Tesla by Richard Munson
Nikola Tesla, a Serbian immigrant, invented the radio, the induction motor, the neon lamp, and the remote control. His breakthrough came in alternating current, the basis of the electric grid and long-distance electrical transmission. This pitted him against Thomas Edison's direct current empire, and bitter patent battles ensued. But Tesla's technology was superior, and eventually he prevailed. Unfortunately, he had no business sense and could not capitalize on this success. His most advanced ideas were unrecognized for decades: forty years in the case of the radio patent; longer still for his ideas on laser beam technology. Tesla's personal life was magnificently bizarre. Strikingly handsome and impeccably dressed, he was germophobic and never shook hands. He required nine napkins when he sat down to dinner. In later years he ate only white food and conversed with the pigeons in Bryant Park. This clear, authoritative, and highly readable biography takes account of all phases of this remarkable life.
"Munson makes vivid the genius’s eventful life, from his mother’s inspirational labour-saving inventions to his psychological complexity — and his estimable belief that “technology should transcend the marketplace”" -- Nature
"Munson tells the story engagingly. He manages to explain the important concepts and technical details clearly while keeping extraneous detail to a minimum." -- Times Literary Supplement
"Richard Munson’s Tesla: Inventor of the Modern gives us a detailed and vivid glimpse of the competitive world of electrical innovation at the end of the 19th century, and emphasises the duality of his subject... most interesting and often amusing book..." -- The Spectator
"... a superbly researched, entertaining and often saddening study of a man who gave the world so much yet took so little... It can only be hoped that Munson's excellent insight will finally reveal the truth behind this marvellous maverick to the world." -- All About History
"Munson tells the story engagingly. He manages to explain the important concepts and technical details clearly while keeping extraneous detail to a minimum." -- Times Literary Supplement
"Richard Munson’s Tesla: Inventor of the Modern gives us a detailed and vivid glimpse of the competitive world of electrical innovation at the end of the 19th century, and emphasises the duality of his subject... most interesting and often amusing book..." -- The Spectator
"... a superbly researched, entertaining and often saddening study of a man who gave the world so much yet took so little... It can only be hoped that Munson's excellent insight will finally reveal the truth behind this marvellous maverick to the world." -- All About History
Richard Munson is an author and clean-energy advocate. His previous books include Tesla: Inventor of the Modern.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780393358049 |
| ISBN 10 | 0393358046 |
| Title | Tesla |
| Author | Richard Munson |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | WW Norton & Co |
| Year published | 2019-10-14 |
| Number of pages | 336 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |