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Up Close and Personal – The Lincolnian Interview, Part 3 (The Final Part)

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Lincoln: The Fire of GeniusI was interviewed for the summer 2022 issue of The Lincolnian, the newsletter of the Lincoln Group of DC. This is Part 3, the final part. Here is Part 1 and Part 2. The focus was on my new book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius. The interviewer was Wendy Swanson, editor of The Lincolnian.

What’s next? Do you have plans/ideas for your next book?

I have several books in various stages of planning and writing. I’m currently scoping out a book version of my “Chasing Abraham Lincoln” blog series. The hope is to examine the soul of America through Lincoln.

And what’s next for the Lincoln Gp?  Any thoughts on future events?  What else do you want to accomplish during your presidency?

The Lincoln Group has a long history of promoting Lincoln scholarship and public education and modern communication options are helping us grow into a truly national organization. This coming year is the 160th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, so I expect us to address that in several ways. The Group will also build closer working relationships with other Lincoln organizations in the area plus the DC school system. The country needs to learn from Lincoln, and the Lincoln Group is best positioned to help guide that learning.

Anything else you wish to add on these topics?

I was thrilled that Sidney Blumenthal agreed to write the Foreword for my book. He wrote an article on Lincoln and technology while my book proposal was circulating publishers, and his foreword is perfect for introducing the book. I was equally excited that many of Lincoln scholarship’s most renowned experts wrote back cover blurbs for me, including Harold Holzer, Michael Burlingame, scientist-turned-historian Ed Steers, former National Academy of Sciences historian Marc Rothenberg, James Cornelius, and several others. That support and confidence is extremely encouraging as the book finally makes it into stores.

Release date for the book is September 1st, but it is already available for pre-order at Rowman & Littlefield’s website, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all other book outlets. It’s available as hardcover and e-book (Kindle and Nook), with hopefully a paperback to come out next year. I’ve also seen it listed by booksellers based on Canada, the UK/Europe, and Australia, so you can probably find it on shelves or online if you live in any predominantly English-speaking country worldwide. My earlier books were translated into multiple languages (Tesla even got translated into Czech), so I’m hopeful Lincoln: The Fire of Genius will be as well.

Not part of the interview, but I often get asked: What’s next?

Right now, I’m preparing for quite a few upcoming presentations, as you can see from the list on my Media page. That includes keynote speeches in January, February, March, and April of 2023. I’ve also started traveling again. I went to Iceland in early July and am scheduled for a trip to Tanzania right after Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, my editor has expressed interest in getting to work on my next book. And, of course, there are plenty of Lincoln Group of DC events coming up (with more to be added soon).

Finally, a reminder: If you’ve read Lincoln: The Fire of Genius and liked it, please leave ratings and reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and elsewhere (you can copy and paste the same review if you want). It helps more people learn about the book and is very much appreciated by all authors.

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius

 

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America was released on September 1, 2022.

The book is available for purchase at all bookseller outlets. Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Up Close and Personal – The Lincolnian Interview, Part 2

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Lincoln: The Fire of GeniusIn Part 1, I noted that I was interviewed for the summer 2022 issue of The Lincolnian, the newsletter of the Lincoln Group of DC. This is Part 2. The focus was on my new book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius. The interviewer was Wendy Swanson, editor of The Lincolnian. If you haven’t already, read Part 1 here.

What similarities does this book have with your prior work, Lincoln:  The Man Who Saved America?  And what are the differences? Did you focus on the same traits/characteristics of Lincoln here as in your previous Lincoln book or did you approach Lincoln a bit differently or see a different aspect of Lincoln the man?  

The Man Who Saved America was a general biography written for general audiences, with a graphics-oriented design to bring Lincoln’s life to a broad swath of Americans. The Fire of Genius focuses on bringing one aspect – the thread of science and technology through his life – to people who know Lincoln’s basic story already. Readers will see how much this thread helped drive Lincoln’s ambitions and place the nation on a path to modernity.

Does the book share similarities with your books on scientists/innovators (Tesla, Einstein)? How did you approach this one differently?

All my books are easy to read. Many Lincoln books are overly academic and don’t get wide readership. Like Lincoln, my goal is to make the science – and the history – accessible to the public. The book is full of deep scholarship for sure, but I present it such that people can get the most out of it without feeling like they are studying for the SAT exam.

Your first Lincoln book contained many images – will this book also?

No. The previous books were designed to appeal to those who might otherwise avoid reading biographies, including younger people drawn to rapid-fire visual cues. The text in The Fire of Genius does all the work – but it isn’t a chore to read. I use stories and anecdotes to bring the concepts to life. People will learn about science and history, but they won’t get bogged down in it.

Will you be signing copies at the September program?  At any other Lincoln related functions? Where else can we get the book? Who is the publisher?

I will have books on hand for me to personally inscribe. In addition to the September LGDC program I’ll be giving a talk at the Cosmos Club later that week. The LGDC talk will cover Lincoln’s scientific growth broadly while at the Cosmos I’ll focus more deeply on the Civil War aspects. I’ll be giving a third talk at the Arts Club focused on how art and technology blend together in Lincoln’s life. That means three completely different talks! For those who follow the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, I’ll be doing a virtual book signing with Daniel Weinberg on the release date of September 1st. The book will be available everywhere – Barnes and Noble, Amazon, independent bookstores, libraries, even Walmart. It will also be available at the Lincoln Forum bookshop in November. The publisher is Lyons Press, the trade imprint of Rowman & Littlefield.

Tell us a bit about your own background – and how your history interests, particularly that pertaining to Lincoln, and your scientific background intertwine.  What was the fire that first ignited your interest in Lincoln?  How did it take hold and grow?

My hometown billed itself as “The Birthplace of American Independence.” It was also a seacoast town where most people owned small boats and large clam rakes. So, science and history were always intertwined for me. While the science (and Jacques Cousteau) drew me into marine biology, then ecotoxicology, then regulatory consulting for my paying career, the history was always there in the background. Carl Sandburg and Jim Bishop got me hooked on Lincoln early while most in my town were focused on the Revolutionary War. I saw in Lincoln the same theme of honesty, integrity, and hard work that I was learning from my parents. I wanted to understand him more. One day about ten years ago I decided to flip the script and move the study of Lincoln to the front and do the science on the side. By that time, I had collected a thousand Lincoln books (that number is now about 1600). Given our recent history, the importance of Lincoln to today’s world can’t be overestimated.

We know you search out Lincoln sites/images when you travel.  Any recent sightings?  What sites are still on your bucket list?  Which are your favorite sites – and what did they tell you about Lincoln?  Any unexpected Lincolns?

I stopped a night in Hartford, CT in early June to check out a dozen new Lincoln-inspired statues along a riverfront park. I’ll be doing another road trip in August to visit other Lincoln-related New England sites. Probably next year I’ll road trip to see Lincoln statues in the central US.

The Lincoln Group just participated in a once-in-a-lifetime program on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  Your thoughts on that effort?  And your thoughts on reviewing the video after the fact.

Because I emceed, I didn’t get the full effect of the program until I watched the stellar C-SPAN video weeks later. The Lincoln Group of DC should feel immensely proud of the program we put together. As one person put it, “it was a sacred effort.”

Are you pleased with the message that program sent to attendees and viewers?

I’m happy that the program was both entertaining and of high substance. Rather than a simple paean to a great man and building, the speakers challenged the public to take responsibility for today’s continuing need to finish the nation’s unfinished business. Lincoln can guide us along that path. I think we did a public service as well as a re-dedication of the greater meaning of the Memorial has grown to encompass.

 

I’ll have the final bit of the interview in Part 3 to be posted shortly. Here’s Part 1 in case you missed it. The Lincolnian is the official quarterly newsletter of the Lincoln Group of DC. Lincolnian.org is the group’s website, so check it out. Membership is open to everyone who has an interest in Abraham Lincoln.

P.S. I was also interviewed by The Lincolnian in 2017 when my earlier book was released. You can read more about that book, Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Part 1 and Part 2.

[Photo courtesy of Rod Ross]

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius

 

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America was released on September 1, 2022.

The book is available for purchase at all bookseller outlets. Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

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Up Close and Personal – The Lincolnian Interview, Part 1

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Lincoln Group of DCI was interviewed in the summer 2022 issue of The Lincolnian, the newsletter of the Lincoln Group of DC. The Lincolnian is sent to all Lincoln Group members quarterly (if you’re not a member, you can become one here). Below is Part 1 of the interview entitled “Up Close and Personal with Lincoln Group President David J. Kent.” The focus was on my new book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius. The interviewer was Wendy Swanson, editor of The Lincolnian.

Your new book – Lincoln: The Fire of Genius – is due out soon and we will be celebrating its launch party at our September meeting.  Tell us a bit about the publication.  What inspired you to write the book?  What are the major themes/topics?  Who is the targeted audience?  Does one need a background in science to gain optimal benefit from reading the book?

Over my long career as a scientist, I noticed the scientific way Abraham Lincoln approached problem solving. As I dug deeper, I could see the thread of science and technology running through his life. The book extracts this thread and we see how fundamental it became to his overarching goal of “bettering his condition” as well as giving everyone – not just the wealthy elite – an equal chance in the race of life.

I look at this theme in each major aspect of his life – growing up on the farm, expanding interests as he plied the rivers and picked up technical trades and an education, how he became a go-to lawyer for patent and technology cases and his work for the railroads, and then of course in the Civil War. But I also look at his passion for internal improvements, “the science of slavery,” and the deep knowledge behind his science lectures. The book is targeted to those who know the basic story of Lincoln’s life, but don’t realize how much science and technology was woven into it. That said, the writing is breezy, not technical. It’s about Lincoln and his times, not an attempt to impress readers with technical jargon.

What do you aim to accomplish for your audience with this book?  Are there lessons to be learned from Lincoln from this work?  If so, what are they and how can they be applied in our daily lives?

I want readers to appreciate how science and technology helped drive progress during the 19th century, and how Lincoln’s appreciation for them helped not only to improve his own life but the lives of all Americans. In today’s age where science and scientists are disdained by “Google U.” instant “experts,” it’s important to see how Lincoln and others saw science as a benefit to humanity. When Lincoln didn’t understand something, he studied it until he did. We can all learn from that intellectual ethic.

How long did it take you to complete this work?  The topic sounds as if it could be quite technical?  What research did you undertake in order to write the book- and how much time/or how long did your research take?

I started toying with the primordial idea over a decade ago while I was working as a scientist in Europe. I refined the idea over several years while sidetracked into writing books on Tesla, Edison, and my Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America book. I immersed myself in the LOC, NARA, the Presidential Library in Springfield, and dozens of smaller libraries pulling on the loose threads of science and technology that wove the tapestry of his life. Visiting the places Lincoln lived and worked gave insights libraries can’t provide. My science background let me draw insights most people would miss.

Did you learn anything new – if so, what most surprised you about what you learned?

I was surprised by how much science Lincoln knew. His command of mathematics is far beyond his professed “cypherin’ to the rule of three.” He was an astronomy buff. He understood more hydrology, ecology, physics, and engineering than most people give him credit for. He thought scientifically in such a way to become a strategic thinker far beyond most of his peers.

What do most folks not know relative to Lincoln and science/technology? What do you think readers will be most surprised to learn? Will they gain a different perspective on Lincoln from reading this book?  Explain.

His focus was to bring science and technology to the masses. Thomas Jefferson could possibly be considered a “scientist” in the sense of his day. Lincoln was no scientist by any sense, but his scientific and logical thinking helped him encourage the growing technologies of his time. Jefferson made himself a better clock and a writing table; Lincoln sought to improve the lives of the farming and working classes of Americans. Readers will absolutely come away with a different perspective on Lincoln.

Part 2 has more of the interview. The Lincolnian is the official quarterly newsletter of the Lincoln Group of DC. Lincolnian.org is the group’s website, so check it out. Membership is open to everyone who has an interest in Abraham Lincoln.

P.S. I was also interviewed by The Lincolnian in 2017 when my earlier book was released. You can read more about that book, Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Part 1 and Part 2.

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius

 

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America was released on September 1, 2022.

The book is available for purchase at all bookseller outlets. Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.