From Publishers Weekly
Seifer’s vivid, revelatory, exhaustively researched biography rescues pioneer inventor Nikola Tesla from cult status and restores him to his rightful place as a principal architect of the modern age. Based largely on firsthand documents including Tesla’s writings, his patents and those of competitors, it credits the Croatian-born Serb, who moved to New York in 1884, with the invention of the induction motor, long-distance electrical power distribution, fluores…
Buy Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla : Biography of a Genius at Amazon
Seifer’s comprehensive look at Nikola Tesla is unexpected. It is neither dry, formulaic or predictable – even for those familiar with the enigmatic genius. Simply put, it is fascinating, exciting reading. Tesla was credited with the invention of modern AC power generation, remote control, fundamental advances in radio, wireless voice- and data-transfer, the first laser, advanced flight concepts, and a myriad of other inventions. Yet he died without ever achieving the financial rewards one would expect for a man who was truly ahead of his time.
Taking advantage of ill-defined intellectual property laws and the vagaries of international court systems, other well-known inventors such as Pupin, Marconi, and Steinmetz either “borrowed” his discoveries or helped write him out of the history books. While many rode Tesla’s coattails to public recognition and, often, staggering financial success – the great man was left penniless and alone.
Seifer pulls no punches. Tesla made a series of startling gaffes. From ill-conceived contracts with Westinghouse (leaving him with no ongoing revenue from his discovery of the AC polyphase system) to poor management of critical projects backed by J.P. Morgan, Tesla disappointed his financiers time and time again. Lack of prioritization, spinning off in too many directions simultaneously, poor project management – all contributed to Tesla’s inability to achieve the breakthrough he needed (and deserved) for true financial independence.
Seifer covers Tesla’s life in exceptional detail. His bizarre work habits (often sleeping only two hours a night), his odd social life (never married and apparently a lifelong celibate), and his many other idiosyncrasies are described with fascinating anecdotes. You don’t need to be an Electrical Engineer, or a Scientist, or even technically savvy to thoroughly enjoy _Wizard_. In a nutshell: superb.
Seifer expresses that the key reason he wrote Wizard was to try and answer many of the questions left unanswered by the other authors. In particular he focuses in on why Tesla’s name dropped into obscurity, whether or not he really received signals from Mars, how his magnifying transmitter really worked, what exactly happened to cause his failure with JP Morgan,what happened to his top secret papers and also the book explains exactly how his particle beam weapon have really worked.
One of the book’s strengths is that it is set up completely
chronologically. Thus you can cue into any year and oftentimes particular months of Tesla’s life. Every chapter also begins with a neat quote. I turned to the back and counted over 1400 endnotes including 400 personal letters. This is the real deal, much of it in Tesla’s actual words.
One of the neatest sections was a discussion of of how Tesla’s
early lectures in the 1890′s pre-dated Rutherford, Bohr and Einstein in theories on the structure of the atom and on what came to be called Quantum physics. Jumping ahead 20 years, Seifer reveals that during WWI, Franklin Roosevelt, as Secretary of the Navy, used Tesla’s priority patents in wireless to combat Marconi’s contention that the Navy was stealing Marconi’s
invention.
Seifer goes on to show that Tesla was selling wireless technology to the Germans during WWI and that this apparatus was used to coordinate submarine movements at that time. Later, during WWII, Tesla also apparently worked with the US war department to give them the invention of the particle beam
weapon.
The focus of the book, however, is Wardenclyffe, Tesla’s world wireless communication system that was backed by JP Morgan, who at the time, was the most powerful man on the planet. Every other biography that I read on Tesla leaves it as a mystery as to why Morgan pulled funding of this venture. Seifer paints almost a day by day account of the partnership, explains
exactly what happens, and backs his findings with something like 40 letters between Tesla and Morgan. The story is dynamite, because had Tesla succeeded in harnessing the enterprise, we would have had wireless and cellular technology by 1905 instead of 20 to 90 years later.
This has to be one of the most amazing books I have ever read. I didn’t just learn about Tesla, but also about the rise of corporate America, the role of technology in shaping social events and about many of Tesla’s friends, enemies and colleagues like Tom Edison, Guglielmo Marconi, JP Morgan, Stanford White, John Jacob Astor and Franklin Roosevelt. But what sets this book apart is how well all this information is conveyed in narrative form. This is a biography, mystery, and electrical engineering book all in one. Very entertaining.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
This is the best book for an introduction to this man.If for no other reason than to read of the long list of inventions that “The Wizard” brought to humanity.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wizard: A more detailed look.
I found Wizard tlatoNT to be very informative, giving details about the man I’ve not read before. His dealings with men like J.P.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good content, Bad binding
My opinion is that this booksheds much light on the oft-passed-over mysteries of the life and times of Tesla. No doubt his genius altered human history.
I value this book highly because of its even-handedness in its treatment of Nikola Tesla. Virtually every thing stated by Mr. Seifer is documented. After all, this book is the result of his doctoral dissertation.
The subject of the book is treated as a believeable human being. Assuredly, he was a genius; but the author fairly points out when Tesla may have missed the mark. The author neither blindly worships nor blindly condemns Nikola Tesla.
Because this is a biography, it does not go into depth about Nikola Tesla’s inventions; Enough information is presented as is necessary to the story.
I am thankful that I have encountered this book because it is based upon truth.
2.0 out of 5 stars
Wizard: I Still Don’t Know Who Tesla Really Was
I was hoping this book would have delved into Tesla’s inventions more thoroughly. I was very disappointed in this aspect of the book.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wizard
This is a great read for anyone interested in matters of science. Nikola Tesla led an incredible life and it’s told with an expert’s flair. Don’t miss this book, OR ELSE!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Tesla is to electronics as Gauss is to mathematics
Does this book deserve another review as the best book yet written on Tesla? Well, yes it does. Gauss virtually invented modern mathematics through visionary experiences in his…
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely Riveting… This Book is a Labor of Love
I just finished reading this enthralling book on N. Tesla and find that it is the finest piece of non-fiction I have ever read, without exaggeration.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Father of the Modern Age
Many people consider Nikola Tesla to be the greatest inventor of the modern age. I am not here to debate if he was greater than Edison.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent read if you want to know more about the man
I read through most of the reviews of this book, and find them, for the most part, dead on.
I did not buy it via Amazon (the horror!
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good book
In my opinion this was a very good book about Tesla, but I must confess, I have not read any other biographies on him so I have nothing to compare it to.