Book Description

1894. Probably the most comprehensive book about Tesla's work and fully illustrated! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Earthly dull
As opposed to the unearthly stuff most people who would be searching for Tesla books are actually interested in. If you want to wind coils for old-fashioned electric motors, alternators and inductors, this is the book for you! Unfortunately for those interested in extraterrestrial influences and transmitting electrical power through the ether, this book represents the real science and inventions that made Tesla a true success in his day, as opposed to the kookier speculations that later fertilized his legend. Because it dispells myths, I have given it three stars for performing a real service. But unless your are deeply interested in the history of alternating current, you don't have to spend [money] for a paperweight.

Before the cult --
When I was young I planned to write something along the lines of "an evaluation of Tesla's scientific contributions." Three things stopped me: 1) procrastination, 2) laziness, and 3) the impression that everyone who writes about Tesla will have a "kook" label stick to them for the rest of their lives. Why this is so is interesting, but first about the book.

This is a reprint of one published a little more than a hundred years ago, and is most definitely not a "kook book." The author, Mr. Martin, writes a very good description of the nature and significance of Tesla's work up to about 1895. The second part of the book consists of reprints of lectures delivered by Tesla, apparently written by the great man himself. The book contains many good diagrams and illustrations.

Both parts have the expected "old-fashioned" feel, but the book gives us a chance to compare Tesla's writing style with that of a contemporary. My own impression is that Tesla's writing style is fairly good as well as interesting, though perhaps even more florid than customary during that age. The book is rather long, and I would venture only two types are likely to read it in entirety: 1) historians of science, and 2) the Tesla sycophants.

When the book was originally published Tesla was at the height of his powers. About that time his assertions started to become more and more grandiose, if not fantastic. Following the debacle of his "world wireless power transmission" scheme (just prior to WWI), his reputation suffered. Although he lived until 1941, in later life he tended to be increasingly seen as an eccentric loner and kook. He died in loneliness and poverty.

OK, so why does a "kook" label tend stick to anyone who has more than passing interest in Tesla? The first reason is, of course, the fantastic and eccentric claims Tesla made late in life. But by itself this is not enough - after all, even the great Newton dabbled in alchemy and the Book of Revelations late in life. To the first reason must be added a second: a "conspiracy" cult has grown around Tesla; cultists explain all his failing not as personal failings, but as due to a conspiracy against the man. In short, Tesla has been turned into a messianic figure, and scientists are not comfortable with this image.

Reprint of late 1800s book - intense reading, poor transfer
I've read a borrowed copy of this; seeing that Amazon had it, I bought my own copy - I could see that digesting this material is going to take a while.

The text is all here, unabridged. The image quality of the illustrations leaves a lot to be desired with this edition, however. It looks like a second-generation xerox in spots. If this is a problem, do yourself a favor and look for the 1980's hardcover reprint. The images are much better in that one. That said, the substance of this book is thoroughly recommended for the serious student of electrical engineering as well as fans of Tesla.

Since this text was written in the late 1800s, and is reprinted here without alteration, the language can sometimes have the density of Shakespeare (without the poetry). Much of the phraseology has passed out of use in the last hundred years. This material is written for the intelligencia of Tesla's era, and not "dumbed down" for this age as many other books are. This is an advantage for someone who wants an authoratative viewpoint on this subject (who more authoratative than Tesla!), but poisonous to the casual reader.

Many of the inventions discussed in this book are now commonplace (for instance - the AC induction motor, fully described here, is in use everywhere). Nikola's own depth of understanding of the principles involved make this a thoroughly intense experience for those who are ready for it. Readers who can understand this material are going to experience the devine "Ah-ha" on a regular basis throughout this book. Others will be put to sleep.

This book will separate the men from the boys very quickly.

Record of a pioneering work
A volume that records the early pioneering work of an electrical genius and inventor, in the same platform of Thomas Edison and Charles Steinmetz, Guglielmo Marconi and George Westinghouse, though never as well known. It shows in great detail not only the works of Tesla's experiments, but will give the reader a glimpse of the amazing range of his thinking. From alternating curent generators to Unipolar generators (generators being just one field of study) to theories and applications of polyphase currents and motors to high frequency and high potential currents, this gives the reader some basic understanding of his pioneering work.

This is not about his life and times, and how this genius could understand the mysteries of electromagnestism but could not help himself when it comes to battling corporations represented by lawyers of JP Morgan. It may seem outdated, since the work was published in the 1890s. But nowhere can you find a book that will explain more about the foundations of his technical and scientific work.

I thought it was wonderful
This book was so interesting. It gave a lot of information! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Examines the Lasting Impact of FDR 55 Years Later
Leuchtenburg, and esteemed historian of the Roosevelt era, examines the profound, lasting impact of Roosevelt's policies on America for many decades following his presidency. The book reviews the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt so you can understand his lasting legacy.

Roosevelt still runs the White House. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the story of Tecumseh, Chief of the Shawnees, who organized a Confederacy of Western Indian Tribes in order to resist further land cessions to the white man. Knowing of the growing tension between England and the United States, he looked to Britain for aid which she was willing to supply. The author has added to the main work a brief historical narrative of the Shawnee nation, with biographical sketches of several of its most distinguished chiefs. Written in 1841, less than 35 years after Tecumseh's death, the author uses many original sources to bring him and the Shawnee back to life. Benjamin Drake was born in Mason County, Kentucky in 1794. He moved to Cincinnati about 1815, was admitted to the bar about 1825, and practiced law during the remainder of his life. In 1830 he established and became editor of The Western Agriculturist, and subsequently edited the Cincinnati Chronicle. His published works include: Cincinnati in 1826 (with E. D. Mansfield, 1827); The Western Agriculturist and Practical Farmer's Guide (1830); The Life and Adventures of Black Hawk, with Sketches of Keokuk, the Sac and Fox Indians, and the Late Black Hawk War (1838); Life of Gen. William Henry Harrison (with Col. Charles S. Todd, 1840); and Life of Tecumseh, and his Brother the Prophet, with a Historical Sketch of the Shawanee Indians (1841). He died in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 1, 1841. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Hey, Great Book!
This is a book for the middle/ high school age student.It is a photobiography, so it is packed with images and great information in a friendly format.I learned a lot as a teacher about Harry S, Truman from this book and I suspect that other teachers and there students will to.Great book and highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

New Up-To-Date, the inside machinations of Donald Trump's glamorous world. With index. "Fast-moving and exciting." - Publishers Weekly. "A book not to be missed." - San Francisco Examinere. ... Read more

Book Description

Philosophy is one of the most intimidating and difficult of disciplines, as any of its students can attest. This book is an important entry in a distinctive new series from Routledge: The Great Philosophers. Breaking down obstacles to understanding the ideas of history's greatest thinkers, these brief, accessible, and affordable volumes offer essential introductions to the great philosophers of the Western tradition from Plato to Wittgenstein. In just 64 pages, each author, a specialist on his subject, places the philosopher and his ideas into historical perspective. Each volume explains, in simple terms, the basic concepts, enriching the narrative through the effective use of biographical detail. And instead of attempting to explain the philosopher's entire intellectual history, which can be daunting, this series takes one central theme in each philosopher's work, using it to unfold the philosopher's thoughts. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent introduction.
Very good summary of the work of Alan Turing: his influence on mathematics (where he tried to replace the notion of 'provable' by 'computable') and on the development of the computer.
For me, this little book proves that most of Turing's work has been countered by Roger Penrose. For Penrose, the human mind is capable of the uncomputable, while Turing treats the human brain as a computable machine.
The discussion Turing had with Wittgenstein on the 'liar' paradox has been solved by Tarski (see his difficult book 'Logic, Semantics, Metamathematics').
Obviously, Turing did not play in the same league as the one of geniuses like Gödel or Russell.
Also good information on his tragic personal life.

Short, Sassy, and to the Point
Look, sometimes you just don't want to spend days or weeks of your life getting to know some famous personage in intellectual history. At heart, you're lazy, and you're somewhat cheap too. So what better way to get a brief overview of Alan Turing than by Andrew Hodges' cheap and concise book on said? Well, I couldn't think of any, so I picked this up 53 page gem on a whim. It's a historical overview of Turing's career with balanced attention to his thought. With the exception of about 8 pages that only will profit those who have had some experience with what's called the "Halting Problem" in symbolic logic, this is a very readable book. What is a Turing Machine and why are they important to the modern notion of computers? Why is Turing considered the inventor of computational theory, even if not the outright inventor of the computer? (And this last claim is somewhat debatable, as the book points out.) What was Turing doing for the British Government during the war? Why did Turing get fired from his job? There are all sorts of little tidbits of information here, even about his sex life. Ho ho! Also in the book is some discussion of whether a computer can be made to think. Naturally, some of Turing's more interesting comments are quoted on this topic, and Hodges gives attention to the more recent ideas of Roger Penrose, a philosopher whose ideas on artificial consciousness have been influential on the contemporary scene. Okay, you got the time to read 53 pages, and for not more money than a good McDonald's meal, you could be reading it in a day or so if you'll just click the...ordering button...

Turing: A concise but sophisticated biography
This is a superb, yet brief overview of Turing, his life and his math. Although this is a sophisticated approach to the man and his work, the writing is readily accessible by a lay person, like myself. One can get a clear flavor of the importance of his work and how his Turing machine model is not just the framework for Bill Gate's wealth but also as a profound extention of the Undecidable problem first addressed by Godel. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Meet My Dad!
Margaret Truman treats the reader to an intimate biography of her father.She tells the traditional stories of his courtship and life long love affair with Bess, his life on the farm, his service in World War I and his unsuccessful haberdashery venture.She continues on through his entry into politics and involvement with the Pendergast machine.The senate campaigns of 1934 and 1940 and the choice for Vice President set the stage for Harry Truman's role of a lifetime.His succession to the Presidency started a dizzying sequence of crises including the founding of the United Nations, the use of the atomic bomb and the surrender of Japan.He then lead the country through a rash of post war strikes and inflation leading to Democratic defeat in the 1946 Congressional elections.Rebounding, Truman fought off the Berlin Blockade and won a stunning upset victory in the 1948 elections.In his second term he restored the decaying White House, was harassed by Joseph McCarthy and had his presidency redefined by the Korean War.Deciding not to seek reelection, Truman began his unsuccessful effort to mold Adlai Stevenson into his successor.After leaving the White House, Truman found most of his satisfaction in his family and in teaching others about government.

I like this book for its intimate view of Harry Truman's life.Margaret provides a perspective lacking in all other biographers.Her view of family life and the quotes from Harry's diaries and letters make this book a unique delight.

In dealing with aspects of Truman's life this book lacks the depth found in some other biographies.In some respects, Margaret is a bit too strident in defense of her Father.I recommend other works for an initial Truman biography and this one to deepen the reader's understanding of Harry.Other books provide a better understanding of the historical Harry Truman.Margaret provides an excellent introduction to her Dad. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Graphic Adaptation of the Allan Eckert Drama
This is Timothy Truman's beautiful graphic novel adaptation of Alan Eckert's outdoor drama Tecumseh! which is performed every summer in Chillicothe, OH. It is based on the life of the Shawnee leader Tecumseh and tells the story of the rise and fall of this great Indian hero and his ambitious plan to unite the eastern woodland tribes in a final war to remove the threat of white expansion into the trans-Alleghany west. Truman has done a number of other wonderful graphic novels relating to this period and this one is just as great. If you can get ahold of a copy, buy it. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

not my idea of great history
Though I wanted very much to enjoy this book, I can't in good conscience recommend it. When dealing with historical facts (the expansionist policy of the new government of the US vs. the interests of the larger tribes - the battles in Canada, etc.), Eckert held my interest. When he intersperses his own florid imagination in portraying Tecumseh's personal life he tends towards purple, mythic prose that tends to make Tecumseh superhuman rather real. Tecumseh emerges as a one-dimensional, single-minded hero who is the main character in a Tragedy, rather than a flesh-and-bones human being who happened to be a great leader of an ill-fated insurrection. For those looking for a story with real pathos, told from a more controlled, but much more powerful point-of-view, read Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. Brown doesn't overdo it as Eckert does. He lets the story tell itself. The result is much more affecting and agitating. Eckert's treatment is exceedingly heavy-handed, Brown's more impartial, but ten times more poignant. After reading Tecumseh, I asked myself, "Why did I invest time in this book?" After reading Brown, I wanted to go find Custer's grave and personally desecrate it.

ALLAN ECKERT MAKES FICTIONAL HISTORY A JOY TO READ!!!!!
GROWING UP ON THE BANKS OF THE OHIO, I'VE HEARD EVERY LEGEND THERE IS CONCERNING TECUMSEH. I USED TO WALK TO THE SHAWNEE BURIAL MOUNDS WHICH ARE AN ARROW SHOT FROM MY PARENT'S HOME IN SILOAM, KY. I OFTEN TRIED TO IMAGINE WHAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE TO LIVE BACK THEN. WHILE NO HISTORIAN WILL EVER BE ABLE TO DECIFER WHAT IS TRUTH AND WHAT IS FOLKLORE. ALLAN W. ECKERT IS ABLE TO SEND YOU BACK IN TIME AND PLACE YOU AMONGST THESE HISTORICAL FIGURES. AND WHILE THIS WORK IS FICTIONAL IT IS ALSO BASED ON REAL CHARACTERS. ALLAN W. ECKERT IS TRULY AN ARTIST. WITH THE PAGE AS HIS CANVAS AND FACTS, MYTHS, AND LEGENDS, AS HIS INKS. HE PAINTS AN EXCELLENT PORTRAIT OF THIS LEGENDARY SHAWNEE'S LIFE.EXCELLENTLY WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED.

great book about great man
I have a new hero. I recently came across this excellent biography of the great Indian leader Tecumseh, and I'm stunned. First, by Tecumseh. This brilliant warrior and visionary understood that civilization is insatiable, and that one must never make peace with the culture that uses any means necessary to kill the indigenous, and to kill the land. This is a powerful account of necessary resistance to the depredations of the dominant culture.
I'm stunned also by the writing. Allan W. Eckert is an extraordinary writer, and tells Tecumseh's story beautifully and movingly. The book is very hard to put down.

A Masterpiece of Algonquin Historical Writing
Eckert's A Sorrow in Our Hearts is nothing short of a masterpiece, and will assuredly stand the test of time, perhaps as no other "Native American" history book before it. I have read many hundreds of books on Algonquin history, and nothing I have seen comes close to A Sorrow In Our Hearts in being fair to the individuals involved. Eckert's portrayal of Tunskwatawa as a misguided opportunist may irritate some, but it holds together as the most credible explanation of how things turned out. I turn to this volume over and over again and it never ceases to amaze me the amount of useful information that it contains. It maintains a high level of historical accuracy without losing the mystical feeling of standing in Tecumseh's presence, seeing the world through his eyes, and the bracing sense of strength, courage and upliftment that those around him must have felt. If there were a sixth star to award this book, I would not hesitate to add it to my review.
I have stood by that battlefield where he died and heard the accounts of his demise and burial from a descendant of those who were there and I sense the greatness of the man, and somehow Eckert has managed to do him justice through a medium that is not always compatible with the Algonquin way, and it makes me feel that sorrow to which he refers. We all must die sooner or later, but Tecumseh was still a young man (younger than I am now) when he died at the battle of the Thames. When I am buried, let them lay me to rest with only a well worn copy of Eckert's A Sorrow In Our Hearts in my hands.
Evan Pritchard
Professor of Native American History, Marist College
author of Native New Yorkers, The Remarkable Legacy of the Algonquin People of New York;
No Word For Time, the Way of the Algonquin People, etc.

One of Eckert's Best
"A Sorrow In Our Heart" is definately one of Eckert's best historical novels, right next to "The Frontiersmen" and "Dark and Bloody River". It, of course, tells the story of the Shawnee leader Tecumseh, who has been hailed by many as the greatest Indian leader of all time. Tecumseh came closer than any other before or after him to saving his people from total destruction by the whites on the eastern frontier in the early 19th century. In the end, Tecumseh's death is not just a loss in the Indians' long struggle against the Americans, it signals the death knell for their way of life, as their defeat in the War of 1812 sealed their fate on the North American continent. A great and a wonderfully entertaining book, history has never been so hard to put down. ... Read more

Book Description

Derived from a television series on Truman, these rare recordings are straight from the shoulder, pithy and fascinating. Reissued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of WWII, this is an important historical work by Ben Gradus, the producer of the television series. ... Read more

Book Description

With more than 100 patents, electrical engineer Nikola Tesla rivaled Thomas Edison as one of our greatest scientists. This biography, notable for its anecdotal detail and extensive dialogue from original documents, reflects the author's thorough research. Often overlooked as a subject of study in primary schools, Tesla was a leader in electrical innovation whose inventions include the induction motor, alternating-current power transmission, and the radio. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

This book is not what you think...
Tesla, The Modern Sorcerer, is not what I expected. I wanted an biography of the scientist, but the dialogue with his father at the start led me to believe that it was a children's book, assuming details of actual dialogue were not recorded for posterity. However, after a more careful inspection of the jacket, I found that although the book is labeled Science / Alternate Technology, it is none too clearly also identified as a novel. This is not bad in itself. However, the writing is terrible! Names, dates and place are given and dropped as quickly without having any kind of cohesion. It became apparant to me that the author had writen an outline to help him structure his story, but then he copied the outline and filled in nothing. Details and dialogue are stacatto and stilted. He references, at one point, a machine that runs at so many Webers, without defining what a Weber is or even mentioning it again. Details appear to be decently researched, but the "novel" concept allows these to be manufactured. The authors other works are novels about UFO abductions, and he uses this book to tout his UFO theories. A waste of time to read, but perhaps interesting to a child without previous knowledge of science.

A novelized history
Though what you may learn of the subject matter is facinating, the novelization approach and contrived dialogue sometimes borders on annoying.

As well, the amount of background information (on Edison, J.P. Morgan, etc.) provided sometimes is more distracting than helpful.

Good For Young Readers
I purchased this book wanting a good biographical account of Nikola Tesla. Though it is that, what I didn't realize was that it is really aimed at young readers (ages 9-12). Nothing on the cover or the introduction mentions that fact. The odd book size(wide format), the larger font size and the limited vocabulary give it away as a juvenile selection. I would recommend it highly for that age group. However it was not the adult biography I looking for. I think I will give my copy to my son. I believe he will enjoy it. ... Read more