The Inventions, Researches, and Writings of Nikola Tesla
Encyclopedia
The Inventions, Researches and Writings of Nikola Tesla is a book compiled and edited by Thomas Commerford Martin
detailing the work of Nikola Tesla
. The book is a comprehensive compilation of Tesla's work with many illustrations.
Martin stated that, "No attempt whatever has been made here to emphasize the importance of his researches and discoveries". The ideas and inventions are conveyed in their own way, determining their own place by intrinsic merit. But with the fact that Tesla blazed a path that electrical development would later follow for years to come, the compiler of the book endeavored to bring together all of Tesla's work up to that point in Tesla's life. Aside from indicating the range of his thought and originality of his mind, the book has value as showing the scope of Tesla's early inventions.
The book includes Tesla's lectures, miscellaneous articles and discussions, and makes note of all his inventions up to the date of publication, particularly polyphase motors and the effects obtained with currents of high potential and high frequency. The book demonstrates that Tesla continued on the scientific frontier, barely pausing for an instant to work out details of utilization that may have at once been obvious to him. Wherever possible his own language was employed in the writing of the book.
, the inventor of FM radio, commented on the importance of the book and stated in the middle of the 20th century:
In "Nikola Tesla and John Jacob Astor" by Marc J. Seifer, Seifer wites of Tesla answering what is the spark of life:
Thomas Commerford Martin
Thomas Commerford Martin was an American electrical engineer and editor, born in London, England. His father worked with Lord Kelvin and other pioneers of submarine telegraph cables, and Martin spent much time on the cable-laying ship SS Great Eastern. Educated as a theological student, Martin...
detailing the work of Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
. The book is a comprehensive compilation of Tesla's work with many illustrations.
Overview
Written at the end of the 19th century, the book is a record of Tesla's pioneering activities, research, and works. Tesla is recognized as one of the foremost electrical investigators and inventors. At the time of publication , the book was the "bible" of every electrical engineer practicing the profession. The book contains five lectures by Tesla:- A New System of Alternate Current Motors and Transformers.
- Experiments with Alternate Currents of Very High Frequency, and Their Application to Methods of Artificial Illumination.
- Experiments with Alternate Currents of High Potential and High Frequency.
- On Light and Other High Frequency Phenomena.
- The Tesla Electrical and Mechanical Oscillators.
Martin stated that, "No attempt whatever has been made here to emphasize the importance of his researches and discoveries". The ideas and inventions are conveyed in their own way, determining their own place by intrinsic merit. But with the fact that Tesla blazed a path that electrical development would later follow for years to come, the compiler of the book endeavored to bring together all of Tesla's work up to that point in Tesla's life. Aside from indicating the range of his thought and originality of his mind, the book has value as showing the scope of Tesla's early inventions.
The book includes Tesla's lectures, miscellaneous articles and discussions, and makes note of all his inventions up to the date of publication, particularly polyphase motors and the effects obtained with currents of high potential and high frequency. The book demonstrates that Tesla continued on the scientific frontier, barely pausing for an instant to work out details of utilization that may have at once been obvious to him. Wherever possible his own language was employed in the writing of the book.
Experiments with AC of VHF, and Their Application to Methods of Artificial Illumination
Experiments with Alternate Currents of High Potential and HF
Publication
Upon securing the deal to publish the book, Thomas Commerford Martin was praised by his contemporaries as having executed a brilliant stratagem in closing the deal to publish a book which would be a landmark in the electrical sciences. Martin and Tesla both profited from sales of the book, but Tesla insisted that copies had to be given out freely. Tesla was unconcerned with the financial aspect of the book.Analysis
Edwin ArmstrongEdwin Armstrong
Edwin Howard Armstrong was an American electrical engineer and inventor. Armstrong was the inventor of modern frequency modulation radio....
, the inventor of FM radio, commented on the importance of the book and stated in the middle of the 20th century:
Who today can read a copy of The Inventions, Researches and Writings of Nikola Tesla, published before the turn-of-the-century, without being fascinated by the beauty of the experiments described and struck with admiration for Tesla's extraordinary insight into the nature of the phenomena with which he was dealing? Who now can realize the difficulties he must have had to overcome in those early days? But one can imagine the inspirational effect of the book forty years ago on a boy about to decide to study the electrical art. Its effect was both profound and decisive.
Citations
Margaret Cheney, in Tesla: Man Out of Time, used the text of the book to call attention to the fact that Tesla indicated that one of the uses of the experimental equipment would be for the professional field of "harmonic and synchronous telegraphy" and that "vast possibilities are again opened up" for the radio arts of the time.In "Nikola Tesla and John Jacob Astor" by Marc J. Seifer, Seifer wites of Tesla answering what is the spark of life:
Thus, everything that exists, organic or inorganic, animated or inert, is susceptible to stimulus from the outside. There is no gap between, no break in continuity, no special and distinguishing vital agent. The momentous question of Spencer, What is it that causes inorganic matter to run into organic forms? has been answered. It is the sun's heat and light. Wherever they are there is life.
By Tesla
- Tesla, Nikola, "Colorado Springs Notes, 1899–1900"
- Tesla, Nikola, "My InventionsMy Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola TeslaMy Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla is a book compiled and edited by Ben Johnston detailing the work of Nikola Tesla...
" Parts I through V published in the Electrical Experimenter monthly magazine from February through June, 1919. Part VI published October, 1919. Reprint edition with introductory notes by Ben Johnson, New York: Barnes and Noble,1982; also online at "Lucid Cafe, et cetera as "The Strange Life of Nikola Tesla", 1919.
Other authors
- Anderson, Leland I., "Dr. Nikola Tesla (1856–1943)", 2d enl. ed., Minneapolis, Tesla Society. 1956. OCLC 1284808 : LCCN 56047430 /L
- Cheney, Margaret, Tesla: Man Out of TimeTesla: Man Out of TimeTesla: Man Out of Time is a biography of Nikola Tesla by Margaret Cheney-Description:Tesla: Man Out of Time describes the life of Nikola Tesla. Tesla laid the foundation for the rotating magnetic field, alternating current devices, robotics, computers, and missile science. Cheney details Tesla's...
, 1981. ISBN 0-13-906859-7. - Childress, David H., The Fantastic Inventions of Nikola TeslaThe Fantastic Inventions of Nikola TeslaThe Fantastic Inventions of Nikola Tesla is a book compiled and edited by David Hatcher Childress detailing the work of Nikola Tesla. Additional content of the book, besides the patent cover pages and lectures of Tesla, is provided by Childress....
, 1993. - O'Neill, John Jacob, Prodigal Genius: The Life of Nikola TeslaProdigal Genius: The Life of Nikola TeslaProdigal Genius: The Life of Nikola Tesla is a book by John Joseph O'Neill detailing the life of Nikola Tesla.-Overview:The standard of biographies concerning the man who helped invent modern civilization....
, 1944. Paperback reprint 1994, ISBN 978-0-914732-33-4. (ed. Prodigal Genius is available online) - Lomas, RobertRobert LomasRoberto Lomas is a British writer and business studies academic. He writes primarily about the history of Freemasonry as well as the Neolithic period, ancient engineering and archaeoastronomy...
, The man who invented the twentieth century: Nikola Tesla, forgotten genius of electricity, 1999. - Ratzlaff, John and Leland Anderson, Dr. Nikola Tesla BibliographyDr. Nikola Tesla BibliographyDr. Nikola Tesla Bibliography by John T. Ratzlaff and Leland I. Anderson is an annotated bibliography of writings by and about the inventor Nikola Tesla....
, Ragusan Press, Palo Alto, California, 1979, 237 pages. Extensive listing of articles about and by Nikola Tesla. - Valone, Thomas, Harnessing the Wheelwork of Nature: Tesla's Science of Energy, 2002.
- WC Wysock, JF Corum, JM Hardesty, KL Corum, "Who Was The Real Dr. Nikola Tesla?", Antenna Measurement Techniques Association Poster paper October 22–25, 2001.
- Kenneth L Corum, James F Corum, "Tesla’s connection to Columbia University"