"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
"Sparking and crackling round his darkened laboratory, making lamps glow from his pointing finger, (Tesla) must have presented an awesome spectacle, must have looked like a modern god of lightning ... The effects of Edison's claim about the deadly risks of AC electricity were being disproved in a most spectacular fashion."
The tragedy was that Tesla was so self-destructively naive in his dealings with other scientists, with money-men and with the state. Typically, he had his money stolen on the way to the US, but managed to get aboard his liner by explaining what had happened and proving his identity; then nearly starved because he had no money for food and was too proud to ask for help. Lomas is excellent on this self-destructive streak--Tesla constantly alienated the powerful while putting himself in their power and talked as if the Nobel Prize, unlikely ever to be given to "a mere engineer", was in his grasp. Lomas takes us through the technicalities of the famous inventions and makes what case can be made for the crankier things--the electric laxative, broadcast power and various death rays; ironically Tesla's disdain for theory meant he never read the Einstein paper on which lasers would eventually be based. --Roz Kaveney
'Robert Lomas is to be congratulated on an easy-to-read life of a
tortured genius ... Although dealing at times with difficult technical
concepts it never succumbs to jargon and remains intelligible to the
informed lay-person throughout.' Times Higher Educational Supplement
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
£ 3.24
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Fast Shipping and good customer service. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_0747275882
Book Description Condition: New. Book is in NEW condition. Seller Inventory # 0747275882-2-1
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New. Seller Inventory # Wizard0747275882
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: new. New Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think0747275882
Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # FrontCover0747275882
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Brand New!. Seller Inventory # VIB0747275882
Book Description Condition: New. New. In shrink wrap. Looks like an interesting title! 0.75. Seller Inventory # Q-0747275882
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # Abebooks157572