My Inventions

The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla

By: Nikola Tesla

Narrated by: Sean Runnette

Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's Summary

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.

My Inventions is a firsthand account not only of the art and science behind the conception, execution, and reception of Tesla's most famous inventions but of his early life and first creative efforts as well. History buffs, science enthusiasts, backyard inventors, and anyone who has ever dared to dream big will be thrilled to hear this engaging, informative, and uniquely humorous autobiography.

Public Domain (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

very interesting and nicely personal

I was delighted to get to know about Tesla in a rather personal view, and hearing about the early days and childhood of this great inventor.
i would definetly listen again for this one, i simply enjoyed it fully with all the details of his inventions and peculiar way of thinking..

Impressive

Incredible, taking into account that it was written over a 100 years ago. Also, great voiceover.

my first read

Would you listen to My Inventions again? Why?

the guys a genius, blown away by his spirituality, definitely a special man. amazing that we have the ability to hear the actual words of such an amazing soul

Who was your favorite character and why?

tesla

What does Sean Runnette bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

not sure

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

not sure

Any additional comments?

no

The first two chapters

The first two chapters about his childhood are the craziest funniest things I’ve ever heard. At no point did I guess what was going to happen next. Would recommend 10 out of 10

A Brilliant Ego

Interesting read of a brilliant man. Much of his work was overshadowed and bit before it's time. Worthy of a quick listen. A bit technical at times.

Subject Matter

If you’re into him or that stuff, great and quick read. If you aren’t sure, it’s a brutal gloat into almost everything around us. I’m glad it wasn’t any longer, and I listened at 1.5 speed. Narrator was excellent.

Monotonous delusions of grandeur

I gave this two stats instead of one because it has done wonders for my insomnia - within minutes of starting this audiobook waves of fatigue overwhelm me. He laid claims to many inventions for which he had neither proof nor basis in reality, yet he never mentions having found a cure for insomnia- how humble.

Tesla's repeated claims of inventions that are "nearly ready" and will be "given to the world in a few years" quickly become tedious. He portrays himself simultaneously to have great physical prowess and powers of senses greater than any other human and also frequently being at death's doorstep and in weakened states. He fluctuates in his self-image as frequently as he does in topic - this is at best the random ramblings of a man's diary and there is thread of a story to follow. The monotonous narration is abysmal but appropriate given the original author.

Let me be clear: I believe Tesla was a proper genius, but he fell into that trap of "mad" genius, self obsessed and plagued by delusions of grandeur in response to his recognition of his genius. I wonder if psychiatrists speculate any mental disorder - his vacillating energy and delusions seem to be similar to a person with bipolar disorder, or possibly a unique form of obsessive-compulsive disorder that causes him to pursue fantastical whims to ludicrous ends. At any rate, there is clearly some break with reality and his autobiography makes him sound like an absolute bozo. I had a lot more respect for him before reading his autobiography.

I would NOT recommend this unless you are in desperate need of sleep. There should be a warning not to drive or operate heavy machinery while listening to this audiobook.

A Legend In His Own Mind

Tesla was an eccentric genius, no doubt, but I can’t help but thinking that the cult-like overestimation of the man was fostered by this book.

What I read is the work of a narcissist and braggart. Throw in some delusional thinking, OCD, and perhaps some deception, and you ultimately have the mentally ill inventor who got by in his dotage by the kindness…or pity…of others. It’s a fascinating look at a frangible mind.

Did he really have a photographic memory? Did he memorize whole books word for word? Did he read every work of Voltaire? Could he function on no sleep? He says so in this work from 1919…but did anyone ever test these claims?

A cult has grown up around Nikola Tesla. Some nowadays believe things about him that simply aren’t true. The fact that claimants say he slept two hours a night always raises a red flag for me. I’ve known at least two other cult leaders that made that claim. This book seems the perfect seed crystal for such a movement.

What is interesting about this, I think, is that he dismisses the notion of free will. He also doesn’t seem to have any believe in the supernatural. Credulous thinking is something he thought I’ll of. But credulous he seemed to be.

Regardless, this is a fascinating audiobook. The only thing I didn’t like about it was his insistence on explaining in detail his electrical inventions…having no background in electronics, this totally confused me.

Tesla

As always anything Tesla is amazing. The perspective of Tesla's life is amazing. Just great!

This reading makes this book unbearable.

The reading is so bad it makes the book unlistenable. Sean Runnette ruined this book

Just a genius

I knew about Tesla and had watched some videos on him, but upon reading this I never fully grasped just how intelligent and intuitive he was. A great man and a true genius, definitely worth listening to.