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FoundersAugust 4, 2019
#83 Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World
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About This Episode
What I learned from reading Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World by Jill Jonnes. Jeff Bezos on The Electricity Metaphor for the Web's Future ---- Founders Notes gives you the ability to tap into the collective knowledge of history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. Use it to supplement the decisions you make in your work. Get access to Founders Notes here. ---- “I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — Gareth Be like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast
Book Mentions
7 book mentions in this episode.
Jump to booksTip: Click “Mentioned at …” to copy a timestamp.
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Books Mentioned
“The podcast discusses the book 'Empires of Light', which tells the story of the early electric power industry and the competition between Edison, Tesla, and Westinghouse.”
Sentiment: Passing Reference
Trigger: early electric power industry
For: History enthusiasts and those interested in technology
Key quote: “The podcast discusses the book 'Empires of Light', which tells the story of the early electric power industry and the competition between Edison, Tesla, and Westinghouse.”
The host briefly mentions 'Empires of Light' to highlight the historical competition in the electric power industry. This book provides insights into the influential figures of Edison, Tesla, and Westinghouse.
ASIN: B01NBYH2WP
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
Experimental Researches in Electricity and Magnetism
Michael Faraday
“Edison had avidly consumed all three volumes of British scientist, Michael Faraday's book. Faraday became an immediate hero, a poor London boy who rose to the top ranks of science on brains and hard work alone to Edison.”
Sentiment: Deep Dive
Trigger: Edison's inspiration from Faraday
For: Individuals interested in the history of science and innovation
Key quote: “Edison had avidly consumed all three volumes of British scientist, Michael Faraday's book.”
The host discusses how Thomas Edison was inspired by Michael Faraday's work, particularly his book on electricity and magnetism. This inspiration fueled Edison's determination to innovate and succeed in his own experiments with electric light.
ASIN: 1888009144
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
The New New Thing
Michael Lewis
“The excerpt references Michael Lewis's book, which discusses Jim Clark and his ventures in Silicon Valley, particularly during a time of fundraising challenges.”
Sentiment: Passing Reference
Trigger: Silicon Valley ventures
For: Individuals interested in Silicon Valley history
Key quote: “The excerpt references Michael Lewis's book, which discusses Jim Clark and his ventures in Silicon Valley.”
The host briefly mentions 'The New New Thing' to highlight Jim Clark's impact on Silicon Valley during fundraising challenges. This reference serves to provide context about the entrepreneurial environment of the time.
ASIN: N/A
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
“The speaker mentions reading 'The HP Way' and discusses its principles, particularly the focus on making a profit to build better products.”
Sentiment: Deep Dive
Trigger: entrepreneurial principles
For: Entrepreneurs and business leaders
Key quote: “The first thing they said in the HP way is that we have to make a profit.”
The host mentions 'The HP Way' to highlight the foundational principles that guided Hewlett and Packard in their business philosophy. This book emphasizes the importance of profit as a means to create better products, aligning with the host's discussion on the motivations of great inventors like Edison and Tesla.
ASIN: N/A
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
“Edison wrote a small book called 'Warning' which served as the first official public salvo in the most unusual and caustic battles in American corporate history.”
Sentiment: Critical Analysis
Trigger: Edison vs Westinghouse competition
For: History enthusiasts and business strategists
Key quote: “He basically wrote a book, a small book on this, and it was called warning, all capital letters with an exclamation point.”
The host discusses Edison's aggressive tactics against Westinghouse, particularly through his book 'Warning', which served as a public attack on AC current. This highlights the intense rivalry in the early electric industry and Edison's reluctance to adapt to better technologies due to ego.
ASIN: N/A
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.
“The excerpt discusses the public relations battle in the war of the currents, highlighting the strategies of Edison and Westinghouse, as mentioned in the book.”
Sentiment: Deep Dive
Trigger: commitment in entrepreneurship
For: Entrepreneurs and business leaders
Key quote: “Here were the first angry rubblings in the coming hostilities that would become to known as the war of the electric currents.”
The host discusses the importance of making full commitments in one's endeavors, drawing parallels between entrepreneurs and historical figures like Edison and Westinghouse. This leads to a mention of 'The War of the Currents' as a significant example of commitment and rivalry in the electrical industry.
ASIN: N/A
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“I really, really enjoyed this book. When it was over, I felt like I always talk about that feeling, you know, when you get to the end of a great book, there's this weird melancholic...”
Sentiment: Deep Dive
Trigger: history of electricity
For: Readers interested in technological history and societal transformation
Key quote: “And one of the main takeaways of this story that I was thinking about is how important it is to study like that, you know, the electrical industry is now massive and we could not imagine living without it.”
The host discusses the book 'Empires of Light' by Jill Jones, which explores the transformative impact of electricity on society through the stories of key figures like Edison and Tesla. This mention serves to highlight the significant changes in technology and societal structure during the rise of the electric power industry.
ASIN: N/A
Buy on AmazonClick the book cover image to open the affiliate link.