Inventor, Engineer, and Physicist Nikola Tesla

STEM Trailblazer Bios / Biografías de Pioneros STEM

by Katie Marsico

As a child, Nikola Tesla saw a picture of a waterfall and imagined an invention that would harness the water's energy. Decades later, he invented the water wheel. Learn about this innovative inventor, who changed the world of electricity.

Genres: Science, Biography, Stem, Nonfiction

32 pages, Library Binding

Published August 1, 2017

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

“My method is different. I do not rush into actual work. When I get an idea, I start at once building it up in my imagination. I change the construction, make improvements, and operate the device entirely in my mind.”

Despite the fact that people said AC electricity would be impossible, Nikola Tesla persisted in the idea until it became a reality. The now famous competition between Edison’s DC current and Tesla’s AC current is a cautionary tale on the effects of scientists being too single-minded in their inventions and not exploring other avenues. Or maybe it’s being too willing to protect the status quo and not pushing past roadblocks. “That is the trouble with many inventors; they lack patience. They lack the willingness to work a thing out slowly and clearly and sharply in their mind ,so that they can actually feel it work. ... We all make mistakes, and it is ether to make them before we begin.

A quick read to whet the appetite of students interested in Nikola Tesla.

[David Poltorak · Rating 3 out of 5]

In an effort to try my hand at reading biographies, I plucked a few easy-to-read ones off the shelf from my local library.
Knowing a bit about Tesla and respecting his genius, I found this book to be a decent overview but also a bit misleading. Tesla didn’t die in fame but in poverty. The book ended abruptly (incomplete) and dishonestly, hence my rating.


Quotes:

My method is different. I do not rush into actual work. When I get an idea, I start at once building it up in my imagination. I change the construction, make improvements, and operate the device entirely in my mind.



That is the trouble with many inventors; they lack patience. They lack the willingness to work a thing out slowly and clearly and sharply in their mind, so that they can actually ‘feel it work.’ … We all make mistakes, and it is better to make them before we begin.

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nah. You can't flat out lie in a picture book biography just because the truth isn't very fun. This book does an okay job covering Tesla's life until 1895. The problem is, Tesla didn't die until 1943. THE BOOK JUST SKIPS EVERYTHING FROM 1895 TO HIS DEATH. And it says that at that time, he "had earned fame and respect across the globe." NO. NO, HE DIDN'T. He died broke and depressed and alone. He had been royally ripped off by Edison and others. He was probably mentally ill.

Y'all. Tesla was a genius. He was screwed by terrible humans, the time he lived in, and his own demons. You can't just pretend that never happened. Does a bio for kids have to go into all the details? Of course not. BUT IT CAN'T LIE. what a disappointment. Kids deserve better.

[Leilani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book didn't talk about his strange personal life such as his gambling addiction, his love for pigeons, or his OCD-like traits, and instead focused on his work life. But otherwise it was a decent book.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for my purposes (quick info).