FoundersAug 4, 2019

#83 Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World

Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for #83 Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World on Founders.

Notable books mentioned: Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World by Jill Jones, Experimental Researches in Electricity and Magnetism by Michael Faraday, The New New Thing by Michael Lewis, The HP Way by David Packard

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Mentioned at 0:56

Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World

Jill Jones

The host briefly mentions 'Empires of Light' to highlight the historical competition in the electric power industry. This book provides insights in…

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Mentioned at 22:57

Experimental Researches in Electricity and Magnetism

Michael Faraday

The host discusses how Thomas Edison was inspired by Michael Faraday's work, particularly his book on electricity and magnetism. This inspiration f…

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Mentioned at 27:09

The New New Thing

Michael Lewis

The host briefly mentions 'The New New Thing' to highlight Jim Clark's impact on Silicon Valley during fundraising challenges. This reference serve…

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#83 Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World

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Episode summary, books & quotes

#83 Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World mentions Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World by Jill Jones, Experimental Researches in Electricity and Magnetism by Michael Faraday, The New New Thing by Michael Lewis, and The HP Way by David Packard with timestamps, quotes, and episode context.

Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World Experimental Researches in Electricity and Magnetism The New New Thing The HP Way

Episode summary

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

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Summary, books mentioned, transcript quotes, and timestamps for #83 Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World on Founders.

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These are the strongest takeaways surfaced by the transcript, summary copy, and linked mentions for #83 Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World.

The conversation centers on commitment in entrepreneurship.
A second recurring theme is early electric power industry.
Referenced books include Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World by Jill Jones and Experimental Researches in Electricity and Magnetism by Michael Faraday.
The strongest audience signal points to History enthusiasts and those interested in technology and Individuals interested in the history of science and innovation.

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Which books are mentioned in #83 Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, George Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World?

Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World by Jill Jones, Experimental Researches in Electricity and Magnetism by Michael Faraday, and The New New Thing by Michael Lewis are the clearest linked books in this episode, each tied back to transcript timestamps and quote cards.

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Top triggers

commitment in entrepreneurship(1)early electric power industry(1)Edison vs Westinghouse competition(1)Edison's inspiration from Faraday(1)entrepreneurial principles(1)history of electricity(1)Silicon Valley ventures(1)

Mention sentiment

Deep Dive(4)Passing Reference(2)Critical Analysis(1)

Audience signals

History enthusiasts and those interested in technologyIndividuals interested in the history of science and innovationIndividuals interested in Silicon Valley historyEntrepreneurs and business leadersHistory enthusiasts and business strategistsReaders interested in technological history and societal transformation

Books Mentioned

Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World

Jill Jones

Best for History enthusiasts and those interested in technologyOften cited around early electric power industry

“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.”

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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

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Experimental Researches in Electricity and Magnetism

Michael Faraday

Best for Individuals interested in the history of science and innovationOften cited around Edison's inspiration from 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.”

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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

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The New New Thing

Michael Lewis

Best for Individuals interested in Silicon Valley historyOften cited around Silicon Valley ventures

“The excerpt references Michael Lewis's book, which discusses Jim Clark and his ventures in Silicon Valley, particularly during a time of fundraising challenges.”

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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: 0393347818

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The HP Way

David Packard

Best for Entrepreneurs and business leadersOften cited around entrepreneurial principles

“The speaker mentions reading 'The HP Way' and discusses its principles, particularly the focus on making a profit to build better products.”

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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: 0060845791

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Warning

Best for History enthusiasts and business strategistsOften cited around Edison vs Westinghouse competition

“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.”

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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: 1947701096

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The War of the Currents

Best for Entrepreneurs and business leadersOften cited around commitment in entrepreneurship

“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.”

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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: 0761354875

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Jill

Best for Readers interested in technological history and societal transformationOften cited around history of electricity

“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...”

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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: 0593982924

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Movies & Documentaries Mentioned

Movie

The Great Train Robbery

Confidence: 90%

“Edison set up a primitive movie studio and by 1904, with the Edison studios, made a movie called The Great Train Robbery.”

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