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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: The Wizard of Electricity – Now Available!

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Click to pre-order now at barnesandnoble.comTesla: The Wizard of Electricity is officially published as of June 30, 2013. It is now available exclusively at BarnesandNoble.com now! I’ve already provided a quick sneak peak, and now it’s time to highlight more about the book.

To begin with, the book is designed to appeal to a wide range of the general public, not just academic researchers. So…

Like thrilling personality insights? The book is chock full of interesting stories on Tesla from his “100-bug-powered” windmills as a youth to his practical jokes on Mark Twain in his heyday to his dispute with Einstein as he entered his twilight years.

Into graphic novels? Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity includes many historical comics and photos to spotlight key events and figures in Tesla’s spectacular life. The book is an amazing visual experience.

An invention buff? The book captures the prolific inventive mind of Nikola Tesla and how many of his inventions were so far ahead of their time that we are still today relying on his patents for new discoveries.

Turned on by conflict and tension? Tesla’s life can be summed up by one of my chapter titles: “A Man Always at War.” Delve into the complex relationships he had with Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, Guglielmo Marconi, J.P. Morgan, and others that were sometimes colleagues, and sometimes rivals.

Prefer serious historical biography? Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity traces the great man’s life from his childhood in the military frontier, through his schooling and employment in the grand capitals of Europe, to his tumultuous, yet most productive, years in New York City, Colorado Springs, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Niagara Falls.

In short, the book provides insights into a man who has been largely ignored by history despite his huge contributions to modern life. A man who over 100 years ago anticipated that one day we would all be carrying around hand-held devices capable of instant communication across vast distances. Who a century ago promoted and developed renewable energy sources to replace fossil fuels. A man who left us a legacy that is just now being rediscovered by scientists, the public, and perhaps most ironically, pop culture.

Join me in celebrating the life and legacy of Nikola Tesla. Spread the word.

Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity is available exclusively in Barnes and Noble stores and online at barnesandnoble.com (and BN.com).

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Nikola Tesla – Big as Life

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An odd thing happened today. I heard a knock on the door, and who might I find there? You guessed it – Nikola Tesla.

Nikola Tesla

I told him he looked a bit pale, but his response was too faded to hear. In any case, Tesla has agreed to join me on the road as I visit my family and old friends in Massachusetts, then give a lecture in Philadelphia, and finally throw a full-fledged party for him (and me).

Pre-order the book online at Barnes and Noble.com. Do NOT go to Amazon because you won’t find it there (long story). At less than $10 the book is a bargain. Pre-order it now for delivery as soon as June 30th arrives.

Go here for a sneak preview: Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity.

I’ll have more information – and photos of the inside – shortly. The countdown has begun!

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Sneak Preview of the New Book – Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity

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Today is a day that will live in my memory for a long time. It is the day I received the first actual hard copy of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. In a word, the book is amazing. In a few more words, it is like nothing you have ever seen before in a Tesla biography.

Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and David J. Kent

Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity by David J. Kent

As you can see, the book is designed to be visually appealing. The cover is a vibrant – go ahead, you can call it electrifying – blue and features a photograph of Nikola Tesla and the visage of his famed Wardenclyffe tower. Look closer to see hints of lightning and radio.

The goal of the book is to reach out to those who want to learn about Nikola Tesla…or who want to learn about the history of invention in the United States…or who, well, just want to have fun with science. Inside, the book is highly illustrated. Photographs, drawings, even cartoons are laced throughout to highlight the text and bring Tesla to life. You can see the table of contents in an earlier article.

Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity by David J. Kent

Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity by David J. Kent

In addition to the wonderful graphics are many call-out quotes and stories. You can giggle along with his assistants as Tesla introduces Mark Twain to his oscillating device. Marvel at the roaring falls as Tesla and Westinghouse team up to harness Niagara. Root for him as he takes on Edison and Marconi, and even Einstein. The combination of stories and illustrations seeks to bring Nikola Tesla to the people in a way that those who understand his inventions and those who do not can both appreciate.

Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity officially publishes on June 30th. It will be available in Barnes and Noble stores and online. I hope you like it.

More information on the release of Tesla: Wizard of Electricity.

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A review of TESLA, the off-Broadway play

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Tesla official posterA rainy evening in the East Village welcomed the opening night of the new off-Broadway play, TESLA. All that was missing were bolts of lightning, which would have been appropriate given that Nikola Tesla was born at midnight during a thunder storm. Inside the theater the electricity was as vibrant as the topic of the show. Not a seat was to be found in the packed theater – not even standing room was left available. They were not to be disappointed.

For much of the play there are actually two Nikola Teslas onstage. Jack Dimich plays the older Tesla living out the end of his life in the Hotel New Yorker, ruminating over his inability to offer a particle beam to stop Hitler’s assaults on Yugoslavia. As Tesla chats with bellhop Luka (played by Luka Mijatovic), whom he has enlisted to feed his pigeons, he is joined by his younger self, who relives the glory days of invention. Young Tesla, played enthusiastically by James Lee Taylor, stars throughout as he meets his idol (and then rival) Thomas Edison, cavorts with Mark Twain, sees his dreams come true with the backing of George Westinghouse, and then sees those dreams dashed by J.P. Morgan.

TESLA cast

TESLA cast (Photo by Sam Mason, Tesla Science Foundation)

Alessandro Colla gives spirited performances both as Westinghouse and Twain. Adam Pagdon brings to life J.P. Morgan in a way that makes you both respect and despise the man who financed, then rejected, Tesla’s Wardenclyffe plans. Tom Cappadona is simply stellar as Thomas Edison, the self-made businessman whose investment in direct current leads him to encourage the electrocution of puppies and people to show the dangers of Tesla’s alternating current. Samantha Slater does double duty playing Katherine Johnson, the wife of Tesla’s friend and supporter Robert Underwood Johnson, as well as Mary, Edison’s enthusiastically social-climbing wife.

Despite the seriousness of the storyline, writer Sheri Graubert has expertly woven comic relief into the play. The most appreciated example is the recurring interludes by Guglielmo Marconi, “inventor of the raaadio.” Played magnificently by Jeff Solomon, you could hear the sound of the audience rising to a smile each time Marconi struts onto the stage. His performance was truly a gem. With her ability to switch back and forth between levity and gravity, Graubert has written an excellent play, well played.

Any review of TESLA would be remiss without acknowledging the superb direction of Sanja Bestic. Balancing two Teslas and host of other actors onstage, along with periodic video shots (by Maria Riboli) to set up and emphasize key characters and concepts, could not have been an easy task. Yet Bestic deftly turns the world of the enigmatic inventor into something we can all understand and appreciate.

Overall I was tremendously impressed with the quality of the acting, writing, and direction. The sold out opening night, including the pack of press passes sitting directly in front of me, rose organically and enthusiastically to give the bowing cast a standing ovation. It was well deserved.

TESLA ran through June 8th, 2013 at Theatre 80, St. Mark’s Place, New York. The run was sold out to standing only crowds. It was worth it.

David J. Kent is the author Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World, plus two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His latest book is Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. 

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

[Daily Post]

 

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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!

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Recap of CPRC-SETAC 2013 Annual Spring Meeting

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CPRC logoThe air was chillier than expected, but that didn’t slow down the 55 scientists who gathered at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC) on Earth Day. The occasion was the annual spring meeting of the Chesapeake Potomac Regional Chapter (CPRC) of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). Science Traveler is a proud sponsor of CPRC.

Day one was a free optional day made available for CPRC members and their families to take advantage of the varied wildlife habitats at CBEC. A small group of us met in the early morning of April 21st for a guided bird walk led by Dave Palmer of Wildlife International. Dave’s knowledge of the local birds was amazing as he often identified them from their calls long before they came into sight. In the two hours or so walk through marshland, forest, and around the lake, we saw several dozen different kinds of birds, including nesting owls and ospreys. In the afternoon several members boarded kayaks for a closer look at the habitats and birds.

CPRC birdwalk

Day two was the meat of the meeting. Fifteen speakers presented their research and entertained questions. Vicki Paulus gave us some insights into the activities at CBEC, followed by an update on SETAC activities by long-time CPRC member and immediate past-president of SETAC-North America, Barnett Rattner. Our keynote speaker was Tim Wheeler, environmental reporter for The Baltimore Sun, who gave us a history of the 30-year fight to save the Chesapeake Bay.

Tim Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun

Tim Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun

I’m happy to say that we had a wonderful showing of students at the meeting. In addition to the platform presenters we had several posters that stood prominently on easels in the meeting hall. Five of these students won CPRC presentation awards –  more on those in a future post.

CPRC annual spring meeting 2013

I’m also very happy to see the engagement of participants at the meeting. The question and answer portions of each talk were often quite lively, with some speakers holding court during the breaks to answer questions that overflowed the allotted time. Even more impressive was the number of people who participated in the “Open Board” meeting during the lunch break. The interest level for doing even more during the rest of the year was very high, as illustrated by the number of people who volunteered for open officer positions, student representative to the Board, and the steering committee to plan the 2014 spring meeting. [Note to all – the Board met last week and will be scheduling elections and follow up meetings shortly]

We wrapped up our Earth Day meeting with a reception that included some amazing food (I was partial to the shrimp), not to mention wine and beer. Thanks to all who attended. Thanks also to Vicki and Judy at CBEC for making available the facility and Casual Caterers for catering everything from breakfast through the reception.

CPRC Board et al.

CPRC Board et al. (Photo courtesy of Dan Lavoie)

And finally, as the current President of CPRC, I would like to formally thank everyone on the Board and Steering Committee who made this all happen. The work you all put into this meeting was outstanding.

More from the meeting will be posted on the ever-expanding CPRC website.

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Attendance at the American Society of Journalists and Authors Conference

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David J. KentLast weekend (April 25-27) I attended the annual conference of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). I’m not a member, yet, but plan to be as soon as I meet the strict eligibility requirements for this professional society. My book, Tesla: Wizard of Electricity, is one credit towards being eligible, and I’m working on others.

Three-and-a-half hours on Amtrak and a 1.25 mile trek through Manhattan (with laptop and garment bags heavily strapped to my shoulders) brought me to the Roosevelt Hotel, the “Grand Dame of Madison Avenue.” I arrived just in time for the awards ceremony, where ASJA honors their own for excellence in writing, including Wendee Nicole for science writing.

As a first-timer I picked a range of sessions to get my feet wet. I started with “Building Your Business Through Travel Blogging.” As readers of this site will no doubt have guessed, one of my passions is to travel, so I must admit to being envious of the panel members who get paid to travel and write about their experiences. I was especially intrigued by Patricia Serrano, whose unique blend of travel writing and film-making is summed up well in her Fresh Traveler blog’s tag line – “off the beaten path adventures for a fresh mind, body and spirit.”

Next up was “Covering Your Assets: Personal Finance for the Independent Writer,” where I learned about retirement plans, insurance, and why you should NOT quit your day job. Then on to luncheon with featured speaker A.J. Jacobs. Jacobs is the author of three best-selling memoirs that include reading the entire 32-volume Encyclopedia Britannica, living a year by the rules of the Bible (Old Testament!), and his latest, Drop Dead Healthy. In short, Jacobs was both hilarious and helpful as he offered some great advice to writers. But Jacobs wasn’t the only person at the luncheon that gave out good advice – I had the pleasure of chatting with David Volk, an ASJA member and author of The Cheap Bastard’s Guide to Seattle. David was the one who reminded me to get photos of my meeting with the cast of the off-Broadway play, Tesla.

After lunch I couldn’t resist a session called “Spice Up Your Storytelling with Statistics.” Led by Laura Laing, author of Math for Grownups and the forthcoming Math for Writers, the session showed how statistics can help bring out the meat of the story. She also showed how not to use statistics, like pie charts of types of pies that total up to over 200%. The chart was confusing if not delicious. Next up was “Humanizing Esoterica: Turn Complex Ideas Into Great Stories,” by the inimitably named pairing of Barry Burd and Patchen Barss. Both of these afternoon sessions fit into my overall vision of communicating science in a way that is understandable and interesting to the general public.

But wait, there’s more.

As a winner of an ASJA scholarship to attend the event, I also had the chance to sit down for a mentoring session with an established author. I was privileged to spend a half hour with Tim Harper, author of 12 books as well as a freelance writer, writing coach, editorial consultant, and in his spare time, brainchild behind a new publishing venture at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. Tim provided some valuable insight for putting together a proposal for my new book on Abraham Lincoln’s love of science and technology.

And that was just day one. A good place to stop. More on the second day in a later post.

More about ASJA.

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Abraham Lincoln Dies – April 15, 1865

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Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln died today. Well, 148 150 years ago today. He was shot by John Wilkes Booth while Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln were in Ford’s Theatre watching the comedic play, Our American Cousin. It was April 14th, 1865. Good Friday. He was carried across the street to the Petersen House where he died the next morning, April 15, at 7:22 am. “Now he belongs to the ages,” spoke Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, before engaging in a 12-day chase that ended with the death of the assassin.

Abraham Lincoln's box Ford's Theatre

All of this is the stuff of history, well known to most everyone. Less well known are some of the fascinating details. For example, as the crowd at the theater slowly came to realize what had happened a cry rang out “Is there a surgeon in the house?” There was, Dr. Charles A. Leale, a recent graduate of Bellevue Hospital Medical College and commissioned as assistant surgeon only six days previously. As luck would have it, Leale was seated in the dress circle of Ford’s Theater that night, mere steps from Lincoln’s box. His quick action likely prolonged Lincoln’s life by several hours, though he couldn’t save him from his ultimate fate. Leale’s clinical report gives us a detailed record of the event.

The gun used by Booth was a Philadelphia deringer, a small large-bore pistol fired by loading a percussion cap, some black gunpowder, and a lead ball. Since it can only fire a single shot without reloading, Booth dropped the gun on the floor of the box, slashed Major Henry Rathbone with a large knife, then leaped to the stage. The gun now is on display in the museum of Ford’s Theatre.

John Wilkes Booth derringer

Into trivia? Here’s something with which you impress your friends. Deringers were made with “rifling,” that is, grooves in the barrel to spin the ball. Unlike most derringers where the rifling creates a clockwise twist, the one used by Booth had rifling that turned counterclockwise. No matter what the twist, the rifling is designed to improve accuracy by creating a more predictable flight of the ball or bullet. Needless to say the direction of rifling was a moot point since Booth shot Lincoln at very close range.

Ah, but what happened to the lead ball? Well, it now sits in a glass case at the National Museum of Health and Medicine in Silver Spring, Maryland. Along with it are several skull fragments, just in case you’re into “morbid oddities.”

There is much more to come on the science of Abraham Lincoln. Stay tuned!

More about Abraham Lincoln.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over thirty years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time. He is currently writing a book on Thomas Edison.

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More details about Tesla: Wizard of Electricity book release

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Tesla: Wizard of ElectricityI mentioned a week or so ago that Tesla: Wizard of Electricity is scheduled to be published on June 30, 2013. The book is currently being printed and will be in the warehouse by June 20th. I can now share some additional details about the publishing process. [By the way, click on the book image (left) to get to my Facebook author’s page.]

  • The initial print run will be 10,000 books. This is considered a large printing for a non-fiction book but if it sells well – which I very much hope and expect it will – we could actually have to go to a second printing. [Hint: Get your First Edition while they last.] Interest in the man, his inventions, and his Wardenclyffe lab has been skyrocketing as of late. And with the Tesla Science Foundation expanding its plans, clearly this is a great time for Nikola Tesla.
  • Tesla: Wizard of Electricity is visually pleasing. It is jam-packed with many photographs of him and his experiments, some historical and some never-before-seen. The interior is in full color and includes sidebars and pull-out quotes to make it both interesting and informative for all readers. A foil treatment on the cover should make it stand out on bookstore shelves (and your shelves at home).
  • Because Sterling Publishing is a subsidiary of Barnes & Noble the book will be “on a promotion.” That means it will be placed prominently near the front of each of B&N’s 700 stores. That means high traffic and great visibility.

I’ll also have some books in my personal possession for book signings and presentation events. See my Tesla Events and Speaking Engagements page for more information on where you can find me.

So how much do people know about Nikola Tesla? Well, if you extrapolate from the video below the answer might unfortunately be, well, not as much as you might expect. I hope to change all that by bringing Tesla to the people with Tesla: Wizard of Electricity.

More on Tesla: Wizard of Electricity.

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