Tom McNichol

Interesting, but the prologue is pretty outdated. Considering Edison's work on the rechargeable battery and early electric cars, I'm surprised Elon Musk went with Tesla for his company's name.

Breezy overview of Edison, Tesla and Westinghouse and the battle over early electrification standards. Engagingly written and performed.

First read April 8, 1998 and once every couple of years thereafter.

Over 100 years ago Edison (DC) and Westinghouse (AC) fought for standards dominance in the electrical generation field. Very interesting read. Edison with the "trial and error" type of inventor while Westinghouse employed more cerebral types, such as Tesla. Note: Edison had developed an electric car that, for about two years, was very much a success, using his invention, the Edison battery. Cheap gas, the electric starter, and improved roads doomed it after that.