Sentence:  He [Johnson] and my father could talk shop for hours and hours, and my father got a lot of stimulation – my father was also tense and bright but more quiet, less adventurous – he needed Edgar and Edgar&#39;s strong opinions and mercilessly sharp mind to <WSD>get</WSD> him <WSD>going</WSD>. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  To excite intellectually.