Category: Travel

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Oh What a Year (aka, Tesla Rules!)

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David J. Kent, Science TravelerIt seems like January 2013 was a blink away, but somehow an entire year has passed and that blink away is now January 2014. But oh what a year it was. A year of transitions, a year of excitement, and even a year with some major anxieties. But it is a year I will always remember – the year of Tesla.

Tesla – The Wizard of 2013!

The obvious hallmark was the release of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. Nine months after it had been accepted by the publisher the book finally hit the stores in July 2013. Prominently displayed on shelves at Barnes and Noble entrances, many stores quickly sold out and reordered. Even after the warehouse was empty the books continued to sell, limited only by people’s ability to locate them. By the end of the year we had sold out almost the entire (large) first printing. Even better, a second printing of double the initial run is due out July 2014.

[Off-] Broadway Bound!

The success of Tesla has had another benefit – all the great people I’ve met. Besides Nikola, Sherry, Sam and many others with the Tesla Science Foundation, there are the great folks at Tesla Ambassadors and other Facebook groups. I even got to meet Mr. William H. Terbo, the only living relative of Nikola Tesla. Mr. Terbo is the grand-nephew and actually met Tesla himself when he was ten years old. Another highlight of the year was being invited to speak to the cast of the off-Broadway play, TESLA, then attending opening night of the wildly successful show. Sanja Bestic as director and Sheri Graubert as writer worked so well as a team that they have another show coming out this spring – Jackie and Marilyn. I can’t wait.

Even the bad things worked out!

Of course, there were some downer parts of the year too. Most notably my father’s aneurysm surgery in February turned out to be more dramatic than expected. I’m happy to say that after having several aorta re-plumbed, a series of strokes and seizures, four days of coma, no movement on one side for a few more days, and months of rehab, Dad is doing very well. Meanwhile, the toxicity of my own work environment finally led to the decision to leave my long-standing scientific career and become a full-time writer. Notwithstanding the sudden lack of income, it was a great decision. It’s even been good for my health – after putting on weight in the spring I’ve dropped 10 pounds and live a much healthier lifestyle.

Science Traveler alert!

Along the way I managed to squeeze in a little bit of travel, including several trips to my home town for family events, four times to New York City for writing/Tesla events, a road trip to Tennessee, and even a quick weekend in Jamaica. Travel will get more emphasis in 2014, starting with a trip to NYC in January and to Argentina in February. Summer may bring me to the west coast and/or Moscow and/or Iceland and/or a country to be named later. I’ll be posting much more on travel (and aquariums) this coming year as Science Traveler starts catching up to its moniker.

150 Years of Abraham Lincoln!

Not to be forgotten is Abraham Lincoln. As a member of the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia I’ve had the privilege of joining monthly dinners with some of the most knowledgeable Lincolnophiles in the area. And since each dinner has a guest speaker, I’ve met Lincoln scholars such Douglas L. Wilson, Walter Stahr, and many others. [Eric Foner will receive the Lincoln Award from us in January 2014] One of my most cherished activities of this past year has been the monthly Lincoln Group book club. We’ve been reading the version of Herndon’s Lincoln edited by the aforementioned Doug Wilson and his colleague Rodney O. Davis. Having the combined expertise and insights of the dozen or so group members – all Lincoln scholars – is priceless.

My Presidency Ends!

With all this going on I somehow managed to perform my duties as President of the Chesapeake-Potomac Regional Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. This was my second go-around as President (the first was in 2001), and I’ve loved every minute of my involvement. As I hand over the Presidency to this year’s VP, Brad Pratt, I’ll remain as a Contributing Editor to the CPRC newsletter and an active Past-President.

Reading is Fundamental!

And then there were the books. As has been my norm in recent years I’ve finished reading about 60 books this year. Because of research for my next book, at least a dozen were Abraham Lincoln-related. But there were also many on Nikola Tesla, some great memoirs, and the trade of writing/publishing. I even read a half dozen fiction books (a rarity for me). Better yet, I was able to read some great books by authors I know personally, most notably Thomas Waite, R.C. (Chuck) Larlham, and Sam Hawksworth. Check them out.

All in all, 2013 was a very good year. I’m looking forward to an even better 2014, where I’ll meet more great people, do more great travel, and write more great books (and yes, I’ll shortly have more info on my Tesla book due out in the spring).

See you all again soon…and Happy New Year!!

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

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Tesla and Lincoln’s 2014 Schedule is Starting to Take Shape

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David J. KentSo 2013 was an incredible year, and 2014 is already looking like it will be even more incredible. Later this month I’ll take a look back on all that has happened this past year. Meanwhile, my event schedule for 2014 is starting to take shape. Here are just a few of the events already on the calendar for the first six to eight months:

January

4th – Eric Foner dinner: The noted Abraham Lincoln historian will receive the Lincoln Award from the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia. We’ll have a special dinner at the historic Willard Hotel in Washington DC. Foner’s many books on Abraham Lincoln include The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery, which won several major awards including the Pulitzer, Lincoln, and Bancroft Prizes.

11th – Tesla Memorial Conference: For the second year in a row I will be attending the annual Nikola Tesla conference sponsored by the Tesla Science Foundation and the New Yorker Hotel. More details to come but see here for recaps of the 2013 conference.

18th – Lincoln Group Book Club: Monthly meeting to discuss Herndon’s Lincoln, Ford’s Theater Educational Center.

February

2 weeks mid-month – Travel to Argentina. I’m still coordinating arrangements with a long-time Argentinian friend of mine, but it looks like a couple of weeks of hiking, fishing, kayaking, glacier hopping, etc. along the eastern ridge of the Andes in Patagonia and eventually all the way down to Ushuaia in the Tierra del Fuego region.

March

End of month – Have completed Lincoln book proposal in my agent’s hands (if not earlier)

April

24th – 26th – Attend American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) conference in New York City.

27th – 28th – Attend Chesapeake-Potomac Regional Chapter (CPRC) conference in Maryland. [as Past-President]

May

End of month – Planned release of Nikola Tesla and Renewable Energy e-book. More details soon!

June

haew narok waterfall 3? – What is this…nothing on my calendar yet for June? I’ll need to do something about that soon.

July

1st – Release of second printing of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity by Sterling Publishing.

7th – Brown bag lecture at the Ipswich Museum in Ipswich, MA. In addition to being the featured speaker I’ll have books available for sale and signing.

8th – 10th – Annual Tesla Days in Philadelphia. A multi-day series of events celebrating the birthday of Nikola Tesla. Check here for information on the 2013 event.

July – September

In addition to the events listed above, and with the second printing (of double the initial print run) due in Barnes and Noble stores in July, I will likely be doing a series of speaking events. Stay tuned for more information, and check back frequently to my Tesla Events and Speaking Engagements page for updates. Perhaps a west coast swing? Perhaps Serbia? I’m open to ideas.

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

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Preview of Tennessee Road Trip

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I’m currently in the middle of a road trip sandwich. Off to the big apple today (perhaps a pastrami on rye at Katz’s Deli) and not long returned from a trip down the road to Tennessee and environs (where I had pulled pork on a bun). I’ll come back with some details and more photos later, but for now here’s a quick preview of the Tennessee road trip that included two National Parks, two Aquariums, two sets of caves, two days at SETAC, and too many times in and out of Tennessee.

Conceptually, the trip was planned as a multi-day drive down through the Shenandoah’s, the Blue Ridge, and into the Great Smoky Mountains. The first part started off with good weather, but by the time we reached the Blue Ridge Parkway the meaning of “Great Smoky” came clearly into view. By which I mean to say that there was no “clearly”…and no “view.”

Backing up a bit we first stopped at the Natural Bridge just north of Roanoke, Virginia. The Bridge is a rather cool natural rock archway that most people drive over without ever noticing the valley below. Since this is a preview I’ll give you the long view for now. In a later post I’ll revisit to talk about the surveyor – some guy named George Washington – leaving his initials in the rock face.

Natural Bridge Long View

As I mentioned, the Smoky Mountains gave us a good example of why they are called the Great Smoky Mountains. I did get a chance to hike the Appalachian Trail for the third or fourth time. Granted it was a very small part of the Trail, but the Trail nonetheless.

Appalachian Trail Great Smoky Mountains

A night in Gatlinburg proved more interesting than expected. The fact that there is an aquarium in the mountains of Tennessee is odd enough, but the fact that it was a Ripley’s aquarium gives a hint of what you can expect in the town. The aquarium turned out to be wonderful, but it looked like Ripley’s (of Believe it or Not! fame) had turned the main street into a bizarre entertainment strip. We’ll come back to that later.

Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies - Gatlinburg TN

Let’s see, Tennessee borders on Kentucky, right? So the natural next step was to drive all the way through the state to Cave City, KY for the world famous Mammoth Caves. At 390 miles of tunnels (and still counting), Mammoth is the longest cave system in the world.

Mammoth Caves network of tunnels

Back to Tennessee. After all, the impetus for the trip was to attend the annual SETAC meeting in Nashville. I spent most of the three days there chatting with other attendees; even sold nearly a dozen books. Alas, that time went fast and we were off to Huntsville, Alabama, home to a large Apollo-era space center.

Saturn V rocket - Huntsville AL

Seeing a Saturn V rocket next to the highway brought me back to the old days when I kept a scrapbook of the Apollo missions. But even more thought-provoking is the realization that the rocket is 363 feet tall, 33 feet in diameter, and has 3 stages – all numbers divisible by 3. Nikola Tesla would have loved it!

Back to Tennessee. And yes, about this time we saw yet another sign welcoming us back to the Volunteer state as the road trip took us from VA to TN to NC to TN to KY to TN to AL to TN to VA. Since I had been in Memphis years ago I think I now have Tennessee fully covered. In any case, this leg took us to Chattanooga for, you guessed it, yet another major aquarium. But here we also did some Civil War-era sightseeing. First, up the cliffs to the top of Lookout Mountain, center of a famous Civil War battle.

Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga TN

Then back down about half way to Ruby Falls, a 145-foot tall waterfall that is completely underground. Not only do you take an elevator down nearly 300 feet, but as you walk the half mile through the caves the mountain rises above you so that the Falls are nearly 1200 feet below the surface. For now, here’s the above-ground to whet your appetite.

Ruby Falls, Chattanooga TN

That’s enough for now. I’ll do future posts on the major stops and include some of the amazing photos. You won’t want to miss the Ruby Falls photo! [Or the interesting solar power angle]

Hey, is that Ashanti at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting? Cool.

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

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Halloween in Ipswich – David Ortiz and the Scariest Pole Competition You’ll Ever See

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Happy Halloween everyone! You really have to love this time of year. When else can you express your inner weirdness and have people applaud you for your creativity rather than run away from you as if you had lost your mind?

On a recent trip to my home town of Ipswich I came across the local pole-decorating contest. No dancers, just scary things. Truly scary things. Okay, sort of scary things. But you get the idea.

There were pole monsters.

Ipswich pole monster

For movie trivia buffs, there were screaming women being attacked by birds (extra credit to anyone who can name the movie, director, and star).

The Birds

Some wolf bane? (or is that wolf baying?)

Baying wolf

Of course, some were still under construction.

Under construction

Two heads are better than one this time of year.

Two heads are better than one

The best way to escape the graveyard? Swinging on a wrecking ball, of course.

Skeleton wrecking ball

Wait, this is my better side. Yes, much better. We have a winner! Congratulations to the bony guy (or is it gal?). It won the competition.

Skeleton_Photo credit Dan Mac Alpine

And, of course, there were plenty of pumpkins.

Halloween pumpkins

But the scariest sight of all, especially if you were the Rays, the Tigers, or the Cardinals, was the vision of David Ortiz coming up to the plate. Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox for winning the World Series and David Ortiz for taking home the trophy for Most Valuable Player. Go Sox. Boston Strong!

David Ortiz MVP_Photo credit Matt Slocum

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

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A Little Bit of Mini-Europe

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For three years I lived and worked in the European Union capital of Brussels, Belgium. While there I traveled as much as my workload and finances would allow. But I can say that one day I saw all of Europe. Yes, in one day.

Technically it wasn’t all of Europe; it was more of a highlights tour. But in the shadow of the Atomium (that big bunch of silver balls that makes up this website’s background photo), there lies a small park called mini-Europe. Mini as in miniature landmarks representative of the major vistas and capitals of the continent (and the UK too). Here is what it looks like from high up in the Atomium.

Mini-Europe in Brussels

Since this is Brussels, they of course have the Grand Place…the big square that sits in the center of the city.  You can see the detail that went into these models.  Check out the gothic style city hall, decorated with 294 statues from the 19th century, which dominates one side of the square.  This particular display shows the carpet of flowers that graces the Grand Place only one weekend every two years. A grand site to see. (And as an added bonus, the famous manneken pis is just a short walk away).

Grand Place Brussels

Heading north gets you to the Castle of Olavinlinna, built in 1475 in Finland.  It used to form part of the frontier defenses against Russia.

Castle of Olavinlinna Finland

Some countries have only one or two landmarks (Luxembourg’s contribution is a single highway bridge).  France is well represented with several landmarks from around the country.  Here is the church of Sacre Coeur, which sits high atop Montmartre Hill in the northern part of Paris.  On a clear day you can see 50 km away.

Sacre Coeur Paris

Moving over to Italy, I’m sure everyone will recognize Pisa.  The Piazza del Duomo is pretty much the attraction in this northern coastal city.  The campanile (leaning tower) is 55 meters in height and has never been straight since its construction.  Behind it is a Romanesque Cathedral built to celebrate the victory of the Pisan fleet over Palermo. The model is made entirely of small marble blocks and weighs 800 kg. Consider that the next time you complain about doing a mere 1000-piece puzzle.

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Last stop on today’s tour is Athens, Greece.  Situated on the highest point in the city is the Acropolis, which was built in the 5th century B.C. as a national sanctuary for the worship of the twelve Greek gods.

Acropolis Athens

I’ve been lucky enough to have visited all of the landmarks above, with the notable exception of the Olavinlinna Castle (though on more than one occasion I was in Finland’s capital, Helsinki). There are many more mini-landmarks in mini-Europe, so I’ll be coming back here periodically. In fact, I’ll be showing photos of the model along with my own photos taken during visits to the real places. I have to admit, after seeing the models it’s is very cool to see the leaning tower, the Acropolis, Sacre Coeur and more up close and personal.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Some days are sunsets…other days are sunrises

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Some days are sunsets…

Sunset - A Time for Change

More details to come.

[Daily Post]

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His next book is on Abraham Lincoln, due out in 2017.

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Always Remember: 9/11

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Always remember – 9/11/01

9/11 Memorial World Trade Center New York City

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Marilyn Monroe and the Portrait Gallery

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They stood silent, trying hard to hold their poses. The first to catch my eye was Marilyn Monroe. A bit over-the-top – the hair too blonde, the lips too red, the famous white dress too stereotypical. Perhaps. But then it did draw my eye to their presence.

Portrait Gallery Mr. Time

A dozen of them, each dressed in some iconic fashion. Was that Arthur Ashe in a suit and tennis racket? An unexpected Annie Oakley? Frida Kahlo? Forming a double line their presence was reflected in the Portrait Gallery’s floor fountain, a thin film of water that greets visitors to the museum’ atrium. Ten minutes or more they stood silently. Costumes beckoning stares from curious lunchers. Then, suddenly, a group of itinerant tourists enters en masse and wistfully lines up opposite the fountains from the animated art. At first they seem uncertain what will happen. The tension breaks as each poser in rapid fire bellows an introduction. Then Marilyn (after staring for so long I felt I was on a first name basis) commands all to “Follow Me.” And they did, marching past astonished onlookers and into the caverns of the gallery.

As curious was their statuesque presence, their abrupt departure was even more intriguing. I wanted to follow. What was this?

Portrait Gallery Mr. Time

A poster in the museum’s lobby gave me a first hint. “Mr. Time,” it said, “Portraits by Boris Chaliapin.” A prolific portrait artist called up on 413 occasions to create covers for Time magazine, Chaliapin’s work is currently on exhibit at the Portrait Gallery. Rather than simply display the works, the museum enlisted the help of local teens to write and perform a series of vignettes to highlight the exhibit. “Portraits Alive!” it cajoled alluringly. Not only can you see the art on the wall, you can see the art portrayed in person.

Marilyn Monroe once said, “It’s all make believe, isn’t it?” Perhaps, but then sometimes the make believe comes to life. The Portrait Gallery has done that.

David J. Kent is the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Within These Walls – Ipswich at the Smithsonian

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Yesterday, after shipping out a copy of my book to Nikola Tesla’s grand-nephew William Terbo, I took a break and headed downtown to Washington DC. I had read in the “Wicked Local” online version of my hometown paper, Ipswich Chronicle, that The Actors Company would be performing Within These Walls at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. I had to go.

For those who didn’t know it, an entire house once located at 16 Elm Street in Ipswich was disassembled in 1963 and reconstructed at the Smithsonian. The exhibit is one of the largest objects in their collection, and is displayed such that visitors can look into the various rooms of the house and experience the respective lives of five residents over the years.

JT Turner Within These Walls

Within These Walls was written by playwright, actor, and director J.T. Turner, who was asked by the Smithsonian to tell the stories of the people who lived there. As the house itself looms behind them, the play opens with the two Ipswich housewives, Kay Thompson and Helen Lunt, pleading with the demolition man not to tear it down. Reminiscent of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, as the workman settles in for the night intending the demolition to start the next morning, he begins to hear the house reveal its history. As he questions his sanity, residents of the house appear in sequence representing major historical time periods.

It begins with Abraham Choate building the house in 1760 for his growing family. He is followed by Abraham Dodge, a revolutionary war patriot who explains how Ipswich came to be known as “The Birthplace of American Independence” (hint, it has to do with being the first to refuse to pay taxes to the British crown). Ahead to the Caldwells, active in the fight to abolish slavery prior to the Civil War, then to the Lynch family of Irish immigrants struggling to pay the $50 a year rent to the wealthy Heard family who then owned the house. And finally to the Scott’s as they supported the World War II effort at home while their two sons fought overseas.

Abraham and Sarah Choate

Throughout the play the spectators become entranced both by the individual stories of the people who lived in the house and by the historical periods they represent. Having been born and raised in Ipswich, and just recently spent my 4th of July holiday there, the play was especially poignant as the family names and stories remain part of the ongoing life-thread of the town. At times the memories it invoked became personally emotional. After the play ended I was lucky enough to have a brief conversation with J.T. Turner. As I thanked him for his wonderful writing, the actress who played “Grandma” Scott gaze at me with that look that actors get when they see how their craft affected others. I can safely say that I was affected by the performance. Thank you all.

David J. Kent is the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Book Review – Bolívar: American Liberator by Marie Arana

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Bolivar by Marie AranaI recently received a copy of a new book and was asked to read it and write a book review. This is that review.

Simón Bolívar liberated six South American countries from Spanish rule. An amazing achievement. Marie Arana has accomplished no less an amazing achievement in her mighty tome Bolívar: American Liberator (Simon & Schuster, 2013). Arana’s book is impressive, both in its girth (464 pages of text plus over 100 pages of notes) and the depth of research conducted into Bolívar’s life.

Born into a wealthy family in 1783 Caracas in the Venezuelan portion of the Spanish empire, Simón Bolívar hardly seemed destined to be a revolutionary. A slight 5’6” in height and only 130 lbs, he nevertheless was a “spirited youth.” He grew up in luxury in a country in which the Spanish crown had imposed strict divisions between the classes and races. A trip to Europe as he came of age exposed him to even greater privilege, but also inspired him to pledge that he would liberate his homeland. Arana captures this coming of age in a story that reads like a novel.

After two revolutions fail to take hold, Bolívar finally is able to lead the creation of a third republic that begins a constant battle that would consume him for the rest of his life. Arana deftly intertwines the events of the United States (War of 1812) and Europe (Napoleon, Spanish wars) with the major battles and exploits of Bolívar and other key players both within and without of his control. In what we now might call “mission creep,” the revolution to rid Venezuela from the Spanish spreads across greater Granada and beyond to encompass what now includes Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru and the newly created Bolivia (named after Bolívar). The “George Washington of South America,” Bolívar liberated the people and yet in the final years of his short life had the people turn on him. He died in exile, in poverty, and bed-ridden with tuberculosis, in his prematurely-aged 47th year.

One of the strengths of the book is the way Arana is able to delve into the imperfections of Bolívar as a man – his many mistresses, his adeptness with military command yet inability to command the politics of effective government, and the many mistakes he made as he tried to create democracies in lands mired by corruption and 300 years of subservience. Arana superbly brings this complex man to life. Often vilified in that life, Bolívar’s legend has grown in the nearly two centuries since his death to the point where leaders from Venezuela and environs attempt to invoke the name of Bolívar to support their own policies, even though those policies may be the antithesis to everything for which Bolívar toiled.

I highly recommend Bolívar: American Liberator. Those with family ties to the region will benefit from the knowledge of both the accomplishments and imperfections of the man. Those in the United States and elsewhere will benefit from the opportunity to learn about one of the most important men in modern history, one most of us likely don’t know much about at all.

Marie Arana’s website: http://mariearana.net/bolivar/

David J. Kent is the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two 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!