New York
Lomas succeeded in his aim of describing Tesla's life, but the novel was quite poorly written and included numerous spelling and punctuation errors.
Rating 2/10
This is a short, simple review as I did not rate the book, details below.
TMWITTC is a novel written by Robert Lomas, in which he describes the special and sad life of Nikola Tesla, one of history's greatest physicists. Tesla was born in a small village in Croatia, to a poor family. Tesla then graduated from the Graz University of Technology before using all the money he had to buy a ticket for a ferry ride to the USA. Once in New York, Tesla had numerous engineering jobs, all while focusing on his project of a new current. He met Thomas Edison who was pushing AC, and the rivalry stemmed from there. Tesla was screwed over multiple times due to a lack of business skills, and unfortunately died in a hotel in New York
Lomas succeeded in his aim of describing Tesla's life, but the novel was quite poorly written and included numerous spelling and punctuation errors.
Rating 2/10
March 11, 2019
A look at the life, accomplishments and disappointments of Nikola Tesla who was a genius that discovered ideas and created devices that so many of our most important technologies of today are based on a 100 years earlier but who has been often forgotten. It is full of fascinating things I did not know and shows a genius can be viciously outmaneuvered, taken advantage and betrayed by big business.
This book is part science book and part biography. It does a good job of depicting Tesla's personality as well as explaining in lay terms many of his discovery and inventions (sometimes I still got a little lost). But there were no footnotes or endnotes. There is a selected bibliography but it needs to specify where some of the specific quotes or extracts from other books exactly came from.
This book is part science book and part biography. It does a good job of depicting Tesla's personality as well as explaining in lay terms many of his discovery and inventions (sometimes I still got a little lost). But there were no footnotes or endnotes. There is a selected bibliography but it needs to specify where some of the specific quotes or extracts from other books exactly came from.
May 10, 2018
Every tech entrepreneur and anyone with an interest in science should read this. It really is mind blowing that things we’ve been told were invented by Edison, Marconi and others were actually invented by Nikola Tesla. Tesla’s life is inspirational on the creative / genius / visionary aspects, and it’s a cautionary tale about the perils of not becoming wise to commercial reality as an inventor and innovator. (The writing is a little repetitive in a few parts, which is the only reason I don’t give this 5 stars. A revised and re-edited version would tighten that up.) I would love to see someone make a movie about Tesla’s life. It’s almost beyond belief what he created and how he lived his life.
October 20, 2021
This is the story of the man without whom the Twentieth Century would not have taken place. A big claim, perhaps, but whilst many people believe that Edison brought electricity to the people and Marconi created the wireless radio, they may not know that it was Nikola Tesla who actually did the groundwork for these inventions.
Tesla was an amazing inventor, ahead of his time. He was a man of science, not of commerce, and this became his downfall. His ideas were appropriated by others for commercial gain, and Tesla died alone and penniless in a hotel room. His story, however, deserves to be told, and this book does so in a very readable way.
Tesla was an amazing inventor, ahead of his time. He was a man of science, not of commerce, and this became his downfall. His ideas were appropriated by others for commercial gain, and Tesla died alone and penniless in a hotel room. His story, however, deserves to be told, and this book does so in a very readable way.
August 3, 2019
Compared withe "Tesla: Man Out of Time (Paperback)
by Margaret Cheney" , this was also a fascinating read. However giving more technical details and perhaps a more engineering focused history of Tesla - Dont worry it is still written in layman terms! However inparticular when talking about some components, The author discussed how some of them work and where they stand today in the world of engineering, which was great!
At times, however, despite the good writing and information, it is worrying to read about the authors oppinions however, which seem quite jaded and cynical.
by Margaret Cheney" , this was also a fascinating read. However giving more technical details and perhaps a more engineering focused history of Tesla - Dont worry it is still written in layman terms! However inparticular when talking about some components, The author discussed how some of them work and where they stand today in the world of engineering, which was great!
At times, however, despite the good writing and information, it is worrying to read about the authors oppinions however, which seem quite jaded and cynical.
March 16, 2024
Great insights into the genius of Nikola Tesla
Such a good read highlighting both the incredible achievements of the genius who was Nikola Tesla and his personality flaws. His lack of business acumen allowed others to take advantage of him, and to take the credit and financial rewards for inventions that were in truth Tesla’s. In terms of inventions he really outflanked many of the great names like Marconi, Edison and Westinghouse and sadly left a number of his future ideas undocumented and a mystery still to be solved. The title of the book is entirely apt.
Such a good read highlighting both the incredible achievements of the genius who was Nikola Tesla and his personality flaws. His lack of business acumen allowed others to take advantage of him, and to take the credit and financial rewards for inventions that were in truth Tesla’s. In terms of inventions he really outflanked many of the great names like Marconi, Edison and Westinghouse and sadly left a number of his future ideas undocumented and a mystery still to be solved. The title of the book is entirely apt.
December 29, 2024
Robert Lomas' The Man Who Invented the Twentieth Century delves into the life and work of Nikola Tesla, portraying him as one of the most brilliant yet underappreciated inventors of modern history. Published in 1999, the book offers a fascinating narrative that intertwines Tesla’s groundbreaking innovations, his tumultuous personal life, and his interactions with contemporaries such as Thomas Edison and Guglielmo Marconi.
April 8, 2020
Siccome di questo fantastico scienziato non se ne conosce praticamente nulla mi sembra quasi d’obbligo leggere questo libro che ne spiega vita, morte ed invenzioni. Racconta di un uomo con una grande intelligenza ma evidenzia che solo questa non basta. Insegna che nel mondo quello che conta di più è sempre stato il denaro!
October 8, 2021
Forgive me for bringing this up (and apologies to those who already have), but although this is a pretty comprehensive account of Tesla's career with some biographical detail included, it would be improved with some decent editing. There's a substantial amount of repetition and a number of wording issues scattered throughout the book.
March 28, 2022
Tesla's name is of course much better known since Elon Musk began producing electric cars, but this short biography does a good job of describing what a staggering contribution Tesla made to our knowledge and use of electricity - and just how completely lacking he was in understanding the world of business and the critical part it plays in bringing inventions to market.
March 26, 2023
I liked this book fairly well researched. I'm no engineer I only know the basics of electronics but I was still able to follow the story. His problems with people exploiting him get a bit repetitive but it's his life and that's the thing you're left with at the end what might have been. Recommended
December 4, 2025
fascinating to read that the Man was clearly in competition with his dead older brother. Something he could never "win" ay and this led to some of the greatest discoveries of our time. Human beings incentives clearly not always about money, status and external validation. Although if his parents praised him enough maybe we wouldn't have AC electricity?
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