Prodigal Genius: The Biography of Nikola Tesla; His Life, Legacy and Journals

Prodigal Genius: The Biography of Nikola Tesla; His Life, Legacy and JournalsNikola Tesla was one of the 20th centurys great pioneers; his role in advancing electrical energy through the use of alternating current, and his stupendous engineering finesse, make this biography by journalist John J. ONeill a fine read. Born in a Serbian village to a religious family, Nikola demonstrated an early interest in physics. The nascent science behind electricity in the 1870s a mysterious, unharnessed force became his passion. Though the

Nikola Tesla was one of the 20th centuryÕs great pioneers; his role in advancing electrical energy through the use of alternating current, and his stupendous engineering finesse, make this biography by journalist John J. OÕNeill a fine read.

Born in a Serbian village to a religious family, Nikola demonstrated an early interest in physics. The nascent science behind electricity Ð in the 1870s a mysterious, unharnessed force Ð became his passion. Though the young manÕs engineering aspirations were almost derailed when he contracted cholera, and later by Austro-Hungarian conscription, Tesla managed to enrol to study in Graz, Austria. A top-class student, tutors admiration for TeslaÕs gifts and boundless curiosity was tempered by concerns over his tendency to overwork.

These attributes marked TeslaÕs professional life; an obsessively driven man, TeslaÕs gifts for invention were amply demonstrated and rewarded in the United States. As his ambitions grew in size and scope, Tesla was hailed as a visionary.