Christopher Cooper (6) (1944–)

The Truth About Tesla: The Myth of the Lone Genius in the History of Innovation, by Christopher Cooper, is an attractive volume that uses Tesla as the prime example in the larger argument that the "lone genius" idea is a myth and is by far the exception and not the rule.

The book does have some minor errors, though some of the ones I have seen pointed out are actually examples of poor reading comprehension on the part of the "scientist" making the claim. The key is that these minor errors show more have no impact on the argument of the book, which is to illustrate that even someone often considered to be a lone genius in fact, as we all do, builds on what came before. If this were a biography of Tesla or a science textbook these things would be more important. But it isn't and they're not.

Which brings me to my next point: does anyone read a book description before buying or requesting a book? None of the descriptions I read gave the impression this was a biography and, right up front, Cooper makes clear that there is nothing "new" in the book. It is about the way known facts are put together in an argument that generates the idea of the book, not a mindless search for "something I didn't already know." So I will state the obvious: this is not a biography. There is a bit of a biographic sketch early in the book then discussions on electricity, patent law, and the old standard of "standing on shoulders."

I would recommend this to those who admire Tesla but also want a better idea of who and what he built on, as well as what other similar work was being done without his knowledge. If you like idea books rather than simply regurgitation of facts, you might find a lot to enjoy here. If you lean more toward regurgitation, there are plenty of quite good books of that sort available.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. show less