
Tesla
Inventor of the Electrical Age
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $29.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Allan Robertson
About this listen
Nikola Tesla was a major contributor to the electrical revolution that transformed daily life at the turn of the 20th 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 "idealist" 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.
©2013 Princeton University Press (P)2013 Audible Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Tesla: Man Out of Time
- By: Margaret Cheney
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey, Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Tesla's childhood in Yugoslavia to his death in New York in the 1940s, Cheney paints a compelling human portrait and chronicles a lifetime of discoveries that radically altered - and continue to alter - the world in which we live. Tesla: Man Out of Time is an in-depth look at the seminal accomplishments of a scientific wizard and a thoughtful examination of the obsessions and eccentricities of the man behind the science.
-
-
Good but very dated.
- By Mr Smith on 08-09-15
By: Margaret Cheney
-
Leonardo da Vinci
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Alfred Molina
- Length: 17 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Leonardo da Vinci created the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and engineering. With a passion that sometimes became obsessive, he pursued innovative studies of anatomy, fossils, birds, the heart, flying machines, botany, geology, and weaponry.
-
-
Wish the sample was not from the preface!
- By Chris M. on 11-13-17
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Elon Musk
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.
-
-
megalomania on display
- By JP on 09-12-23
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Einstein
- His Life and Universe
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 21 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why we think it’s a great listen: You thought he was a stodgy scientist with funny hair, but Isaacson and Hermann reveal an eloquent, intense, and selfless human being who not only shaped science with his theories, but politics and world events in the 20th century as well. Based on the newly released personal letters of Albert Einstein, Walter Isaacson explores how an imaginative, impertinent patent clerk became the mind reader of the creator of the cosmos.
-
-
Surprise: Two books in one!
- By Henrik on 04-20-07
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Elon Musk
- Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
- By: Ashlee Vance
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spirit of Steve Jobs and Moneyball, Elon Musk is both an illuminating and authorized look at the extraordinary life of one of Silicon Valley's most exciting, unpredictable, and ambitious entrepreneurs - a real-life Tony Stark - and a fascinating exploration of the renewal of American invention and its new makers.
-
-
The best of competence porn
- By Tristan on 08-20-16
By: Ashlee Vance
-
The Nikola Tesla Collection
- By: Nikola Tesla
- Narrated by: Adriel Brandt
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the most comprehensive compilation of newspaper clippings and periodical articles assembled about Nikola Tesla. The entries range from August 14, 1886, to December 11, 1920. Comprising approximately 1,700 separate items, the collection includes both American and British publications and is reproduced directly from the original material.
-
-
great narration
- By Cold Electric Hardware on 09-12-21
By: Nikola Tesla
-
Tesla: Man Out of Time
- By: Margaret Cheney
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey, Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Tesla's childhood in Yugoslavia to his death in New York in the 1940s, Cheney paints a compelling human portrait and chronicles a lifetime of discoveries that radically altered - and continue to alter - the world in which we live. Tesla: Man Out of Time is an in-depth look at the seminal accomplishments of a scientific wizard and a thoughtful examination of the obsessions and eccentricities of the man behind the science.
-
-
Good but very dated.
- By Mr Smith on 08-09-15
By: Margaret Cheney
-
Leonardo da Vinci
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Alfred Molina
- Length: 17 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Leonardo da Vinci created the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and engineering. With a passion that sometimes became obsessive, he pursued innovative studies of anatomy, fossils, birds, the heart, flying machines, botany, geology, and weaponry.
-
-
Wish the sample was not from the preface!
- By Chris M. on 11-13-17
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Elon Musk
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.
-
-
megalomania on display
- By JP on 09-12-23
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Einstein
- His Life and Universe
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 21 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why we think it’s a great listen: You thought he was a stodgy scientist with funny hair, but Isaacson and Hermann reveal an eloquent, intense, and selfless human being who not only shaped science with his theories, but politics and world events in the 20th century as well. Based on the newly released personal letters of Albert Einstein, Walter Isaacson explores how an imaginative, impertinent patent clerk became the mind reader of the creator of the cosmos.
-
-
Surprise: Two books in one!
- By Henrik on 04-20-07
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Elon Musk
- Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
- By: Ashlee Vance
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spirit of Steve Jobs and Moneyball, Elon Musk is both an illuminating and authorized look at the extraordinary life of one of Silicon Valley's most exciting, unpredictable, and ambitious entrepreneurs - a real-life Tony Stark - and a fascinating exploration of the renewal of American invention and its new makers.
-
-
The best of competence porn
- By Tristan on 08-20-16
By: Ashlee Vance
-
The Nikola Tesla Collection
- By: Nikola Tesla
- Narrated by: Adriel Brandt
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the most comprehensive compilation of newspaper clippings and periodical articles assembled about Nikola Tesla. The entries range from August 14, 1886, to December 11, 1920. Comprising approximately 1,700 separate items, the collection includes both American and British publications and is reproduced directly from the original material.
-
-
great narration
- By Cold Electric Hardware on 09-12-21
By: Nikola Tesla
-
Wizard
- The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla: Biography of a Genius
- By: Marc J. Seifer
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 22 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), credited as the inspiration for radio, robots, and even radar, has been called the patron saint of modern electricity. Based on original material and previously unavailable documents, this acclaimed book is the definitive biography of the man considered by many to be the founding father of modern electrical technology.
-
-
Tesla was a hundred years ahead of his time
- By Jean on 01-28-12
By: Marc J. Seifer
-
Faraday, Maxwell, and the Electromagnetic Field
- How Two Men Revolutionized Physics
- By: Nancy Forbes, Basil Mahon
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two of the boldest and most creative scientists of all time were Michael Faraday (1791-1867) and James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879). This is the story of how these two men - separated in age by 40 years - discovered the existence of the electromagnetic field and devised a radically new theory which overturned the strictly mechanical view of the world that had prevailed since Newton's time.
-
-
Amazing narration of an incredibly well told story
- By Paul de Jong on 03-01-21
By: Nancy Forbes, and others
-
The Innovators
- How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Following his blockbuster biography of Steve Jobs, The Innovators is Walter Isaacson’s revealing story of the people who created the computer and the Internet. It is destined to be the standard history of the digital revolution and an indispensable guide to how innovation really happens. What were the talents that allowed certain inventors and entrepreneurs to turn their visionary ideas into disruptive realities? What led to their creative leaps? Why did some succeed and others fail?
-
-
A History of the Ancient Geeks
- By Mark on 10-21-14
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Einstein's Cosmos
- How Albert Einstein's Vision Transformed Our Understanding of Space and Time: Great Discoveries
- By: Michio Kaku
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A dazzling tour of the universe as Einstein saw it. How did Albert Einstein come up with the theories that changed the way we look at the world? By thinking in pictures. Michio Kaku, leading theoretical physicist (a cofounder of string theory) and best-selling science storyteller, shows how Einstein used seemingly simple images to lead a revolution in science. With originality and expertise, Kaku uncovers the surprising beauty that lies at the heart of Einstein's cosmos
-
-
Mix of science and the man
- By B. Ruple on 11-03-13
By: Michio Kaku
-
The Problem of Increasing Human Energy
- By: Nikola Tesla
- Narrated by: Adriel Brandt
- Length: 2 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943) was a Serbian electrical and mechanical engineer who was born and raised in the Austrian Empire and later became an American citizen. His article "The Problem of Increasing Human Energy" (June 1900) is a philosophical study of the nature of mankind's relationship to the universe, with scientific extrapolations on how technological advancement might contribute to that understanding.
By: Nikola Tesla
-
Tesla
- Wizard at War: The Genius, the Particle Beam Weapon, and the Pursuit of Power
- By: Marc J. Seifer
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on 40 years of research and a treasure trove of new information, Tesla: Wizard at War provides a comprehensive view of Tesla's discoveries, which continue to influence today's military technology and diplomatic strategies. One of the world's leading Tesla experts, Marc J. Seifer, offers new insight into the brilliant scientist's particle beam weapon (aka the "Death Ray") and explores his military negotiations with pivotal historical figures - including his links to Joseph Stalin, Vannevar Bush, General Andrew McNaughton, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
-
-
review from an electrician
- By Ashton Zee on 12-13-21
By: Marc J. Seifer
-
The Idea Factory
- Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation
- By: Jon Gertner
- Narrated by: Chris Sorensen
- Length: 17 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Idea Factory, New York Times Magazine writer Jon Gertner reveals how Bell Labs served as an incubator for scientific innovation from the 1920s through the1980s. In its heyday, Bell Labs boasted nearly 15,000 employees, 1200 of whom held PhDs and 13 of whom won Nobel Prizes. Thriving in a work environment that embraced new ideas, Bell Labs scientists introduced concepts that still propel many of today’s most exciting technologies.
-
-
Great story -- horrible pauses
- By Rodney on 01-29-13
By: Jon Gertner
-
Significant Figures
- The Lives and Work of Great Mathematicians
- By: Ian Stewart
- Narrated by: Roger Clark
- Length: 11 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Significant Figures, acclaimed mathematician Ian Stewart introduces the visionaries of mathematics throughout history. Delving into the lives of twenty-five great mathematicians, Stewart examines the roles they played in creating, inventing, and discovering the mathematics we use today. Through these short biographies, we get acquainted with the history of mathematics.
-
-
Beware
- By Anton Kurtz on 12-08-18
By: Ian Stewart
-
Professor Maxwell's Duplicitous Demon
- The Life and Science of James Clerk Maxwell
- By: Brian Clegg
- Narrated by: Simon Mattacks
- Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Asked to name a great physicist, most people would mention Newton or Einstein, Feynman or Hawking. But ask a physicist and there’s no doubt that James Clerk Maxwell will be near the top of the list. Maxwell, an unassuming Victorian Scotsman, explained how we perceive color. He uncovered the way gases behave. And, most significantly, he transformed the way physics was undertaken in his explanation of the interaction of electricity and magnetism, revealing the nature of light and laying the groundwork for everything from Einstein’s special relativity to modern electronics.
-
-
Science writing done right
- By Erik Hill Reviews on 04-08-20
By: Brian Clegg
-
The Tipping Point
- How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
- By: Malcolm Gladwell
- Narrated by: Malcolm Gladwell
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.
-
-
My tipping point…for audio
- By Mod on 04-17-12
By: Malcolm Gladwell
-
Algorithms to Live By
- The Computer Science of Human Decisions
- By: Brian Christian, Tom Griffiths
- Narrated by: Brian Christian
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From finding a spouse to finding a parking spot, from organizing one's inbox to understanding the workings of human memory, Algorithms to Live By transforms the wisdom of computer science into strategies for human living.
-
-
Great listen, just don't expect tips!
- By Adam Hosman on 08-07-17
By: Brian Christian, and others
-
Empires of Light
- Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World
- By: Jill Jonnes
- Narrated by: Chris Sorensen
- Length: 16 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the final decades of the 19th century, three brilliant and visionary titans of America's Gilded Age - Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and George Westinghouse - battled as each vied to create a vast and powerful electrical empire. In Empires of Light, historian Jill Jonnes portrays this extraordinary trio and their riveting and ruthless world of cutting-edge science, invention, intrigue, money, death, and hard-eyed Wall Street millionaires.
-
-
Get the book vs audio version
- By DuPont on 06-15-17
By: Jill Jonnes
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Wizard
- The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla: Biography of a Genius
- By: Marc J. Seifer
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 22 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), credited as the inspiration for radio, robots, and even radar, has been called the patron saint of modern electricity. Based on original material and previously unavailable documents, this acclaimed book is the definitive biography of the man considered by many to be the founding father of modern electrical technology.
-
-
Tesla was a hundred years ahead of his time
- By Jean on 01-28-12
By: Marc J. Seifer
-
Tesla: Man Out of Time
- By: Margaret Cheney
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey, Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Tesla's childhood in Yugoslavia to his death in New York in the 1940s, Cheney paints a compelling human portrait and chronicles a lifetime of discoveries that radically altered - and continue to alter - the world in which we live. Tesla: Man Out of Time is an in-depth look at the seminal accomplishments of a scientific wizard and a thoughtful examination of the obsessions and eccentricities of the man behind the science.
-
-
Good but very dated.
- By Mr Smith on 08-09-15
By: Margaret Cheney
-
Tesla
- Wizard at War: The Genius, the Particle Beam Weapon, and the Pursuit of Power
- By: Marc J. Seifer
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on 40 years of research and a treasure trove of new information, Tesla: Wizard at War provides a comprehensive view of Tesla's discoveries, which continue to influence today's military technology and diplomatic strategies. One of the world's leading Tesla experts, Marc J. Seifer, offers new insight into the brilliant scientist's particle beam weapon (aka the "Death Ray") and explores his military negotiations with pivotal historical figures - including his links to Joseph Stalin, Vannevar Bush, General Andrew McNaughton, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
-
-
review from an electrician
- By Ashton Zee on 12-13-21
By: Marc J. Seifer
-
My Inventions
- The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla
- By: Nikola Tesla
- Narrated by: Jason McCoy
- Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In "My Inventions," Nikola Tesla, the visionary engineer often overshadowed by Edison, speaks for himself. This 1919 collection of articles offers a captivating blend of personal anecdotes, humorous reflections, and profound insights into his extraordinary creations. Listeners travel alongside Tesla as he recounts his childhood fascination with electricity, his pivotal role in developing the alternating current system, and his groundbreaking work on wireless communication, robotics, and even harnessing cosmic energy.
-
-
Wow what thoughts.
- By William Hinton on 01-02-25
By: Nikola Tesla
-
Tesla
- Inventor of the Modern
- By: Richard Munson
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nikola Tesla, a Serbian immigrant, invented the radio, the induction motor, the neon lamp, and the remote control. Tesla's personal life was magnificently bizarre. Strikingly handsome and impeccably dressed, he was germophobic and never shook hands. He required nine napkins when he sat down to dinner. In later years, he ate only white food and conversed with the pigeons in Bryant Park. This clear, authoritative, and highly enjoyable biography takes account of all phases of this remarkable life.
-
-
Listening Again
- By Thoughtful_Things on 11-18-19
By: Richard Munson
-
My Inventions
- The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla
- By: Nikola Tesla
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written by Nikola Tesla at the age of 63, this autobiography is a fascinating glimpse into the interior life of a man who may have contributed more to the fields of electricity, radio, and television than any other person living or dead, a man certainly possessed of genius, and one who some consider the most important man of the 20th century.
-
-
Impressive
- By Niko on 11-23-20
By: Nikola Tesla
-
Wizard
- The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla: Biography of a Genius
- By: Marc J. Seifer
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 22 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), credited as the inspiration for radio, robots, and even radar, has been called the patron saint of modern electricity. Based on original material and previously unavailable documents, this acclaimed book is the definitive biography of the man considered by many to be the founding father of modern electrical technology.
-
-
Tesla was a hundred years ahead of his time
- By Jean on 01-28-12
By: Marc J. Seifer
-
Tesla: Man Out of Time
- By: Margaret Cheney
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey, Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 13 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Tesla's childhood in Yugoslavia to his death in New York in the 1940s, Cheney paints a compelling human portrait and chronicles a lifetime of discoveries that radically altered - and continue to alter - the world in which we live. Tesla: Man Out of Time is an in-depth look at the seminal accomplishments of a scientific wizard and a thoughtful examination of the obsessions and eccentricities of the man behind the science.
-
-
Good but very dated.
- By Mr Smith on 08-09-15
By: Margaret Cheney
-
Tesla
- Wizard at War: The Genius, the Particle Beam Weapon, and the Pursuit of Power
- By: Marc J. Seifer
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Drawing on 40 years of research and a treasure trove of new information, Tesla: Wizard at War provides a comprehensive view of Tesla's discoveries, which continue to influence today's military technology and diplomatic strategies. One of the world's leading Tesla experts, Marc J. Seifer, offers new insight into the brilliant scientist's particle beam weapon (aka the "Death Ray") and explores his military negotiations with pivotal historical figures - including his links to Joseph Stalin, Vannevar Bush, General Andrew McNaughton, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
-
-
review from an electrician
- By Ashton Zee on 12-13-21
By: Marc J. Seifer
-
My Inventions
- The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla
- By: Nikola Tesla
- Narrated by: Jason McCoy
- Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In "My Inventions," Nikola Tesla, the visionary engineer often overshadowed by Edison, speaks for himself. This 1919 collection of articles offers a captivating blend of personal anecdotes, humorous reflections, and profound insights into his extraordinary creations. Listeners travel alongside Tesla as he recounts his childhood fascination with electricity, his pivotal role in developing the alternating current system, and his groundbreaking work on wireless communication, robotics, and even harnessing cosmic energy.
-
-
Wow what thoughts.
- By William Hinton on 01-02-25
By: Nikola Tesla
-
Tesla
- Inventor of the Modern
- By: Richard Munson
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 9 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nikola Tesla, a Serbian immigrant, invented the radio, the induction motor, the neon lamp, and the remote control. Tesla's personal life was magnificently bizarre. Strikingly handsome and impeccably dressed, he was germophobic and never shook hands. He required nine napkins when he sat down to dinner. In later years, he ate only white food and conversed with the pigeons in Bryant Park. This clear, authoritative, and highly enjoyable biography takes account of all phases of this remarkable life.
-
-
Listening Again
- By Thoughtful_Things on 11-18-19
By: Richard Munson
-
My Inventions
- The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla
- By: Nikola Tesla
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written by Nikola Tesla at the age of 63, this autobiography is a fascinating glimpse into the interior life of a man who may have contributed more to the fields of electricity, radio, and television than any other person living or dead, a man certainly possessed of genius, and one who some consider the most important man of the 20th century.
-
-
Impressive
- By Niko on 11-23-20
By: Nikola Tesla
-
The Nikola Tesla Collection
- By: Nikola Tesla
- Narrated by: Adriel Brandt
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the most comprehensive compilation of newspaper clippings and periodical articles assembled about Nikola Tesla. The entries range from August 14, 1886, to December 11, 1920. Comprising approximately 1,700 separate items, the collection includes both American and British publications and is reproduced directly from the original material.
-
-
great narration
- By Cold Electric Hardware on 09-12-21
By: Nikola Tesla
-
Empires of Light
- Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World
- By: Jill Jonnes
- Narrated by: Chris Sorensen
- Length: 16 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the final decades of the 19th century, three brilliant and visionary titans of America's Gilded Age - Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, and George Westinghouse - battled as each vied to create a vast and powerful electrical empire. In Empires of Light, historian Jill Jonnes portrays this extraordinary trio and their riveting and ruthless world of cutting-edge science, invention, intrigue, money, death, and hard-eyed Wall Street millionaires.
-
-
Get the book vs audio version
- By DuPont on 06-15-17
By: Jill Jonnes
-
THE 3 6 9 METHOD OF MANIFESTATION
- Personalized Paths to Success Through Ancient Wisdom
- By: Norris Elliott
- Narrated by: Virtual Voice
- Length: 1 hr and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Unlock the Secret Power of the Universe with THE 3 6 9 METHOD OF MANIFESTATION: Personalized Paths to Success Through Ancient Wisdom ✅ Discover the transformative power of Nikola Tesla's secret code—Learn how the numbers 3, 6, and 9 can unlock your potential to manifest desires. ✅ Master the Art of Manifestation—Step-by-step guidance on integrating the 3 6 9 method into your daily routine for effective manifestation. ✅ Tailor the Practice to Your Life—Personalization techniques to ensure the 3 6 9 method resonates with your unique energy and lifestyle. ✅ Navigate Life's ...
-
-
Here it is:
- By Destiny on 03-31-25
By: Norris Elliott
-
My Life and Work
- By: Henry Ford, Samuel Crowther
- Narrated by: Traber Burns
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The book that has inspired entrepreneurs for generations, not only is My Life and Work by Henry Ford a memoir of an American icon but it also shows the spirit that built America. Written in 1922, this work provides a unique insight into the observations, ideas, and problem-solving skills of this remarkable man.
-
-
Surprising. The man is incapable of fluff.
- By Kindle Customer on 02-28-19
By: Henry Ford, and others
-
Einstein
- His Life and Universe
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Edward Herrmann
- Length: 21 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Why we think it’s a great listen: You thought he was a stodgy scientist with funny hair, but Isaacson and Hermann reveal an eloquent, intense, and selfless human being who not only shaped science with his theories, but politics and world events in the 20th century as well. Based on the newly released personal letters of Albert Einstein, Walter Isaacson explores how an imaginative, impertinent patent clerk became the mind reader of the creator of the cosmos.
-
-
Surprise: Two books in one!
- By Henrik on 04-20-07
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Degree in a Book: Philosophy
- By: Peter Gibson
- Narrated by: Laurence Bouvard
- Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The perfect introduction to philosophy, Degree in a Book: Philosophy covers every major subject of philosophy, every school of thought, and every philosopher in an accessible manner. Including helpful summary sections, ideas for further reading, and questions to consider, you will soon be able to understand the differences between Plato and Aristotle, the links between Kierkegaard and Camus, and the essential truth behind Zeno's paradox.
-
-
Excellent Refresher for anyone
- By Robert Mills on 12-02-22
By: Peter Gibson
-
Leonardo da Vinci
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Alfred Molina
- Length: 17 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Leonardo da Vinci created the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and engineering. With a passion that sometimes became obsessive, he pursued innovative studies of anatomy, fossils, birds, the heart, flying machines, botany, geology, and weaponry.
-
-
Wish the sample was not from the preface!
- By Chris M. on 11-13-17
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Elon Musk
- Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
- By: Ashlee Vance
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the spirit of Steve Jobs and Moneyball, Elon Musk is both an illuminating and authorized look at the extraordinary life of one of Silicon Valley's most exciting, unpredictable, and ambitious entrepreneurs - a real-life Tony Stark - and a fascinating exploration of the renewal of American invention and its new makers.
-
-
The best of competence porn
- By Tristan on 08-20-16
By: Ashlee Vance
-
Elon Musk
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb, Walter Isaacson
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist.
-
-
megalomania on display
- By JP on 09-12-23
By: Walter Isaacson
-
The Everything Store
- Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon
- By: Brad Stone
- Narrated by: Pete Larkin
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amazon.com started off delivering books through the mail. But its visionary founder, Jeff Bezos, wasn't content with being a bookseller. He wanted Amazon to become the everything store, offering limitless selection and seductive convenience at disruptively low prices. To do so, he developed a corporate culture of relentless ambition and secrecy that's never been cracked. Until now.
-
-
Did you know how bad it is to work for Amazon?
- By Shamu from New York on 12-07-13
By: Brad Stone
-
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life
- By: Walter Isaacson
- Narrated by: Nelson Runger
- Length: 24 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Benjamin Franklin is the founding father who winks at us - an ambitious urban entrepreneur who rose up the social ladder, from leather-aproned shopkeeper to dining with kings. In best-selling author Walter Isaacson's vivid and witty full-scale biography, we discover why Franklin turns to us from history's stage with eyes that twinkle from behind his new-fangled spectacles. In Benjamin Franklin, Isaacson shows how Franklin defines both his own time and ours. The most interesting thing that Franklin invented, and continually reinvented, was himself.
-
-
Good book, not crazy about the narrator
- By Cathi on 07-20-13
By: Walter Isaacson
-
Rework
- By: Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 2 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With its straightforward language and easy-is-better approach, Rework is the perfect playbook for anyone who's ever dreamed of doing it on their own. Hardcore entrepreneurs, small-business owners, people stuck in day jobs who want to get out, and artists who don't want to starve anymore will all find valuable inspiration and guidance in these pages. It's time to rework work.
-
-
Simple, Quick, Timely, Contrarian Advice
- By Paul on 06-18-10
By: Jason Fried, and others
What listeners say about Tesla
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- R. Winchester
- 05-06-18
Illuminating in a wireless way
I think this has to be the best books about Tesla. This is really a very, very complex subject because so much modern life that we recognize was forming during this time. International travel, mechanized devices - especially ships and trains and early cars, refrigeration, all need alternating current in some form to work. In retrospect, Tesla needed a much more modern manager to help him then existed... and maybe JP Morgan needed a better science adviser. Tesla (in this book) comes across like a typical university research fellow when he probably wasn’t. but this was so long ago. I think as the author seems to say, that Tesla later in life, has mental health issues. I think it’s a shame that Westinghouse (company) doesn’t come to terms with him much earlier in his life. It’s possible that Marconi legal problems might have been handled better that way. Morgan probably could have “forced” Westinghouse to deal with Tesla instead of getting into that wardenclyffe stuff but hindsight always makes things look easy. Anyway, great book in audio format since, for me, the language of Tesla’s era is easier to make sense of when heard rather than read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- startup_eng1
- 01-01-15
Tesla Needed A Manager
What made the experience of listening to Tesla the most enjoyable?
The style of writing was easy to follow (not as detailed as Israel ' s book on Edison) and the presentation was easy to listen to and enjoyable.
What other book might you compare Tesla to and why?
Israel ' s book on Edison. Carlson focused more on what Tesla was like as a person; explaining that his pursuit of allusion was his downfall. If Charles Peck hadn't died in 1890 the Tesla story might have been a lot different. He had a sense of the market and seemed to be able to get Tesla focused and keep him focused until he had a commercially viable product.
Edison on the other hand was a virtual engineering machine. The two men were quite different. Israel seemed to struggle with covering all of Edison ' s work; so much so that you don't get inside the man as much as Carlson ' s presentation of Tesla. I think I would like to read a biography of Edison written by Carlson.
I have yet to read Jill Jones book "Empires of Light". Maybe she provides the comparison that I am looking for.
Have you listened to any of Allan Robertson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
Tesla: What happened? The Shocking Truth!
Any additional comments?
I definitely recommend this book. Carlson does a great job explaining the people who invent and what brings them success and failure.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jaime
- 11-25-16
Brilliant mind
The true master of electricity. Genius inventor of most electrical applications and products used today. A genius who put people first.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- jesse white
- 02-09-23
great listen for me.
I am loving this book. I can't wait to give it another listen. Very technical but still very interesting.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bjarne
- 01-19-15
Meeting the Jobs of nineteenth century
Interesting and entertaining story of an inventive, brilliant but highly particular personality. A clear reminder of the importance of delivering on promises.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 10-30-17
fascinating study of Tesla
realistic disclosure of Tesla , the man , inventor and illusionist . Well researched, excellent read.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- PerryMartinBookReviews
- 02-03-15
Technical book on Tesla
This scientific book about Nikola Tesla Narrated by Allan Robinson and written by W. Bernard Carlson is a great overview of Tesla, his inventions and his humanity. This book explores his ideas, his successes and his failures. It reads like a History Channel Documentary, but Allan Robinsos's narration makes it an enjoyable listen. I would suggest you have Internet access when listening so you can see pictures of Tesla's inventions to give you visual of what you hearing about.
I found out many things I did not know about Tesla. I was surprised that Tesla traveled as much as he did as travel was difficult in early 1900's. This story is not a puff piece but looks at Tesla's flaws and success equally drawing no conclusions but presenting the facts.
If you are a history buff this book is a great listen.
I purchased this book for my own entertainment.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tom L Parker
- 01-25-22
Too technical
I made it through the entire book but I found myself drifting off frequently. Far more technical information than I wanted or understood. I was hoping for more about the man.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- John Coppolella
- 10-29-19
Fantastic integration of Nikola Tesla a humanitari
Tesla was a comet. How trail showedus a sweeping array of vigor and imagination that within a the confined of his very human heart changed the world and left us a blueprint of a maverick.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cory N. Pavicich
- 02-09-17
Strong academic treatment of Tesla
I enjoyed the thoughtful and well-researched look at historical character that I thought I already knew.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful