Tesla: Inventor of the Modern

Nikola Tesla's inventions, from the radio to robots and remote control, have profoundly impacted our world. His electric induction motors power our appliances and factories, yet his contributions have often been overlooked by history. Richard Munson presents a comprehensive portrait of this farsighted inventor, exploring his personal life, mental habits, and the enigmatic nature of his genius. Tesla's breakthroughs, such as alternating current, revolutionized the electric grid, but his lack of business acumen prevented him from fully capitalizing on his success. His most advanced ideas, like cell phones and the Internet, went unrecognized for decades. Despite his later years of poverty, Tesla never stopped imagining and designing innovative technologies that continue to shape the modern economy./n/nTesla's story is a testament to the power of invention driven by a passion for progress rather than profit. Born during a lightning storm at midnight, Tesla was a strikingly handsome, multilingual polymath who could recite entire books from memory. His inventions were often conceived through a blend of humanities and sciences, such as the induction motor inspired by Goethe's Faust. Tesla's visionary work aimed to provide electric power to the world, introduce automatons to reduce drudgery, and develop machines to abolish war. This clear, authoritative biography captures all phases of Tesla's remarkable life, highlighting his enduring legacy in technology and innovation.