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Book Review – Tesla’s Signal by L. Woodswalker

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Tesla's SignalAs a writer it’s always interesting to read other people’s writing, especially when they are people I know. Of course, interesting could mean either good or bad depending on the quality of the writing, but it seems I’ve been lucky because the books I’ve read by friends and acquaintances have been wonderful. That includes works by Thomas Waite, R.C. (Chuck) Larlham, Sam Hawksworth, and the many Abraham Lincoln scholars I’ve met.

The most recent is L. Woodswalker, author of Tesla’s Signal. I first met Laura at a Tesla Memorial Conference at the New Yorker Hotel and then at subsequent Tesla events, including this one at the Chester County Library (Laura is in the second photo, another Tesla author Howard Lipman is in the third photo). I was presenting my book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (now with 50,000 in print) and Laura mentioned that she was working on a science fiction novel based on Tesla’s life. That book came out this past month and I had the privilege of being one of the first to read it. Here’s my review as posted on Goodreads and Amazon:

Marvelous science fiction. L. Woodswalker authors a cleverly written exploration of alien invasion that masterly weaves real history with fantasy and surreality in a series of intricately woven story lines. Those who are familiar with Nikola Tesla will recognize the deft intertwining of Tesla’s real inventions, quirks, and personality traits with extrapolations to what they have become in the minds of many a Tesla aficionado. Those unfamiliar with Tesla will still find themselves rabidly engaged in the requisite alien races, the fight between good and evil, and some surprising romantic tension spliced into exciting action. All together here are the makings of a great SF novel. Well done!

I should note that I’ve been a scientist for my entire life and grew up as an avid science fiction and science fantasy fan. The focus of my own published writing means I read a lot more non-fiction these days, but I was happily surprised at how much I liked this book. The writing is tight and the blending of Tesla’s reality and fantasy is exceptional.

If you like Tesla, this will be a fun read. If you like alien beings, this will be a fun read. And even if you’ve never heard of Tesla and never met an alien being, it will still be a fun read. Find it on Amazon.com.

Meanwhile, I managed to meet my writing goal for my forthcoming book on Thomas Edison, so I’m comfortable taking some time off to go science traveling. More on that in my next post.

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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First There was Tesla, Now There is Edison – The Chapter Outline

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Tesla vs Edison cartoonFirst I wrote a book on Nikola Tesla called Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. And now a book on Thomas Edison called Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World. Both are published Fall River Press, an imprint of Sterling Publishing.

Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World is scheduled to be in Barnes and Noble stores in 2016. The manuscript has been accepted by publisher and is now in the design stage getting ready for the printer. And that means it’s time for a preview!

The Edison book will be in the same style as Tesla, with tons of photos, stories, and graphic art. Tesla was such a success that Sterling is making Edison the next book in what they hope to be a series. I can live with that. 🙂  Also like Tesla, Edison is written such that it appeals to a wide-ranging audience.

Here’s an outline of the chapter coverage:

Prologue 

A brief story of interest providing insight into Thomas Edison’s life, along with a short overview of his career and contributions to society. 

Chapter 1: Birth of an Inventor 

The first chapter describes Edison’s birth and family life growing up in Ohio. We’ll explore how his father and mother influenced his early schooling – or lack thereof – and how he exhibited a precocious and inventive nature even at an early age. The chapter takes us through his coming of age and early work on the Grand Trunk Railroad as a “news butch,” a job that turned out to be much more adventurous for Edison than for most teenage boys. His early career as a telegraph operator gives us insight into his future. 

Chapter 2: A Better Telegraph: The Beginnings of Invention 

Tireless energy leads from telegraph operator to dozens of patents improving telegraphs, and signals the beginning of Edison’s inventive career. Resigning from Western Union to focus on becoming a full time independent inventor at the tender age of 22, Edison quickly makes a name for himself as a reliable and innovative external R&D department for the big companies of the day. Along the way he invents a stock ticker and a vote counting machine – his first patent – before stumbling upon the invention that made him a celebrity. 

Chapter 3: Inventing the Art of Invention 

One of Edison’s greatest contributions may have been the development of the state-of-the-art invention factory. First at Menlo Park, where he gained his epithet “The Wizard of Menlo Park,” and then for much longer at his lab in West Orange, New Jersey (not to mention Fort Myers, Florida and Schenectady, New York), Edison created a new way of bringing together skilled artisans and technicians focused on developing new products.  

Chapter 4: Of Phonographs and Celebrity 

While working late at night on an improved telegraph, Edison almost accidentally discovers the phonograph. This chapter takes us through the development process, the instant celebrity, and then the long decade of inaction that let others get ahead of him. It provides some insight into how he worked, and why he sometimes held himself back. One such quirk – his insistence that he alone could determine what people could see and hear despite his own profound deafness. 

Chapter 5: Not Always at Work – Edison’s Family and Friends 

Edison had a reputation of working 18 hours a day, but he was also a family man that fathered six children. This chapter examines his work/family balance (or lack thereof), his relationships with his wives and children, and some of his famous friends like Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and U.S. Presidents. 

Chapter 6: Building a Better Lightbulb 

This chapter examines Edison’s most iconic invention, the light bulb. Light bulbs existed already, but were insufficient for sustained indoor use. Edison and his team tested thousands of different filament materials to find the one that worked the best, then developed the entire direct current based system to put electric lighting in homes, businesses, and cities. We’ll look at his successes – and his failures – in accomplishing these goals both as stand-alone units and municipal utilities. 

Chapter 7: The War of the Currents 

Electrifying the world wasn’t accomplished overnight, and Edison had to fight many battles. First he battled the existing gas lighting system installed in virtually all edifices, then he battled the existing alternating current technology of arc lighting. He won those battles, but would go on to lose spectacularly in the final battle against the new polyphase alternating current systems of Westinghouse and Tesla. The chapter includes a look at how Edison was separated from General Electric, the company that formerly bore his name. 

Chapter 8: Edison the Movie Mogul 

While the phonograph made Edison famous despite its trials, the motion picture projector made him an icon of movie making despite Edison’s reluctance to develop it. The chapter looks at the process of developing motion pictures, the competition, and even some luck on Edison’s part, while also putting on display how Edison’s personality of control limited the success of this and other inventions.  

Chapter 9: A Man of Many Talents 

Edison was always looking at new avenues of invention, which often distracted him from fully maximizing the value of existing inventions. He threw himself (figuratively) into developing new ways to mine low-grade iron ore where others had failed, then when that didn’t work out, jumped to concrete building materials, then storage batteries for electric cars. He even experimented with X-rays until he almost blinded himself. Prior to and during World War I he took charge of a Naval Consulting Board for the government, evaluating and researching technological options for the war effort. Eventually he even tried to develop a domestic source of rubber for automobile and bicycle tires. 

Chapter 10: A Legacy Like No Other 

Despite many failed endeavors, Thomas A. Edison, Inc. became a brand that is still ubiquitous in our culture today. He received over 1000 patents, but most importantly changed how businesses viewed research and development. His methods of focused teamwork have become the standard today. And his name lives on. Hundreds of schools bear his name. He received awards, and medals are named after him. This chapter will sum up his amazing life, take a look at Edison in pop culture, and examine the work of organizations dedicated to carrying on his memory. 

Appendix: Timeline of key events in Edison’s life 

A summary of dates and events important in Edison’s life, including marriages, children, inventions, and critical conflicts with others that helped shaped his drive to compete.

If you liked Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, you’ll also like Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World. Stay tuned.

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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Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla – Connected by Fate

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Nikola TeslaAbraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky in 1809, lived in Indiana and Illinois, and was assassinated in Washington, DC in 1865 without ever having left the country. Nikola Tesla was born in 1856 of Serbian heritage in an Austro-Hungarian military outpost in land now part of Croatia. He moved to the United States decades after Lincoln’s assassination and lived for many years in New York City before dying in 1943. Their lives barely overlapped.

Or did they?

I’ve enjoyed a long career as a scientist, during which time I’ve also diligently studied Abraham Lincoln. In 2013 I wrote a book about Nikola Tesla that was published by Fall River Press, an imprint of Sterling Publishing in New York. Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity continues to be a great success, with multiple printings totaling 50,000 copies as of the publication of this e-book you’re reading now. This was followed in 2014 by an e-book, Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time, that explores in greater depth Tesla’s early interests and promotion of “energy from nature.” While researching both Tesla books I kept seeing unexpected connections between Tesla and Abraham Lincoln. Intrigued, I began a list of separate connections that kept growing beyond my expectations. How could this be?

In fact, it turns out there are surprisingly many connections between these two men. While they understandably never met, their interests and circles of friends and colleagues greatly overlapped. The concept was so intriguing that I put together an e-book exploring many of these connections – friends, acquaintances, professions, and fate. The e-book will be available on Amazon by early summer. I hope you’ll find it as interesting to read as I did to write.

Given Lincoln’s interest in science and technology and Tesla’s life as an inventor, these connections begin with science. But they don’t stop there. Connections between Lincoln and Tesla also exist in the arts, the environment, a great World’s Fair, and yes, even in the assassination of one of our greatest presidents.

So check out Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla – Connected by Fate. While you’re waiting, check out my previous e-book, Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time on Amazon.com. [If you’ve read it already, please leave a ranking on Goodreads and Amazon]

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, Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, is scheduled for release in summer 2017.

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Nikola Tesla Day and Spirit Awards – April 9, 2015

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April 9, 2015 is the date for a special Nikola Tesla Day at the Tacony Academy Charter School in Philadelphia. The school’s Principal and CEO, Ashley Redfearn, has been actively collaborating with Tesla Science Foundation President Nikola Lonchar and many others to develop a curriculum so that Nikola Tesla can be taught in schools.

Tesla Day

My book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, will play a prominent role in the festivities as copies will be handed out as gifts to teachers who are receiving the Tesla Spirit Awards. Many thanks to the Tesla Science Foundation for organizing the event.

Tesla Day

There are several supporters who will give demonstrations, including author PanOrpheus (Howard Lipman), theremin player Mano Divina, and digital artist Brian Yetzer. I’ll miss the event in person due to other commitments, but will be there in spirit. And in books!

And for those who want to get up close and personal with Tesla automobiles, Tesla Motors will be there too.

Tesla Day 9April2015_p3

It’s been an honor to be associated with such hard working professionals. So if you’re in the Philadelphia area tonight be sure to check out the event. Even if you can’t make it, please consider supporting the efforts of a great many people to bring the work of Nikola Tesla to school curricula all over the country. For more information contact the Tacony Academy Charter School or Ashley Redfearn.

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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A Booth (and friend of Tesla) Saves a Lincoln’s Life

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Robert Todd LincolnYes, you read that right; a Booth saved a Lincoln’s life. In my e-book, Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate, I’ve been amazed at how many interesting connections there are between the two men. There are two that relate Tesla to Lincoln through Robert Todd Lincoln.

In a 1909 letter to Richard Watson Gilder, editor of The Century Magazine (the same magazine that had first published the Nicolay and Hay’s series on Abraham Lincoln’s life), Robert Todd Lincoln recalled an incident that occurred in late 1864 or early 1865. John Wilkes Booth had assassinated Robert’s father only months before.

“The incident occurred while a group of passengers were late at night purchasing their sleeping car places from the conductor who stood on the station platform at the entrance of the car. The platform was about the height of the car floor, and there was of course a narrow space between the platform and the car body. There was some crowding, and I happened to be pressed by it against the car body while waiting my turn. In this situation the train began to move, and by the motion I was twisted off my feet, and had dropped somewhat, with feet downward, into the open space, and was personally helpless, when my coat collar was vigorously seized and I was quickly pulled up and out to a secure footing on the platform. Upon turning to thank my rescuer I saw it was Edwin Booth, whose face was of course well known to me, and I expressed my gratitude to him, and in doing so, called him by name.”

Several months after the incident, Robert mentioned it to Adam Badeau, a fellow officer on General Ulysses S. Grant’s staff. That officer just happened to be a friend of Edwin Booth’s and sent off a letter to Booth complimenting him on his heroism. Up until that point, Edwin Booth hadn’t been aware that the man he had saved was the son of the man his brother had assassinated.

After a successful acting career, most notably for his signature role as Hamlet (Abraham Lincoln was also a big fan of Shakespeare), Edwin Booth went on to start The Player’s, a social club in New York City. Nikola Tesla often hung out at The Player’s with friends Mark Twain and various actors of the day.

By the way, it was this same Adam Badeau who edited the memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, and it was Mark Twain, friends with Nikola Tesla, who published them.

I’ll save the other connection through Robert for later, but it’s a big one you won’t want to miss.

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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Barnes & Noble Stock Skyrockets on Big Tesla and Edison News

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Wow. I knew Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison were good for business (in their own ways), but who would have expected that my big Tesla and Edison news would cause Barnes & Noble stock to skyrocket yesterday (February 26, 2015). Here’s the proof:

Barnes & Noble stock rise

Since you might not see the immediate connection, let me explain. As most people know I wrote a book called Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (plus another Tesla ebook on his interest in renewable energy). The book is published by Fall River Press, an imprint of Sterling Publishing, and Sterling is a wholly-owned subsidiary of none other than Barnes & Noble!

This week the third printing of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity finally made it back on the shelves at Barnes & Noble stores (and also available online). As the graph above shows, Barnes & Noble stock value instantly shot up. 🙂

But there was an Edison connection too. Yesterday I signed the contract with Sterling Publishing to write a book on Thomas Edison (tentatively called EDISON!). And before the ink was dry Barnes & Noble stock value had soared to a new 52-week high!

See, a direct correlation between my big Tesla and Edison news and the skyrocketing stock price for Barnes & Noble! It couldn’t be any clearer.

Okay, the sudden rise in stock might have also been influenced by a little announcement that Barnes & Noble is spinning off its college bookstore business and holding tight to its Nook business unit. Yeah, those might have had a teeny influence on the stock price, but I prefer to think that my Tesla and Edison news was the driving factor in the big stock gain.

Hey, let’s just say I see the glass half full. 🙂

Meanwhile, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity has been a great success and I’m diligently typing away on my next big book – EDISON! Tesla is in Barnes & Noble now (make sure to get one soon because they sell out quick); Edison will be in Barnes & Noble stores in 2016.

It’s a good life.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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Tesla vs Edison – Round Two (The Big Announcement)

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Tesla vs Edison cartoonThose following this page know that I wrote a biography of famed Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla in 2013. Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity has gone on to become a great success. In fact, the third printing is due in Barnes and Noble stores this month (February 2015), which will help reach even more tens of thousands of people.

Every Tesla fan knows that he and Thomas Edison had a love/hate relationship. Initially colleagues and friends, they became rivals as Tesla hooked up with George Westinghouse to advance alternating current (AC) while Edison was deeply invested in direct current (DC). The chapter “A Man Always at War” in my Tesla book is filled with stories about the war of the currents.

Now it’s time for the another perspective.

I am happy to announce that Fall River Press, the imprint of Sterling Publishing that published Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, has asked me to write a similarly styled book on none other than Thomas Edison!

Yes, that Thomas Edison.

Current wars

Edison, of course, was well established as an inventor before Tesla arrived in New York. The new book will examine Edison’s life, his successful inventions, his failures, and his perspective on the war of the currents. The book will also delve into Edison’s invention factories in Menlo Park and West Orange, New Jersey, as well as his friendships – and rivalries – with some of the great personages of the time. The intent is to show Edison’s trials and tribulations as well as his triumphs.

Previous biographies of Edison have given Nikola Tesla very little mention. My book on Edison will bring Tesla into the picture where appropriate.

I’ll be working on the book this year and Fall River Press is planning to release it some time in 2016. I’ll update as soon as I have a more concrete schedule.

As I work on the book I can’t help but envision actor Tom Cappadona as Thomas Edison. Cappadona played Edison in the 2013 off-Broadway play TESLA, the cast of which I had the privilege of visiting about a month before the play’s opening. As a guest of the director I got to see TESLA on opening night, where an overflow house gave a sustained and enthusiastic standing ovation at the end of the show. Tom Cappadona was superlative in the role of Thomas Edison, so it’s his face that inspires my writing of the great inventor. [He’s also my first choice to cover the title role in the highly unlikely event that the book becomes a Steven Spielberg film (hey, I can dream, right?).]

I’ll have more information as the book develops, but expect the same style as my Tesla book – snappy writing, great photos, and an interesting look at a complicated man.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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Nikola Tesla the Pop Icon

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Nikola Tesla has largely been ignored in the history books, but he has had a resurgence  in pop culture. This point was driven home this weekend when I received the following “must-have” item from my cousin Sue:

Tesla Pot Belly

Pot belly isn’t alone in embracing Nikola Tesla as a pop icon. There are bobble heads:

Tesla bobblehead

Incredibly cool artisan chairs:

Nikola Tesla Chair by Scott Mulcahey

Chair by Scott Mulcahey, Photograph by Charles Mulcahey

And even Tesla as a science fiction superhero:

Superhero Tesla

Tesla has been in the movies too. He was played by none other than rock legend David Bowie in the film, The Prestige (also starring some other actors you may have heard of – Hugh Jackman [Wolverine], Christian Bale [Batman], Scarlett Johansson [Lucy], and Michael Caine [perhaps every movie ever made]). You can even help support another movies that has done so much to protect and restore Wardenclyffe – Fragments from Olympus: The Vision of Nikola Tesla and its companion, Tower to the People.

Nikola TeslaThere are many other pop icon examples of Nikola Tesla as well. And you can help collect them. Post photos of Tesla as pop icon on my Facebook author page, or leave them in comments here or on my Fan Photos and Fun page, and I’ll post them!

Tesla in pop culture is also covered in my book, and I’m happy to announce that the 7th printing of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity is in Barnes and Noble stores this month. It’s companion, my e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time is available for direct download on Amazon.

For counterpoint, check out my book on Thomas Edison, in which I give Tesla his rightful due. Meanwhile, check out the latest from Tesla Takes Manhattan.

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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Tesla Takes Manhattan – 3rd Annual Tesla Memorial Conference

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On January 10th, just days beyond the 72nd anniversary of his death, Nikola Tesla again returned to the New Yorker Hotel in Manhattan for the 3rd Annual Tesla Memorial Conference. Sponsored by the Tesla Science Foundation, the conference this year focused on efforts to develop a curriculum so that students today can learn of this great inventor all to often left out of history books.

Kyle Driebeek

Kyle Driebeek holding up my book, photo courtesy of Betsy Driebeek

Due to a prior commitment I was unable to be present at this year’s event, but I’m happy to say that Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity made several appearances. Kyle and Julian Driebeek, the intrepid young men bringing Nikola Tesla to a new generation of fans, emphasized the importance of library donations. Both have donated copies of my book to school libraries, and encouraged others to do so as well. One of the most gratifying aspects of being an author is having your work endorsed by the addition of tens of thousands of new readers learning something new.

Dr. Ljubo Vujovic

Dr. Ljubo Vujovic, photo courtesy of Betsy Driebeek

Thanks to Nikola Lonchar and the Tesla Science Foundation, hard copies of my book were given as gifts to some of the presenters and to educators making the effort to bring Tesla into the classroom. Betsy Driebeek, Julian and Kyle’s mother, was nice enough to donate an extra copy of the book to none other than Dr. Ljubo Vujovic, President of the Tesla Memorial Society in New York.

Mano Divina

Mano Divina (and Sam Mason), photo from TSF

Tesla Awards were also given out at the conference. Among the recipients was Mano Divina, whose adept playing of the theremin, a Tesla-inspired electronic musical instrument, and group, the Divine Hand Ensemble, have entertained Tesla conferences and others for many years. Ashley Redfearn also received a well-deserved award for her tireless Tesla curriculum efforts. The top Tesla Spirit Award went to Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors, who recently pledged at least $1 million towards the rebuilding of Tesla’s Wardenclyffe laboratory on Long Island.

Those who missed the conference are in luck – the Tesla Science Foundation has been posting photos on their Facebook page and you can view all of the videos by Kevin Wood on his RememberTesla.com website.

Tesla bust, New Yorker Hotel

Tesla bust, TSF photo

Not to be forgotten is the Tesla bust dedication. Thanks to the Tesla Science Foundation, a bust of Nikola Tesla was permanently installed in the lobby of the New Yorker Hotel.

So 72 years after he lived his final days in the hotel, Nikola Tesla once again takes Manhattan.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over thirty years and is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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Tesla in 2014 and Beyond

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Nikola Tesla had another big year in 2014, and 2015 looks to continue that trend. To begin with, I bought a brick. Not just any brick, a Brick for Nik.

Brick for Nick Tesla

As part of its amazing rise from the ashes, Tesla’s Wardenclyffe laboratory has been busy raising funds to renovate the facility into a world-class science center and museum. Even Tesla Motors’ indefatigable CEO, Elon Musk, has committed at least $1 million to the effort. I can’t offer that much, but I have contributed a modest amount to the project, including my very own brick on the property.

Wardencliffe Brick Certificate

But 2014 was a big year for another reason – the second printing of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity hit Barnes and Noble stores in late July and sales were even better than last year. So good, in fact, that the publisher has a third printing scheduled for February 2015, bringing the total in print to over 50,000 (with hopefully more to come). Even more exciting is that the book has a chance to become an integral part of the proposed Tesla curriculum in schools. Many fans have bought extra copies of the book so they can have their book and eat donate it to libraries and schools too. Just last week I sent two dozen copies to the Tesla Science Foundation to be given out to teachers.

Tesla: The Wizard of ElectricityTesla Renewable Energy book cover 2b

July 2014 also saw the release of my new e-book on Amazon. Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time takes a closer look at Tesla’s support for “harnessing the power of nature” – wind, solar, hydroelectric, tides, thermoelectric, etc. – long before our present fascination. I also had a second article published in Tesla Magazine, this one based on the Renewable Energy book.

Signing books 1-11-14

Signing books at the Tesla Memorial Conference

Of course, 2014 started out with the big Tesla Memorial Conference at the New Yorker Hotel in NYC on January 11th. Not only did I meet up with all the great people bringing knowledge of Tesla to the world, but I also met Bono. Well, maybe. Either way it was a great event. Check out the 2015 conference coming in just a few weeks. Among other presentations I gave in 2014 was one close to my heart – and home. In July I gave my very first presentation in front of my parents, and did so at the famous Ipswich Museum in my hometown.

I also just missed making the cut for an on-air appearance for a TV series on the History Channel called “10 Things You Don’t Know About,” hosted by Henry Rollins. A producer for the show had called me and we discussed various story ideas. In the end I wasn’t one of the people selected for a five-minute segment, so my television/Hollywood career will have to wait until 2015. Maybe a Tesla screenplay?

And 2015 is already looking like another busy year in Science Traveling land. I’ll have more on 2015 plans in future posts. For now, Nikola Tesla and I wish everyone a very Tesla Christmas and an electrifying new year.

David J. Kent has been a scientist for over thirty years and is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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.