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Update on Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity

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Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and David J. KentA short update on Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. In a word, woo hoo! (Hmm, that might be two words, but you get the picture.)

Because of the great support by all of you, sales of the book have been brisk. After an amazing first week in Barnes and Noble stores we were happy to see that the second week sold nearly double that amount. Add in online sales, ebooks, and the signed books people have ordered directly from me and everyone is feeling pretty good right now.

The book has done so well that the publisher is contemplating the idea of ordering a second printing. The fact that they are even thinking about another printing after only two weeks in the stores is a great sign. Especially since the first printing was a bigger order than most non-fiction books get these days.

Meanwhile, reviews are slowly being added to Goodreads and the Barnes and Noble website. If you’ve read the book, or plan to, please help others decide by writing a short review and giving it a (hopefully 5 star) rating. If you’re not the review-writer type, no problem, you can still rate it without a review. So far the reviews have been very positive.

Other things going on? Well, I’ll have the cover story in WIRE magazine coming out shortly, will have a prominent spot in the next issue of Tesla magazine, and Thursday there should be a profile article in my hometown newspaper. This weekend I will also be doing a book signing in an exclusive invitation-only event in northern Virginia. Busy days, these.

While they last you can buy the book at your local Barnes and Noble store. Or order Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity on BarnesandNoble.com, and either as hardcover or Nook ebook. And if you want a signed copy you can order it directly from me.

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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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Tesla Shrugged? Was John Galt Based on Nikola Tesla?

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Nikola TeslaWho was John Galt? A particularly interesting idea is that Ayn Rand’s fictional character from Atlas Shrugged was at least partially patterned after Nikola Tesla. After all, Galt had studied physics and became an engineer, then designed a “revolutionary new motor powered by ambient static electricity.” Galt became frustrated when the company he worked at embraced collectivism and he walked out, leaving his new motor behind.

This story plays well with Nikola Tesla’s actual history, at least when it is infused with some speculation that perhaps extends well beyond actual fact. Tesla obviously studied physics and became an electrical engineer. He designed a revolutionary new motor powered by alternating current and experimented with electrostatic electricity. And like Galt, Tesla became frustrated with the corporatism of working for Edison.

Rand even alludes to Tesla coils—“It was the coil that I noticed first…Those men, long ago, tried to invent a motor that would draw static electricity from the atmosphere, convert it and create its own power as it went along.” While there are clear departures from Tesla in the Galt character, these changes are certainly within the normal realm of creative writing. Atlas Shrugged is, after all, a novel.

The key to the thread is that John Galt, like Nikola Tesla, was interested in the production of what effectively would be “free energy.” Virtually all costs associated with electrical power generation, transmission, and use would be eliminated. Tesla had discovered what he called “terrestrial stationary waves” in his laboratory in Colorado Springs. The Earth could transmit power—acting as a conductor that would be as responsive, and controllable, as a tuning fork. With this knowledge Tesla was able to light two hundred lamps without the use of wires. Returning to New York, Tesla planned to develop not only wireless communication in his new facility at Wardenclyffe, but wireless power freely distributed to all through the Earth’s surface.

With this as a base, the John Galt connection—creating free energy from static electricity—is sometimes extended to include Wilhelm Reich. Reich claimed to have discovered what he called “orgone,” which was a physical energy contained in all living matter as well as in the atmosphere. He believed that this orgone could generate “free, useable energy.” Galt, Reich, and Tesla all discovered “free energy.” So where is it? Why do we have to pay the electrical utility for our power and wait for them to get power back on after a storm? Well, according to the conspiracy theorist, it is because the few people with political and corporate power do not want the rest of us to take away their profits by having access to energy that is “free.”

What do you think?

[Adapted from Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity]

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.

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

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Reviews are in for Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity

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Tesla: The Wizard of ElectricityTesla: The Wizard of Electricity is finally in Barnes and Noble stores this week (I saw actual books on the shelves!). Books are also being shipped out to those who ordered through barnesandnoble.com or directly from me (for signed copies). And now reviews of the book are beginning to be posted.

A few highlights taken from reviews at Goodreads:

From Chuck Larlham (Author of The Old Man and Me: Extraordinary Stories of an Ordinary Childhood Post WWII, a memoir to be released September 19th under the name R.C. Larlham):

“I enjoyed this biography of Nikola Tesla immensely.”

“In this book, David Kent takes an easy reading style of writing to the mysteries that were Nikola Tesla, making for a truly fascinating read. In the process he humanizes the man who many of his own day, and in his own profession, dismissed as beyond eccentric, but a man who was also capable of astoundingly original inventive genius.”

“I enjoyed the book no end, and I really had no interest in Tesla until I read it. But I found it (and him) fascinating.” (via private message)

From Esa Ruoho (http://www.lackluster.org/):

“Oodles and oodles of images. Quite a decent compilation / reorganisational effort by the author…”

“Beautiful and attractive design, quick to read, good biography to start with…Nice selection of quotes from Tesla’s articles, footnotes-galore…”

“Some of the chapters detailing Tesla as a pop-culture phenomenon were quite informative, and it is good to see that the cult of Tesla (the conspiracy theories, Tesla as a venusian ET alien) were discussed head-on and without flinching.”

From Ru Sun, PhD, Statistician

“A great book!”

“This book does a wonderful job of introducing this eccentric genius to the general public – his upbringing and talents, his ideas and inventions, his unique and weird personality, his life from start to finish.”

“I can say without hesitation that Nikola Tesla, brought alive by this book, will inspire followers from all over the world for many years to come.”

Look back at other snippets from reviews. So far the reviews have been very positive. If you’ve read the book, please take a few minutes to write your thoughts at barnesandnoble.com, Goodreads, and anywhere else you post book reviews.

Feel free to spread the word. Thank you all for your support and happy reading!

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

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Nikola Tesla and me at Barnes and Noble

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

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

Barnes and Noble DC 23July2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Order Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity now!

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Book Review – What Lincoln Believed by Michael Lind

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

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

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

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

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

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Tesla books have finally arrived!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Nikola Tesla All Week Long

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

Clam Box

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

Old friends

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

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

Tesla Magazine, first issue July 2013

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

David J. Kent - Tesla Days 2013

Tesla Days 2013 (Photo courtesy of Betsy Driebeek)

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

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

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

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Tesla Books are Shipping!

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

Initial feedback from first-readers:

“Very easy to read and a great story.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Mano Divina and the Divine Hand

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

Mano Divina

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

Order Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity now!

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