Let me start by stating what this book did to me as soon as I was done reading.
I spent all days and night reading more about this great man. Yes, that’s what followed. Firstly, this book is too short to give you an in depth story about this genius called Tesla. Secondly, it simply inspires you to know more, his greatness could not have been captured in a single book (that too this tiny one). But this book did a two fold job on my brain.
It not only enlightened me about the greatest of this ‘Mad Scientist’ (as was commonly known) but also taught me a great history lesson on Thomas Edison. Well, Edison was an a$$hole and that was a big revelation for me.
Yes, information I came to know on Thomas Edison via this book surprised me to the core. Well, much more than what I came to know about Tesla. My last understanding of the word Tesla was Elon Musk’s car. Yes, I was living under a rock all these years, you can safely presume. Am equally embarrassed. But then, this book review is all about Mr. Tesla and not me.
He was the biggest scientist/engineer/inventor of the 20th century and could have easily solved many of the world’s electricity problem. If only Thomas Edison and J P Morgan had not been such bad asses. Yes, Mr. Morgan was another surprise revelation!
In a crux – Nikola Tesla was the original inventor of radio, wireless data transfer, wireless electricity transfer, inventor of alternating current. Has 800 patents under him. He made millions and lost millions. He was fooled by Thomas Edison and used by J P Morgan, multiple times. All this during the years 1890 to 1930. He died in 1943, alone in a New York Hotel.
Ironically, Tesla’s started working for Edison and grew upwards thru the corporate ladder. Edison was making millions distributing his direct current and Tesla once told him that he can improvise his systems to much better efficiency to which Edison promised to pay Tesla $50K, if done. Tesla worked hard to do what he promised and soon delivered. Edison jokingly told him that its an American humour and he never intended to give away that kind of money to him! Well, least Tesla knew this was just the starting of his rivalry with Edison.
After a lot of problems when Tesla was able to set up his own company producing alternate current and started getting popular (competing with Edison’s direct current distributing company), Mr. Edison and his gang of gundas started burning animals in front of many busy markets showcasing the aftermaths of using Tesla’s current!! There are many such stories where you will lose respect for such a man called Thomas Edison.
Similarly, J P Morgan initially helped Tesla in his innovation and fuelled his passion, owned majority of Tesla’s company but screwed him over multiple times. At one point in time Tesla was able to develop power for the society where people could just insert wire into the ground and consume power for their households! (Yes, all this in the beginning of 1900 itself) To this, Mr. Morgan famously said, where will I put the electricity meter for the billing!?
Our fathers and their fathers grew up learning that the ‘Father of Radio’ was Marconi but that again is not right. Tesla was the real father of radio technology and Marconi was awarded the Nobel Prize for this invention as he had the right political connection to get this done. Tesla was never an aggressive person and and not really into money or even fame. His aim in life was to invent the next best thing and keep inventing.
He was also know for not really sleeping much. At times he slept only for 2 hours a day, with occasional naps in between. Its an honour to know more about this man. I haven’t stopped reading and I will not. Sadly the book this book is only available on Kindle (or Kindle App) but you can read more about the man on Wikipedia. Its just so inspiring. If Elon Musk can, so can I. And you!
Nice😃