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Did Nikola Tesla Harness Energy from the Rain?

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Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its TimeNikola Tesla is well known for harnessing the power of Niagara Falls. But did he also figure out how to harness power from the rain? Whereas hydroelectric power is limited to areas with significant natural drops like Niagara or artificial drops like Hoover Dam, the rain falls everywhere.

So one of Tesla’s wilder ideas was to foresee getting electrical power from rainy days, an energy source he thought was essentially unlimited, at least in theory. He argued that the practical energy from rain would “represent over one-half a billion horsepower,” more than six times greater than the total horsepower that could be garnered from harnessing all of the waterfalls in the United States.

Did he succeed? Find out in Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time, now available as an e-book on Amazon.

If you were one of the more than 500 people who have already downloaded the book, please take a moment to leave a review or rating on Amazon and Goodreads. Doing so helps spread the word about Nikola Tesla to as many people as possible.

To leave a review on Amazon, go here.

To leave a review on Goodreads, go here.

In related news, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity is back in Barnes and Noble stores and is selling even faster than anyone anticipated – almost 5000 copies in less than three weeks! That’s half of the entire first print run that took six months to sell out. Get yours while you still can, either at Barnes and Noble stores, BN.com online, or Amazon.com. Or order a signed and inscribed copy directly from me.

Thanks again for reading about Nikola Tesla. And watch for the next book soon!

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Nikola Tesla and Abraham Lincoln – The World’s Fair Connection

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Though Nikola Tesla was born only nine years before the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and half a world apart, there nevertheless are an uncanny number of connections between the two great men. One of them involves a World’s Fair (two, actually).

Nikola Tesla’s first big break in the war of the currents with Thomas Edison was at the World’s Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. Up to this time Edison dominated the growing electricity business with his direct current (DC) systems. But DC had some severe limitations and Tesla favored his own alternating current (AC) system. Edison brutally protected his DC turf with a campaign to discredit AC, even supporting the development of the first electric chair to show how dangerous AC could be.

But Tesla had teamed up with George Westinghouse and the combination of Tesla’s AC system and Westinghouse’s business acumen allowed them to win the bidding to light up the Chicago World’s Fair – the first attempt to electrify at this scale. It was a huge success.

Chicago World's Fair 1893

The World’s Fair grounds were designed by some of the greatest architects of the time, including Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmstead. The canals, pools, and massive buildings – the White City – were tremendous, but the centerpiece was a 65-foot tall sculpture called the Statue of the Republic (nicknamed “Big Mary”). With its stone base it stood 111-feet high over the Grand Basin.

Lincoln Memorial

The connection to Abraham Lincoln? Well, “Big Mary” was designed by none other than Daniel Chester French. French, of course, went on to design the seated statue of Abraham Lincoln that dominates the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Interestingly, Daniel Burnham, the architect who supervised the design and building of the Chicago World’s Fair and who selected French to design “Big Mary,” was also on the Lincoln Commission tasked with designing a fitting memorial to our 16th President. Burnham strongly lobbied for another architect, Henry Bacon, to build the Lincoln Memorial. In fact, Bacon did design and build the Greek Doric temple that houses French’s famous statue and serves as one of the world’s most visited monuments.

Meanwhile, French’s original Statue of the Republic was destroyed by fire only two years after the fair ended. French was later commissioned to create a smaller version – only 24-feet high and gilded in bronze – for the 25th anniversary of the fair. Appropriately, it now stands on the site of the original World’s Fair Electricity Building, the place where Nikola Tesla first brought alternating current into the modern world.

Tesla exhibit 1893 World's Fair

Oh, there’s another World’s Fair connection between Nikola Tesla and Abraham Lincoln. I’ll talk about that in a later post. 🙂

David J. Kent is a lifelong Lincolnophile and is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and an ebook Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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Thanks for Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time

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A big thank you to everyone who downloaded a copy of Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time. There were over 500 downloads during this past week, which helped the e-book reach #1 in several Amazon categories. Thank you all for your support, both for this e-book and for Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (which is now back in Barnes and Noble stores this month).

Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its TimeAfter you read the e-book, please take a moment to leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads. Doing so helps spread the word about Nikola Tesla to as many people as possible.

To leave a review on Amazon, go here.

To leave a review on Goodreads, go here.

Tesla: The Wizard of ElectricityAnd while you’re at it, leave a review for Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads.

For Amazon

For Barnes and Noble

For Goodreads

Thanks again for reading about Nikola Tesla. And watch for the next book soon!

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Last Chance to Get E-book for Free – Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time

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Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its TimeToday is the last day you can download a free copy of my new e-book, “Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time” on Amazon.com. In thanks to all of the people who celebrate Nikola Tesla and have supported me over the last few years, I’m providing followers with the book for no cost during this limited period. After today you’ll have to purchase it.

Please leave me an honest review on Amazon.com and on Goodreads.com. Doing so helps spread the word about Tesla to as many people as possible.

Because of your support the Kindle e-book has been ranked as the #1 download for up to three categories on Amazon.

Kindle ranking #1

Tesla: The Wizard of ElectricityCoincident with the release of my e-book, my first book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity is back in Barnes and Noble stores this summer. It’s a perfect book for all audiences and makes a great Back to School book.  More information and another free book offer can be read here.

Thank you all for spreading the word about Tesla. Because of you and the work of many others, Nikola Tesla’s contributions to society are once again being recognized by the world.

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E-book Now Available – Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time

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Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its TimeAs promised, my new e-book, Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time, is now here. And for a limited time only, you can download yours at Amazon.com.

To thank all of those people who have supported my first Tesla book, supporters who view this web page or “Like” my Facebook Author’s Page will find a link to download the book from Amazon.com at the price of only $0.99. Feel free to share this link with Tesla fans everywhere.

I do ask one favor in return for the download – Please leave me an honest review on Amazon.com and on Goodreads.com. Doing so helps spread the word about Tesla to as many people as possible.

Tesla: The Wizard of ElectricityAnd that is just the beginning. My first book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity is back in Barnes and Noble stores this summer, just in time for Back to School purchase. Order online at BN.com, stop by your local BN bookstore, or order a signed copy directly from me. Many Tesla fans are buying extra copies to donate to their local public and school libraries. Like last time, the books are flying off the shelves so get them while they are available.

Want more? You got it. A fellow Tesla fan is offering a chance to win one of three free, signed, copies of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. Check out his Facebook page.

This is an exciting time for Nikola Tesla. After being ignored for many decades, his contributions to the modern world are once again being recognized. With the phenomenal help of Matthew Inman (The Oatmeal) and the tireless work of Nikola Lonchar (Tesla Science Foundation) and Jane Alcorn (Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe), Tesla’s last laboratory at Wardenclyffe is now in the process of becoming a world-class science museum. [BTW, Tesla Motors’ Elon Musk had committed $1 million towards the restoration. Have you bought your brick for Nik yet?]

And there is more to come.

David J. Kent is the author of 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. His next book, Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, is scheduled for release in summer 2017.

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Coming Soon! [UPDATE: Now Here] Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time

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July is such a great month. For starters, July 10th is Nikola Tesla’s birthday, which always results in an uptick in interest. This year we can add the release of the second printing of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, which is once again in Barnes and Noble stores nationwide and available on BarnesandNoble.com. And coming soon now available – Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

The new book will be out exclusively on Kindle e-book format later this month now. That means you can read it on your Kindle, Kindle Fire, or Kindle app for any of the popular smartphones and tablets (I read via Kindle app on my iPhone). Download the app for free, then download the e-book. When it comes out I’ll even tell you how you can get the e-book free too – for a limited time specifically to thank all of you, the people who have been supporting my first Tesla book and Nikola Tesla himself.

Want a sneak preview? Check out the opening page after the cover photo below.

Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time“My paramount desire today, which guides me in everything I do, is an ambition to harness the forces of nature for the service of mankind.” – Nikola Tesla

The active pursuit of renewable energy sources may seem like a new phenomenon. Only in the 1970s, as a result of the oil crisis and OPEC limitation of oil exports, did the modern world begin to seriously consider the widespread use of energy derived not from coal, oil, and natural gas, but from the sun, wind, and water. Unfortunately, this surge in interest was largely abandoned in the 1980s as the country redirected investment into the military as a means of “winning” the cold war. Now, with the 21st century upon us and with an emphatic understanding that fossil fuels are causing man-made global warming, we are seriously revisiting a shift to renewable energy. We lost over thirty years of renewable energy development, but even that delay pales in comparison when considering the first recognized need for renewable energy by a man named Nikola Tesla.

In fact, Tesla was into renewable energy long before it became cool to be into renewable energy. As the header quote indicates, Tesla had sought to harness the forces of nature for the good of mankind. And he was doing this a hundred years ago.

This volume will explore the motivations of Nikola Tesla and some of his contributions that predate our current efforts to harness the power of nature. The book is intended as an overview rather than a comprehensive treatise on renewable energy then or now. The primary goal is to show that Nikola Tesla, and others, were already seeing the need for renewable resources long before the current resurgence in interest. This e-book expands on a concept briefly addressed in my earlier book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity, published by Fall River Press (2013).

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There is much more that follows. I start by delving into his world-changing contribution to getting power from Niagara Falls…and then it really gets interesting. Tesla was a proponent of solar power, windmills, tidal energy, even getting power from the rain. He developed a system of geothermal energy. He claimed to have harnessed the power of cosmic rays and even the Earth itself. Tesla had all of these ideas when others were focused on energy from coal, oil, and gas – resources that Tesla said were wasteful, dirty, and finite.

He was definitely a man ahead of his time. Find out more in Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time. Coming soon! Available now!

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 at Barnes and Noble bookstores, as well as online at B&N.com and Amazon.com.

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Happy Birthday, Nikola Tesla! The Wizard of Electricity Lives Again

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Happy 158th birthday to Nikola Tesla. And just in time for his birthday is the release of a new printing of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. The hard copy book is once again available for order on BarnesandNoble.com (and BN.com). You can also download the e-book version for fast reading. Of course, if you want a signed first edition you can get it directly from me, personally signed and inscribed from me to you.

It’s been a great year for Nikola Tesla – books, movies, and a tremendous revival in interest have brought Tesla back into the public eye. The success of Tesla Motors has reminded people of Tesla’s great contributions to society. And Wardenclyffe is being renovated into a world class science center and museum. [Breaking news: Elon Musk has pledged a $1 million donation to Wardenclyffe. For more information, check out the Tesla Science Center at Wardenclyffe website.]

Ipswich Museum presentation

I’ve just returned from a very successful presentation at the Ipswich Museum (more on that soon). And besides being available online, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity will be back in Barnes and Noble stores later this month. Be sure to ask them at the counter if you don’t see it prominently displayed; they sell fast but the store may have more they can restock.

Tesla Renewable Energy book cover 2

Tesla: The Wizard of ElectricityComing out soon is my new e-book, Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time. For supporters of Tesla, this website, and any who “Likes” my Facebook page, I’ll show you how you can download the e-book for free during a limited introductory period.

Happy birthday, Nikola Tesla! May your memory live on just as your contributions to society live on – forever.

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!

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Tesla Goes to Ipswich, Is the Hammond Castle Next?

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Tesla and the authorNikola Tesla is on his way to Ipswich. It’s appropriate that Tesla makes a stop in northeastern Massachusetts as he once was a business colleague of John Hays Hammond, Jr., owner and builder of the famous Hammond Castle in Gloucester. More on that later.

Tesla (with a little help from yours truly) will be at the Ipswich Museum for a noontime brown bag lecture on Monday, July 7th. Check out the Museum website for directions and other information. I hope you’ll join us there. The plan is to keep the presentation light and lively. Stories highlighting Tesla’s rather interesting personality quirks, friendship with Mark Twain, and contributions to the spectacular Niagara Falls will be the focus. No dry technical stuff in this talk, so come on down for an hour of one of the most interesting men of the last century.

The Ipswich Museum is a beautiful location for the event. Built in 1795, the Heard House is an interesting mix of colonial architecture and furnishings with Asian art stemming from Augustine Heard’s forays into the China trade of the early 19th Century. Sitting across the street is the Whipple House, also part of the Museum, built in 1677. Spend the morning visiting the two houses, then join me for Tesla.

For those who are familiar with the area, the Hammond Castle is only about a half hour away. John Hays Hammond (the Senior) financed some of Nikola Tesla’s early inventions. In a manner of speaking, he collected inventors, inviting not only Tesla but Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and many other scientists of the day over for tea (or perhaps it was brandy). At one of these events his young son, John Hays Hammond, Jr., first met Tesla and was enthralled by Tesla’s invention of robotics back in the late 1890s. Eventually, Junior (whom we mostly know as Jack) would form a company with Tesla and begin his own career of invention. I’ll talk more about the Hammond/Tesla connection on July 7th.

If you’re in Ipswich (or can get there) on July 7th, please join me noontime at the Ipswich Museum. I’ll talk about Tesla and Hammond and Niagara Falls and pigeons (yes, pigeons), show some cool pictures, and hopefully be entertaining enough to get you out of the heat for an hour. I’ll have copies of my book Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity for sale and will tell you how to download my soon-to-be-released e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time – for free!

Please spread the word and plan to join Tesla and I in Ipswich on the 7th!

David J. Kent is an avid traveler and 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 at Barnes and Noble bookstores, as well as online at B&N.com and Amazon.com.

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Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time – Book Cover

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It’s almost Nikola Tesla’s birthday, and that means it’s almost time for the release of my new e-book on Tesla and his interest in renewable energy. I received an amazing number of suggestions for the title of the book, and now I’m looking for feedback on the preliminary book cover design.

Thanks to everyone who contributed their thoughts. After much consideration, I’ve narrowed the book title down to two options, both of which are amalgams of several of 30 or so ideas received. They capture both the name Nikola Tesla and the idea that he was ahead of his time envisioning how to harness “the power of nature.” The title options are:

1 – Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time

2- Nikola Tesla: New Perspectives on Renewable Energy

While I’m trying to decide on a final title I’m also working on the cover design. I wanted the cover to be bright and appealing, plus reflect in some way Tesla’s legacy of his first foray into what today we call renewable energy. What do you all think of this designs?

Tesla Renewable Energy book cover 2

Tesla Renewable Energy book cover 2b

The photo is of the Tesla statue on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, where Tesla’s alternating current designs enabled development of electrical power from the falling waters. I like the perspective of the shot…looking up his outstretched cane as he gazes out upon the power and energy of Horseshoe Falls.

So the dual question remains: which title, and what do you think of the cover design? Let me know in the comments or on my Facebook author’s page. If you haven’t already, “Like” my page so you can keep up to date on progress of the e-book and how to get a free download when it is released.

I’m looking forward to the feedback. Thanks everyone for all your support and assistance in renewing interest in Nikola Tesla. And don’t forget to check out all the other Tesla birthday events coming up in the next two weeks.

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 at Barnes and Noble bookstores, as well as online at B&N.com and Amazon.com.

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, Lincoln, and Beyond

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Signing books 1-11-14It’s been a busy weekend/week/month/year. On this site I write about Nikola Tesla, Abraham Lincoln, Travel, and Aquariums, but I also write on other sites and I’ll be adding more sites shortly.  At the same time I’ll be consolidating. Make sense? Keep watching this space for more information.

I’ll be writing more in-depth about these in future posts, but to give you a flavor of what is coming, check out these highlights:

  • Nikola Tesla: A new book, the reissue of the previous book, and some talks. I mentioned these in a previous post here. I’ll be holding a vote for the final title shortly, and another for the final cover. Sign up for my Facebook author’s page for details on how to get the ebook for free when it comes out.
  • Abraham Lincoln: This weekend was the first face-to-face meeting of the new officers for the Lincoln Group of DC (LGDC). As part of my new outreach and education duties we’ve set up LGDC pages on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. I’ll have a post on these shortly. We also have a gazillion (more or less) events scheduled for the near future. Check out the LGDC website for more information.
  • Travel: I’m way behind on planning the trip to Scandinavia, but the goal is to go to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Trips to Mt. Rushmore and Chicago/Springfield are also in the works (and also way behind schedule in planning). Before that I’ll be up in New England to visit the family and give a talk about Tesla at the Ipswich Museum.
  • Aquariums: So many more aquariums to write about. I have two more on my list to visit while in the Scandinavian countries noted above.
  • Writing: I’ve recently started free writing, that is, writing in response to prompts, contests, and for future use in memoir/fiction books. I recently submitted short pieces to two contests – one a science fiction article and the other a short memoir. To accommodate the free writing, as well as the diverse writing on Lincoln, Tesla, science, and other topics, I’ll be setting up separate blogs that will then be cross-posted back here.

There is much more going on as well. I’m being considered for a major award related to my work with the regional chapter of SETAC. A possible on-air segment on the History Channel is in discussions, as is a profile in a book about Tesla’s People (people building a curriculum about Nikola Tesla). Works in progress include the Abraham Lincoln book I’ve discussed previously plus a travel photo book and, of course, the soon to be released Tesla and Renewable energy ebook.

Add in a few major life events, some introspection, and the vagaries of nature, and there will be tons to talk about. One thing I have planned is a revamping of this website to highlight my multiple books and other writing; more informational articles on Tesla, Lincoln, science, and travel; and a new newsletter for my updated mailing list.

Stay tuned!

David J. Kent is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and a soon-to-be-released ebook on Tesla and Renewable Energy.