Bücher von W. Bernard Carlson

Nikola Teslas Forschungen revolutionierten das Verständnis von Elektrizität. Seine Erfindungen setzten völlig neue Maßstäbe für die weltweite Energieversorgung und ermöglichten erst das moderne Leben, wie wir es heute kennen. Nicht umsonst trägt das weltweit beste Elektroauto, von Silicon-Valley-Star Elon Musk, den Namen Tesla. Doch nicht nur für seine 112 angemeldeten Patente ist Nikola Tesla bekannt, auch sein extravaganter Lebensstil und sein Hang zur exzessiven Selbstdarstellung machten ihn berühmt.W. Bernard Carlson blickt mit seiner mehrfach ausgezeichneten Biografie tief in die Psyche des Genies: Eindrucksvoll zeigt er, wie nah Genie und Exzentrik beieinanderliegen und was das Ausnahmetalent antrieb. Zusätzlich fließen Hunderte Originalquellen ein, die zeigen, wie es Tesla möglich war, Innovationen wie am Fließband zu produzieren, und welche Business-Strategien auch heute noch gültig sind.Einer der größten Erfinder der Moderne in einem ganz neuen Licht.Gewinner des Sally Hacker Prize der Society for the History of TechnologyGewinner des IEEE William and Joyce Middleton Electrical Engineering History AwardAmazon.com-Bestseller »Bestes Wissenschaftsbuch«Top-10-Bestseller bei Booklist OnlineEiner der »Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles«»Best Popular Physical Science Books« von The GuardianAuf der Longlist des Royal Society Winton Prize

Nikola Tesla was a major contributor to the electrical revolution that transformed daily life at the turn of the twentieth century. His inventions, patents, and theoretical work formed the basis of modern AC electricity, and contributed to the development of radio and television. Like his competitor Thomas Edison, Tesla was one of America's first celebrity scientists, enjoying the company of New York high society and dazzling the likes of Mark Twain with his electrical demonstrations. An astute self-promoter and gifted showman, he cultivated a public image of the eccentric genius. Even at the end of his life when he was living in poverty, Tesla still attracted reporters to his annual birthday interview, regaling them with claims that he had invented a particle-beam weapon capable of bringing down enemy aircraft. Plenty of biographies glamorize Tesla and his eccentricities, but until now none has carefully examined what, how, and why he invented. In this groundbreaking book, W. Bernard Carlson demystifies the legendary inventor, placing him within the cultural and technological context of his time, and focusing on his inventions themselves as well as the creation and maintenance of his celebrity. Drawing on original documents from Tesla's private and public life, Carlson shows how he was an "e;idealist"e; inventor who sought the perfect experimental realization of a great idea or principle, and who skillfully sold his inventions to the public through mythmaking and illusion. This major biography sheds new light on Tesla's visionary approach to invention and the business strategies behind his most important technological breakthroughs.