Author: David J. Kent

Abraham Lincoln understood the value of science to ordinary Americans.

Lincoln’s life spanned one of the greatest periods of scientific and technological growth in our national history. Lincoln not only lived through it, he recognized and encouraged it. Most know he grew up on farms, but not how much science he learned there. Most know his formal education “did not amount to one year,” but not how his self-study led to an understanding and skill in mathematics far above his peers. Most know he completed two flatboat trips, but not the extent of his life on the waters. Many have heard he is the only president with a patent, but not how he pressed for technological improvements that would change the face of the Midwest, and in the process growing Chicago from a tiny lakeside hamlet into a pivotal hub for transportation and economic development. Some may know about his life as a lawyer on the circuit, but not how he set legal precedents critical to the future of westward American expansion. We know he emancipated enslaved people, but not how science and technology facilitated the expansion of slavery in the United States, and Lincoln’s struggles to contain it.

The state of science in early nineteenth century United States was far behind that of Europe. Most American men of science received their training by studying with the great scientists in Germany, England, or France. Science was the realm of the elite, wealthy men with the money and leisure time to spend hours studying what was often esoteric, of little value to the immediate needs of the majority of Americans. Most pure science never trickled down to the masses. In fact, Europeans and some eastern United States scientists saw little need to bring science to the public, who they felt were too ignorant and incapable to make use of it. Renowned scientists like James Hall, James Dana, John Torrey, and Asa Gray all preferred writing for other scientists only, the “ivory tower” in which scientific jargon limited comprehension only to those trained in the particular fields of endeavor. To satisfy the “vulgar appetites of the people,” James Dana complained, required science to be “diluted and mixed with a sufficient amount of the spirit of the age.” Some exceptions like mathematician Elias Loomis felt that the “scientific taste of the community” was important to cultivate. Others such as Louis Agassiz conducted public lectures, believing that education of the masses was an overall benefit to society. But mostly, science was a luxury of the leisure class.

Many politicians also thought America was becoming too democratic, that too much power was devolving to the masses. The aging Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, warned Alexis de Tocqueville in 1831 that “a mere democracy is but a mob.” He disdained the masses and longed for the “old aristocratic institutions” that helped make him wealthy and politically powerful. Lincoln felt differently. While he would himself warn against the dangers of mob rule, he joined former president James Madison in his faith in the people’s power of self-government.

Lincoln was not a scientist. He was not even the first president to have an interest in science. Thomas Jefferson was more of an inventor, concocting everything from clocks, a revolving bookstand, a plow, and scientific instruments, although he never obtained any patents. Jefferson, like George Washington before him, did some surveying, a hobby that Lincoln would learn as a trade early in his adult life. Jefferson also kept meticulous records of the weather around Monticello, his Virginia estate. Jefferson’s scientific knowledge was unequalled in his time. But Jefferson believed the economy should be primarily based on agriculture. While he claimed to envision “the rolling out of a republic in which small independent farmers would become foot-soldiers of the infant nation and the guardians of its liberty,” in reality he owned a large plantation and enslaved more than six hundred men, women, and children in his lifetime. Slave labor enabled Jefferson the privilege of intellectual pursuit. Jefferson may have been more of a scientist than Lincoln, but Jefferson saw science as a benefit for the few while Lincoln saw its potential to benefit the many.

Lincoln had more in common with our sixth president, John Quincy Adams. Adams was not a scientist himself but wrote a treatise on the reform of weights and measures. His nearly religious promotion of astronomical observatories helped create the study of astronomy in America, pushing in an 1843 oration the practical value of astronomy. He reminded humanity to look “heavenward” as if “the special purpose of their creation” was “observation of the stars.” During his tenure as a congressman following his presidency, Adams fought against both anti-British and anti-federalist biases to get the Smithson bequest devoted to scientific research. Like Adams, Lincoln saw science and technology as something that could improve the lives of all Americans. He saw a mechanism by which all men could better their condition.

[The above is adapted from the Introduction of my forthcoming book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America.]

There is still time to win one of ten free print copies of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius on Goodreads. Click here and follow the directions to Enter the Giveaway!

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius will be officially released on September 1st. You can pre-order it on the websites of Rowman & Littlefield, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, your favorite independent bookstore, and everywhere else books are sold.

Want to come to a book signing? Check out my scheduled events (more being added daily).

Release date for Lincoln: The Fire of Genius is September 1, 2022.

While you’re here, check out the various posts on Lincolnian.org related to our recent Lincoln Memorial Centennial program. For those who missed it, C-SPAN will be replaying the event at 3 pm on June 18th on CSPAN2.

The book is available for pre-order on the Rowman & Littlefield website (Lyons Press is a trade imprint of Rowman). You can also pre-order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble (click on the respective links to pre-order). Release date is scheduled for September 1, 2022.

The book is also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. That will also ensure you get informed of the release date AND will let you try for one of ten free hardcover copies of the book that I’ll be giving away. I’ll also be giving away as many as a hundred e-books. [The book will also be put out on audio]

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

I’ll have much more about the book over the next few months, so join my mailing list here to keep informed.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius will be officially released on September 1st. You can pre-order it on the websites of Rowman & Littlefield, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, your favorite independent bookstore, and everywhere else books are sold. And now you can also win a free hardcover copy on Goodreads!

Goodreads is a social cataloging website that allows people to track their reading, search its vast database of books, and, you guessed it, win free books. Now you can win one of ten free hardcover copies of my newest book.

Click here for a chance to win a copy of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius!

Just click on the “Enter Giveaway” button and follow instructions. The giveaway runs from July 4th through July 31st. 

You can also click on the Goodreads Book Giveaway on the top right of this page!

Here’s a quick overview of the book:

Many politicians have turned away from science in recent years, despite the world being plunged into a global pandemic and the critical need to act on climate change. It wasn’t always so. Several early presidents supported scientific research, and Abraham Lincoln was fascinated by science and technology, which was undergoing a period of rapid growth during his lifetime. Unlike Thomas Jefferson and other educated eastern elites, Lincoln saw the benefit of science and technology to the common man, a mechanism that could aid the goal of “bettering one’s condition.”

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius offers the first holistic look at Lincoln’s fascination with science and technology. That fascination can be seen threading through his remarkable life, his commitment to self-study and self-improvement, his careers as a lawyer and politician, and finally, to his presidency.

Always a Whig, Lincoln would tell his best friend, Lincoln embraced “the Whig Way” of internal improvements. Many of these were brought on by technological advances like steam engines, railroads, and telegraphs. Lincoln encouraged development even in the face of opposition. When he didn’t understand something, he “did the work” of finding books and experts from which he could learn. He strived to improve himself through lifetime study of mathematics, astronomy, and hydrology, while developing expertise in mechanics and other technological advances. Lincoln always had an eye on the future and how progress could be extended to all Americans.

Lincoln saw the need for institutionalizing scientific and technological advancement. He understood that technology wasn’t always good for the masses, something that we continue to find today. Invention of the cotton gin made production of cotton more efficient, for example, and thus more profitable. Rather than reducing the need for enslaved labor, it increased it by making the cultivation of ever-growing cotton acreage more and more profitable. Lincoln dealt with “scientific racism,” the spurious idea that superiority was ingrained in the color of our skin. When the issue of slavery led to conflict, the Civil War became an incubator for new inventions. Lincoln understood both the value of technology to winning the war and the need to direct improvements to enhance the value to individuals and society. Lincoln would bring the Whig way national and set the stage for the modernization of America.

All of this is documented in the same breezy, story-telling style that enthralled readers in his previous best-selling books on Lincoln, Tesla, and Edison.

You can read more about the book on Goodreads and on the various bookseller websites.

Click here for a chance to win a copy of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius!

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

As the countdown begins for the September 1st release of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius, the format options keep increasing.

On both Barnes & Noble and Amazon you can pre-order as a hardcover book.

Amazon also lets you pre-order a Kindle version of the book.

Barnes & Noble has its own e-book format and you can now pre-order Fire of Genius as a Nook book.

You can also order the hardcover and various e-book versions on the publisher’s website at Rowman & Littlefield. They will also have links to other booksellers who will carry the book.

Finally, you can go to the Goodreads listing. Under the book cover photo, click on “Want to Read” to add it to your reading list, then click on the down arrow next to where it says “Kindle $21.49” and you’ll be able to follow to a long list of booksellers where you can order the book. See this photo:

All of these booksellers offer price guarantees, which means any reductions in price between now and release date will automatically be applied to your purchase.

But wait, there’s more!

The book will also be released as an audio book and on mp3 CDs. I’ll provide updates when those become available.

And for those who like to sample before you buy, there will be that too. Amazon offers its “Look Inside” feature so you can check out the table of contents and some of the chapters. Just click on the book cover and scroll through the sample.

Barnes & Noble offers a preview as well. Look for the folded page flap with the red arrow on the bottom right corner of the book cover. Click there and a “read an excerpt of the book” will pop up for your reading pleasure.

Bookmark your preferred bookseller’s page for Fire of Genius and check back periodically to see if the format you want has become available. All should be up long before the September 1st release date.

Prefer your local independent bookstore? Check out their websites because they will offer various formats as well. Next time you’re in their store, make sure to ask them when they’ll have the book in stock. They’ll even hold one for you if you ask nicely.

One final note – Pre-ordering increases the chances of the book making it onto bestseller lists, so doing so helps the author! Plus, you’ll be assured of being one of the first to get a copy!

Want to come to a book signing? Check out my scheduled events (more being added daily).

Release date for Lincoln: The Fire of Genius is September 1, 2022.

While you’re here, check out the various posts on Lincolnian.org related to our recent Lincoln Memorial Centennial program. For those who missed it, C-SPAN will be replaying the event at 3 pm on June 18th on CSPAN2.

The book is available for pre-order on the Rowman & Littlefield website (Lyons Press is a trade imprint of Rowman). You can also pre-order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble (click on the respective links to pre-order). Release date is scheduled for September 1, 2022.

The book is also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. That will also ensure you get informed of the release date AND will let you try for one of ten free hardcover copies of the book that I’ll be giving away this summer. I’ll also be giving away as many as a hundred e-books. [The book will also be put out on audio]

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

I’ll have much more about the book over the next few months, so join my mailing list here to keep informed.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius is arriving to bookstores soon, and with it will be a raft of upcoming programs. I hope you’ll join me at one or more of them.

I wrote recently about my busy week surrounding the Lincoln Memorial Centennial events. May 22nd was the main event on the Memorial steps, but there were many other events I helped organize that were related to the 100th anniversary. Last week I traveled to New England to view some Lincoln statues and my family. Tonight (aka, June 14th, which is also Flag Day), I preside over the Lincoln Group of DC’s first in-person dinner meeting after a pandemic-induced two-year hiatus. This Saturday is our monthly study forum meeting; next Saturday we’ll have a Board meeting to induct two new members and get started on a slew of post-Memorial activities. Then (fingers crossed) I’ll make my first flight and first real vacation in three years. So, while life certainly remains busy, it will get even busier as we get closer to the Lincoln: The Fire of Genius book launch.

I’m still setting up events, but here’s a quick list of what I have scheduled so far:

September 1, 2022: Release Day Interview by Daniel Weinberg of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop on A House Divided broadcast! [Watch for details on the ALBS site]

September 13, 2022: The Fire of Genius Book Launch Party with the Lincoln Group of DC, Maggiano’s Restaurant, Washington, DC [Details coming soon]

September 16, 2022: The Fire of Genius lecture at the Cosmos Club, Washington, DC [Details coming soon]

September 17, 2022: Dedication event at Congressional Cemetery, Washington, DC [Details coming soon]

November 17, 2022: Book signing and discussion at the Lincoln Forum, Gettysburg, PA [See the schedule]

November 17, 2022: Presentation on the Lincoln Memorial Centennial with Harold Holzer, Lincoln Forum, Gettysburg, PA [See the schedule]

I’m also working on scheduling a talk at the Arts Club of Washington, probably in October, as well as some Civil War Round Table talks. I’ll also be presenting two of the four sessions of a Lincoln – The Savior of the Nation class for Encore Learning, in a follow up to last year’s successful event.

Check out my Media page for more events as they are added (plus some recaps of past events).

Release date for Lincoln: The Fire of Genius is September 1, 2022.

While you’re here, check out the various posts on Lincolnian.org related to our recent Lincoln Memorial Centennial program. For those who missed it, C-SPAN will be replaying the event at 3 pm on June 18th on CSPAN2.

The book is available for pre-order on the Rowman & Littlefield website (Lyons Press is a trade imprint of Rowman). You can also pre-order it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble (click on the respective links to pre-order). Release date is scheduled for September 1, 2022.

The book is also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. That will also ensure you get informed of the release date AND will let you try for one of ten free hardcover copies of the book that I’ll be giving away this summer. I’ll also be giving away as many as a hundred e-books. [The book will also be put out on audio]

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

I’ll have much more about the book over the next few months, so join my mailing list here to keep informed.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!