Tag: nikolatesla

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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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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.

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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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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.

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Tesla Days – Coming to Philadelphia July 6-10

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Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and David J. KentOnly a few days left before Tesla Days kicks off in Philadelphia. Join me and the Tesla Science Foundation for inventions, presentations, books, and music, plus a Million Volt March. The four days of events celebrate the July 10th birth of Nikola Tesla and the beginning of “a global breakthrough movement dedicated to building awareness of a new energy paradigm.” Declare your energy independence now.

More information and the daily schedule for July 6th through the 10th can be found on the Tesla Science Foundation website.

Besides the Balkan wine reception and speakers on Sunday, July 7th, I welcome you to join me and other prominent authors and musicians on Tuesday, July 9th for a Tesla Film, Book, and Arts Festival at The Free Library, 1901 Vine St. With events starting at 11:00 am, I’ll be introducing my book, Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. Also speaking will be Tesla authors Marc Seifer, Bernard Carlson, and Howard Lipman; an inspirational talk by Kyle and Julian Driebeek on why children should know and honor Tesla; and a variety of Tesla-inspired electronic music and videos.

I hope you’ll join us.

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

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We Have a Launch – Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity Goes Live

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Tesla: The Wizard of ElectricityTesla: The Wizard of Electricity is now officially published.

You can order it now exclusively on BarnesandNoble.com.

You can read a quick sneak peak and a much longer description of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity. In short, the book is designed to appeal to a wide range of the general public, not just academic researchers.

So here’s how you can help:

Spread the word! Use the social networking buttons at the bottom of this post and the two posts linked in the paragraph above. Talk about it with your friends, and your friends’ friends. Share it on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, and wherever else you hang out. Tweet it, StumbleUpon it, Digg it, Tumble it, Reddit, and Pin it.

Buy the book! Okay, this is a given 🙂 You can order it online at barnesandnoble.com as a hardcover or an ebook for NOOK. It will also be available in Barnes and Noble stores in July. Where it will NOT be is on Amazon, at least for the moment. This initial roll out is exclusive to Barnes and Noble.

Write a review! Books live or die not only on whether they get bought, but whether people write reviews. Places to write reviews include:

Barnes and Noble

Goodreads

Facebook

Your own blog or website

Your friends blog or website

Your local or national newspaper

And anywhere else you can think of

Like my Facebook author page! ——- > David J. Kent This helps spread the word, plus you’ll get periodic updates on Tesla, Lincoln, and more. (If you haven’t already, click on my name next to the arrow)

Give the book as a gift! Christmas is coming. Yes, it is (remember, time flies). The book makes a great gift for that computer or science geek you never knew what to get. It also makes a great gift for invention buffs, graphic novel lovers, historical biography, and just plain interesting characters from history. Need more ideas? Read more here.

Ask for it at Barnes and Noble! Since the book is exclusive to Barnes and Noble, it should be prominently displayed near the store entrance. Be sure to drop by and ask for it if you don’t see it. If you do see it, “accidentally” turn the book face out so people can see the cover (not just the spine). 🙂

Pin it! The Barnes and Noble.com page for Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity has buttons to pin it to your Pinterest page. And Like it on Facebook. And Google+ it. All of that helps get the word out.

Ask for it at the library! Initially, they probably won’t have it. But if enough people ask for it they may order it the next time they are making buying decisions. The book is a perfect for libraries.

Give one to a science teacher! The book is also a great addition to science courses. It’s a quick read, gives a great history of an important scientist who is largely ignored in history books, and the pictures and graphics will spark the interest of even the least inspired student.

Thanks to all of you this experience of bringing Nikola Tesla to the world has been truly amazing. Let’s wake up a new generation of readers and budding scientists. Let’s celebrate Tesla!

The BarnesandNoble.com site has the book for order. I’ll be showing up at various Barnes and Noble stores in July to sign books. Keep coming back to my Tesla Events and Speaking Engagements page here on Science Traveler for updates.

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