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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.

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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.

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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.

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At the height of his fame Thomas Alva Edison was hailed as “the Napoleon of invention” and blazed in the public imagination as a virtual demigod. Newspapers proclaimed his genius in glowing personal profiles and quipped that “the doctor has been called” because the great man “has not invented anything since breakfast.” But Edison's greatest invention may have been his own celebrity.

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  • The Hero with a Thousand Faces

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Since its release in 1949, The Hero with a Thousand Faces has influenced millions of readers by combining the insights of modern psychology with Joseph Campbell's revolutionary understanding of comparative mythology. In this book, Campbell outlines the Hero's Journey, a universal motif of adventure and transformation that runs through virtually all of the world's mythic traditions. He also explores the Cosmogonic Cycle, the mythic pattern of world creation and destruction.

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A mesmerizing, behind-the-scenes business thriller that chronicles how Sega, a small, scrappy gaming company led by an unlikely visionary and a team of rebels, took on the juggernaut Nintendo and revolutionized the video-game industry. In 1990, Nintendo had a virtual monopoly on the video-game industry. Sega, on the other hand, was just a faltering arcade company with big aspirations and even bigger personalities. But all that would change with the arrival of Tom Kalinske, a former Mattel executive who knew nothing about video games and everything about fighting uphill battles.

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Publisher's Summary

Long before there was VHS versus Betamax, Windows versus Macintosh, or Blu-Ray versus HD-DVD, the first and nastiest standards war was fought over how electricity would be transmitted around the world: alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). The savage showdown between AC and DC changed the lives of billions of people, shaped the modern technological age, and set the stage for all standards wars to follow.

AC/DC tells the little-known story of how Thomas Edison bet wrong in that war, eventually losing control over the "operating system" for his future inventions - not to mention the company he founded, which would later become General Electric. Today's Digital Age wizards can take lessons from Edison's fierce battle: control an invention's technical standard and you control the market
©2008 Tom McNichol (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"Though a battle over electrical standards sounds dry, this tale is anything but....[The] book tantalizingly scratches the surface of Edison's ingenuity and force of will, Westinghouse's shrewd business sense, and most of all the sheer eccentricity of Nikola Tesla." ( Publishers Weekly)

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An incredible true story

This book is awesome all the way around!

Very well written, very well read, and an incredible true story about how "Edison General Electric" became just "General Electric".

Highly recommended for those who want to know more about Edison, Westinghouse and Tesla, and the roles they played in the electrification of the world.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Doggone

I had a visceral response as I listened to the tales of the electrocutions of the various species of dogs. I actually fast forwarded after the first 5 or so minutes in hopes that the results they found in the first couple dogs would be enough to tell the story.

While Edison was brilliant and motivated he really didn't have much human velcro. This was dominant throughout this book.

I recommend this book because of the importance of history - and strangely enough, how things really haven't changed in 100+ years from a human interaction and business posture.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Worth your time

I really liked this book. I had been unaware that Edison was such a , , , snot. So stubborn and insistent. Tesla comes off as the hero here but I am willing to believe it went down that way--especially now that there is such a terrific looking car, the Tesla, for sale! Held my interest and I appreciated learning and being entertained at the same time. Would be a good movie. Edison's part would be the one to have, though! He is the more interesting character in many ways. Not "riveting" but close

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

it was surprisingly good

I was not really sure how much i would like this book but it was surprisingly good.

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A Must 'Read'!!!!

A real gem of an Audiobook! Very well written and narrated. Listen to this, and you'll never think of Edison the same way again! Wow! He was almost something like a cross between a carnival barker and a used car salesman (with a bit of genius).

You won't be sorry if you get this one! Enjoy!

  • Overall
    out of 5 stars

Good read

I liked this story

0 of 1 people found this review helpful