Author: David J. Kent

David J. Kent is an Abraham Lincoln historian, a former scientist, and an avid traveler. He is the author of books on Abraham Lincoln, Nikola Tesla, and Thomas Edison. His website is www.davidjkent-writer.com.
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Nikola Tesla and me at Barnes and Noble

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For anyone who may have missed it – Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity is now in Barnes and Noble bookstores. Sterling Publishing is a subsidiary of B&N so the book is initially available exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores, on BarnesandNoble.com (and BN.com), and better yet, directly from me on this Science Traveler website. [Any books bought directly will come signed by me.]

Today I stopped by the Barnes and Noble bookstore in downtown Washington DC. I met with several of the friendliest staff you can ever imagine – these people love books! They were very happy to show me that the stack of books is prominently stacked right inside the main door. I even had my photo taken.

Barnes and Noble DC 23July2013

While I was there I happily signed each and every book they had in stock, plus slipped in a free bookmark for good measure. The fantastic staff added a sticker to the cover highlighting that it was “Author Signed.” Very cool, if I do say so myself. I’ll be stopping by other area Barnes and Noble stores to sign their stock as well, so look for books with the extra stickers on the front.

So you have three ways to get a copy of the book:

1) Purchase it online at barnesandnoble.com. You can get it as a hardcover or a Nook e-book. Or both.

2) Head down to your local Barnes and Noble store. Or,

3) Buy it direct from me on this website. I’ll sign every book ordered directly from me, and add an inscription to anyone of your choosing if you send me an email. The books make great gifts.

Be sure to write a review on the BarnesandNoble.com and Goodreads websites when you finish reading. Here are other ways you can help Spread the Word.

I’m off to write an article for WIRE Magazine (more on that later). I’ll also be following up with some of the feedback I’ve received on the book.

Order Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity now!

Follow me by subscribing by email on the home page.  And feel free to “Like” my Facebook author’s page and connect on LinkedIn.  Share with your friends using the buttons below.

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Book Review – What Lincoln Believed by Michael Lind

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What Lincoln Believed by Michael LindIn this book from 2004, Michael Lind makes an effort to demystify the man he calls “America’s Greatest President.” Some readers will find What Lincoln Believed a well-researched analysis of Lincoln’s true beliefs, while others will be put off by apparent reinterpretation of historical knowledge. Lind clearly believes that Abraham Lincoln was a white supremacist and documents how he arrives at this conclusion. His documentation is not entirely persuasive, though he does provide enough research material to make those who have unrealistically idealized Lincoln more than a bit uncomfortable. Lind also calls Lincoln a liar based on decisions other people made years later and after Lincoln had been assassinated. Jumps in logic such as these do take away from the credibility of the book and could lead some readers to dismiss other, better supported, analyses.

The book is much more than those controversial suppositions, however, and the reader would miss out by making snap judgments. Lind generally does a good job describing how Lincoln emulated Henry Clay and other Whigs on a variety of topics, including his support for internal improvements, protective tariffs, and national banks. In “The Slave Power,” Lind carefully describes Lincoln’s abhorrence of slavery and conviction to sop the spread of it into the territories, but also his support of colonization. It is here that he asserts Lincoln wanted a “white America” and attributes this as the reason Lincoln wanted to stop slavery’s expansion. In “Lincoln and the Union” and elsewhere Lind discusses the dynamic between slavery and Lincoln’s ultimate goal, which was to save the Union; a goal that had both nationalistic and global repercussions should it not be attained.

Two of the more interesting chapters actually have little to do with Lincoln himself. Lincoln attributes to Lincoln a “Second Republic” and then describes how this industrialized capitalism evolved and dominated U.S. and world development from the Civil War right up until Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal. While the attribution to Lincoln (and Clay and others) seems a bit strained, Lind does make a solid case for the importance of this particular economic philosophy. Similarly, in “The Great Democrat,” Lind connects industrialized societies to democracy. Both of these final chapters stray from Lincoln per se, but offer significant insights that put Lincoln and his times in context.

Reception to this book has been mixed, and Lind in my view stretches beyond his material in attributing to Lincoln ingrained convictions that remain unsupported. That said, I found that the book challenges some of the more mythical perceptions of Lincoln and offers significant insights not found in other books. In that regard, I recommend the book to serious Lincoln scholars.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. You can order a signed copy directly from me, at barnesandnoble.com, and exclusively at Barnes and Noble bookstores.

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Tesla books have finally arrived!

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Books are hereGood news. My Tesla books have now arrived, and only days after I missed at least 5 opportunities to sell them directly to Tesla aficionados. So all you folks who said you wanted a signed book are now in luck – you can order them direct from me.

Of course, the “ultra simple WP PayPal shopping cart” turns out to be more than a little mis-named, given how I’ve been working for hours to get it up and running. Notwithstanding these trials and tribulations, I have managed to get a shopping cart feature set up. I think. So here is the procedure:

To order, you can click on the picture of the book on the home page. Or you can go directly to the “Buy the Book“ page from the menu above. Once there you can enter the number of books you want and click on “Add to Cart.” Then head back to the home page.

Immediately below the picture of the book on the home page you’ll see a shopping cart, which should have your book(s) listed. Double check the quantity, then click on “Checkout.” That will take you to the PayPal site where you make payment and enter your mailing address for shipment. I will sign all books ordered directly from me!

If you want a special inscription, please email to me at davidjkent.writer@gmail.com.

I’m still working on getting a proper shopping cart system set up, but this should get everyone their books quickly.

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Nikola Tesla All Week Long

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The past week seemed like all-Tesla, all the time. First there was my trip North for some 4th of July festivities, including a parade and the Clam Box. There was a lot of Nikola Tesla even in those events, mostly in the form of queries from my relatives about where the heck my Tesla books were hiding. More on that in a moment.

Clam Box

Then there was a “meet and greet” that had originally been planned as a “beer with an old high school buddy” but morphed into reunion of sorts with about a dozen high school friends and a former teacher.

Old friends

A quick tour of Agassiz Rock (a Lincoln and science connection I’ll discuss later), the “Big Rock” at Stage Fort Park near Hammond Castle (a Tesla connection I’ll also discuss later), and Rockport’s fabulous Bearskin Neck (the last of the “rock” triad), then on to Tesla Days. Tesla Days is a four day celebration of Nikola Tesla, culminating in a midnight cake and theremin serenade, since by now you all know that Tesla was born during a lightning storm as the 9th thundered into the 10th of July 1856.

On the weekend, the grounds in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia included many inventions by, and inspired by, Tesla. Sunday night was a reception featuring Balkan wine, some fascinating speakers, and a theremin-led concert by Mano Divina and the Divine Hand musicians. It was great to meet up with the writer of the critically acclaimed and sold out Tesla off-Broadway play, Sheri Graubert, along with lead actor Jack Dimich, who played the older Tesla. I also met author W. Bernard Carlson and Nenad Stankovic, publisher of the new Tesla Magazine (in which I have a feature article on Wardenclyffe).

Tesla Magazine, first issue July 2013

Tuesday was Film, Art, and Music day. I presented my new book, Tesla: the Wizard of Electricity. Other authors and artists gave presentations and showed their artwork, with musical interludes in video and a live harpist. Kyle and Julian Driebeek, two teenagers who were inspired by Tesla at a very young age, explained why it was so important for Tesla to be taught in the schools today. I must admit I was flattered when Kyle encouraged everyone present to buy an extra copy of my book and donate it to local libraries and schools. This fits in well with the goal of my book – reach out to the general public as a “gateway” that will inspire people to learn more about Nikola Tesla.

David J. Kent - Tesla Days 2013

Tesla Days 2013 (Photo courtesy of Betsy Driebeek)

The week ended with a book launch party at my home, where about two dozen friends and colleagues joined in celebrating the release of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity.

It was a tiring week, but a great week. Happy birthday, Nikola Tesla!

Due to a delay in getting books from the publisher I didn’t have books to sell to my extended family, my old friends, or at Tesla Days (though I did sign a lot of bookmarks). According to my editor, my copies should arrive any day now, but people who pre-ordered them through BarnesandNoble.com have already been receiving their copies (see, it pays to shop early). You can order Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity now, exclusively at BarnesandNoble.com, and either as hardcover or Nook ebook. I’ll also have some available directly from through this website shortly.

Follow me by subscribing by email on the home page.  And feel free to “Like” my Facebook author’s page and connect on LinkedIn.  Share with your friends using the buttons below.

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Tesla Books are Shipping!

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Click here to buy a signed copy of the bookI received word from my editor yesterday that hard copies of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity are finally being shipped. The short delay with arrival at the warehouse has been resolved and I’ll be receiving my books soon. Better yet, the books are being shipped directly to those who pre-ordered them at barnesandnoble.com. Still better yet, people have already been receiving them. One person even read the entire book the day it arrived!

Initial feedback from first-readers:

“Very easy to read and a great story.”

“Just finished. Loved the book. I love the format too -illustrations etc. definitely an interesting character.”

“The well written fluid text combined with various photos and illustrations are very effective in bringing Tesla the person to life. I hardly knew anything about him when I started, and felt I really knew this fascinating person when I finished.”

Be sure to write a review and post it on the Barnes and Noble website, on Goodreads, on Facebook, and wherever else you share your ideas. Here are other ways you can spread the word.

I’ll have more soon, plus some highlights of the Tesla Days held in Philadelphia.

By the way – Happy Birthday, Nikola Tesla! This happens only once a year. You can buy Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity on Tesla’s birthday. 🙂

Order Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity now, exclusively at BarnesandNoble.com, and either as hardcover or Nook ebook.

Follow me by subscribing by email on the home page.  And feel free to “Like” my Facebook author’s page and connect on LinkedIn.  Share with your friends using the buttons below.

 

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Mano Divina and the Divine Hand

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I’m at Tesla Days in Philadelphia. Last night was a reception with a variety of Tesla-related lectures, all of which were great. But the highlight of the evening was a performance by Mano Divina and his accompanying band, The Divine Hand.

Mano Divina

I’ll post more on Mano and the Tesla Days events when I have better computer access, but here’s a tickler from an earlier Tesla event (scroll down for the video).

Order Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity now!

I’ll continue to post periodically to my Facebook page during Tesla Days and will be back with a whole lot more after my trip.

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Quick reminder while I’m traveling – Tesla is available now!

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Tesla book coverYes, you heard right. Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity is available now, exclusively at Barnes and Noble stores and on barnesandnoble.com.

Order the hardcover book.

Or download immediately as a Nook ebook. You don’t even have to have a Nook to download it. You can read it on your desktop or laptop computer, or do what I did, download it online and read it on your Nook app for iPhone.

To fully experience the amazing photos, comics, and highlighted quotes the hardcover book is the way to go. But you’ll still get pictures with the Nook, and it’s more easily transported if you have a Nook or the Nook app on your smartphone. Either way, the text is the same.

Read here to see how you can spread the word about the book.

Read here to see what the book is all about and ideas for Christmas gifts.

I’ll post to my Facebook page periodically during the trip, and of course will be attending the Tesla Days events in Philadelphia from Sunday to Wednesday so look for updates.

Happy Independence Day from Nikola Tesla!

Nikola Tesla

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Tesla Days – Coming to Philadelphia July 6-10

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Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and David J. KentOnly a few days left before Tesla Days kicks off in Philadelphia. Join me and the Tesla Science Foundation for inventions, presentations, books, and music, plus a Million Volt March. The four days of events celebrate the July 10th birth of Nikola Tesla and the beginning of “a global breakthrough movement dedicated to building awareness of a new energy paradigm.” Declare your energy independence now.

More information and the daily schedule for July 6th through the 10th can be found on the Tesla Science Foundation website.

Besides the Balkan wine reception and speakers on Sunday, July 7th, I welcome you to join me and other prominent authors and musicians on Tuesday, July 9th for a Tesla Film, Book, and Arts Festival at The Free Library, 1901 Vine St. With events starting at 11:00 am, I’ll be introducing my book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. Also speaking will be Tesla authors Marc Seifer, Bernard Carlson, and Howard Lipman; an inspirational talk by Kyle and Julian Driebeek on why children should know and honor Tesla; and a variety of Tesla-inspired electronic music and videos.

I hope you’ll join us.

Order Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity now, exclusively at BarnesandNoble.com, and either as hardcover or Nook ebook.

Follow me by subscribing by email on the home page.  And feel free to “Like” my Facebook author’s page and connect on LinkedIn.  Share with your friends using the buttons below.

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We Have a Launch – Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity Goes Live

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Tesla: The Wizard of ElectricityTesla: The Wizard of Electricity is now officially published.

You can order it now exclusively on BarnesandNoble.com.

You can read a quick sneak peak and a much longer description of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. In short, the book is designed to appeal to a wide range of the general public, not just academic researchers.

So here’s how you can help:

Spread the word! Use the social networking buttons at the bottom of this post and the two posts linked in the paragraph above. Talk about it with your friends, and your friends’ friends. Share it on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and wherever else you hang out. Tweet it, StumbleUpon it, Digg it, Tumble it, Reddit, and Pin it.

Buy the book! Okay, this is a given 🙂 You can order it online at barnesandnoble.com as a hardcover or an ebook for NOOK. It will also be available in Barnes and Noble stores in July. Where it will NOT be is on Amazon, at least for the moment. This initial roll out is exclusive to Barnes and Noble.

Write a review! Books live or die not only on whether they get bought, but whether people write reviews. Places to write reviews include:

Barnes and Noble

Goodreads

Facebook

Your own blog or website

Your friends blog or website

Your local or national newspaper

And anywhere else you can think of

Like my Facebook author page! ——- > David J. Kent This helps spread the word, plus you’ll get periodic updates on Tesla, Lincoln, and more. (If you haven’t already, click on my name next to the arrow)

Give the book as a gift! Christmas is coming. Yes, it is (remember, time flies). The book makes a great gift for that computer or science geek you never knew what to get. It also makes a great gift for invention buffs, graphic novel lovers, historical biography, and just plain interesting characters from history. Need more ideas? Read more here.

Ask for it at Barnes and Noble! Since the book is exclusive to Barnes and Noble, it should be prominently displayed near the store entrance. Be sure to drop by and ask for it if you don’t see it. If you do see it, “accidentally” turn the book face out so people can see the cover (not just the spine). 🙂

Pin it! The Barnes and Noble.com page for Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity has buttons to pin it to your Pinterest page. And Like it on Facebook. And Google+ it. All of that helps get the word out.

Ask for it at the library! Initially, they probably won’t have it. But if enough people ask for it they may order it the next time they are making buying decisions. The book is a perfect for libraries.

Give one to a science teacher! The book is also a great addition to science courses. It’s a quick read, gives a great history of an important scientist who is largely ignored in history books, and the pictures and graphics will spark the interest of even the least inspired student.

Thanks to all of you this experience of bringing Nikola Tesla to the world has been truly amazing. Let’s wake up a new generation of readers and budding scientists. Let’s celebrate Tesla!

The BarnesandNoble.com site has the book for order. I’ll be showing up at various Barnes and Noble stores in July to sign books. Keep coming back to my Tesla Events and Speaking Engagements page here on Science Traveler for updates.

Follow me by subscribing by email on the home page.  And feel free to “Like” my Facebook author’s page and connect on LinkedIn.  Share with your friends using the buttons below.

 

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Nikola Tesla Wine Reception and Lectures

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Tesla: The Wizard of ElectricityThe annual Tesla Day 2013 in Philadelphia is fast approaching. Besides free events featuring inventions, speakers, music and more, there will be an opening night wine tasting and reception. Follow this link to find out more and sign up:

http://tesladay2013.eventbrite.com/

I’ll be there to introduce my new book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, which is now available exclusively as both a hard cover and Nook ebook on BarnesandNoble.com.

Tesla Days celebrates the life and works of one of the world’s greatest inventors, Nikola Tesla. Tesla Days 2013, will feature live speakers, musical performances and local dignitaries who come together to inform and inspire. The opening night kickoff events include:

WINE RECEPTION  – Join the president of Tesla Science Foundation, its board of trustees, staff and supporters at this intimate wine reception to be held on the second floor of the Ethical Humanist Society. The reception will feature wines by the Balkan Wine Project as well as light hors d’oeuvres. The reception will be attended by our speakers and performers, so you will have a chance to meet our esteemed guests in person.

LECTURES & PERFORMANCES  –  The Tesla Science Foundation introduces the works and ideas of some of the nation’s most innovative thinkers. Enjoy live performances from artists such thereminist Mano Divina and Natalie Page Bentley, and lectures by our esteemed guests: Dr. Milena Bajic, clinical psychologist, Dr. Evan Malone founder of NextFab Studio and TEDx speaker who will be presenting Keeping Innovation at Home, and W. Bernard Carlson, author of Tesla: Inventor of the Technical Age.

AWARDS CEREMONY  –  Tesla Science Foundation recognizes the works and inventions of scientists, thinkers and innovators who share their ideas through Tesla Club and Tesla Inventor’s Club.

Sign up for the opening night reception events now. Then go to the Tesla Science Foundation website to check out the other events going on across Philadelphia over four days from July 6 – 9.

I’ll be speaking Tuesday, July 9th at the Tesla Film, Book and Art Festival:

  • Tuesday, July 9, 2013, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
  • Free Library of Philadelphia 1901 Vine St, Philadelphia, PA

More information on specific times will be posted on this Science Traveler website and on my Facebook page. Hope to see you there.