Review: Quick Read, Succinct Biography, Lengthy Off-Topic Initial Essay - Still Good Quality
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 1, 2014
This book gets dinged for being a succinct biography of Tesla wrapped in a loaf of self-help tinged ruminations on 'genius.' But it is a quick read and an interesting one, regardless.Nearly a third of the book goes by before mentioning Tesla, and the first twenty percent of it is essentially a summarization of thoughts from Malcolm Gladwell. The last fourteen percent of the book is information about the author's other books.But the ruminations on genius aren't completely without merit. The problem comes from the fact that the title and cover of the book lead one to think this is a book solely about Tesla.For the large middle section, however, it is. A longer, more focused book would undoubtedly have more information. After reading this, and learning about Tesla, I am now certain I want to read a book like that. But I appreciate this book for teaching me a lot I didn't know about the man, and above all for making me want to read a longer book about him.Sure, I could have learned more from a longer book that stuck to the topic of the man's life and accomplishments better than this book did. But until I read this quick and informative - if initially wandering - book, I did not realize that I wanted to read about Tesla in such depth. So for that realization, and the fascinating facts revealed, I am not as against this book as some of the other readers are.I understand their feelings of being misled, but for me, I am just glad to have the door to this man's life and inventions opened a crack. Now I know I want to go in.