Nikola Tesla: Imagination and the Man That Invented the 20th Century by Sean Patrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nikola Tesla, the mad scientist, the father of radio, the one behind the famous “Tesla Coil” that has revolutionized the 20th Century science, and lives of the people of the World. The humble man of poverty has risen to the heights of garnering almost over 800 patents to his credit, related to various inventions in the fields of alternating current of electricity, fluorescent bulb, wireless energy, electromagnetic radiation, X-Rays, modern warfare, and of course internet.
The author has carefully chosen this great scientist who invented ‘alternating current’ of electricity and introduced it to the world, commercially, to explain about the power of imagination and curiosity in one’s self to acquire the code of genius and hence become a genius. The fact that IQ is not an inborn trait to everyone but acquired by many is well put forward through umpteen number of examples of many great iconic personalities like Henry Ford, Michael Jordan, Thomas Edison, Beethoven, Ted Williams, just through practice, practice and practice. The famous 10,000 hour rule of Anders Ericcson is a highlight here.
Nikola Tesla is one such scientist who has not been recognized well by the world but has been put to failure number of times by his peers, partners, competitors etc, but kept going by pursuing his passion of inventions in his area of expertise which gave the world blue prints of the best of the technologies today. Well…how many of us knew that Thomas Edison discouraged Nikola to go ahead with his latter’s plans of spreading free electricity to the world by harnessing the atmospheric electrical energy? The failed Wardenclyffe Tower built by Nikola to make this possible is worth studying.

Positives: A beautiful short book worth reading by all young and old, student and professional, male and female, to explore the possibilities of becoming a genius by triggering their brain cells towards curiosity and led by imagination. The author presented the points very tactically by taking the example of Nikola (an unselfish, unsung, great scientist) and his life filled with so many failures but yet a man with so many inventions and who died without a penny in hand,despite his great achievements.

Negatives: A grave truth is underlying that an inventor or an innovator without some basic business skills to sell/market his/her product, sacrificing ethics, is sure to go down the drains and someone else take the credit for the same.

My rating is 4 out of 5.


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