Mad Like Tesla Underdog Inventors and Their Relentless Pursuit of Clean Energy - Tyler Hamilton (2011).pdf

Publication Date: September 1, 2011 | ISBN-10: 1770410082 | ISBN-13: 978-1770410084

A search for the contemporary Nikola Tesla—considered a mad scientist by his society for predicting global warming more than 100 years ago—fuels this analysis of climate issues, which introduces thinkers and inventors who are working to find possible ways out of the energy crisis. From Louis Michaud, a retired refinery engineer who claims we can harness the energy of man-made tornadoes, to a professor and a businessman who are running a company that genetically modifies algae so it can secrete ethanol naturally, these individuals and their unorthodox methods are profiled through first-person interviews, exposing the social, economic, financial, and personal barriers that prevent them from making an impact with their ideas. The existing state of green energy technologies, such as solar, wind, biofuels, smart grid, and energy storage, is also explored, creating a sense of hope against a backdrop of climate dread.


Review
"Mad Like Tesla is easy to get through, even for readers with only a basic knowledge of energy issues. Hamilton makes complex technologies comprehensible. . . . this book's strong appeal should transcend all borders." —Library Journal (July 1, 2011)


"Hamilton's vivid portrait of some of the people touting new technologies offers insight into why they've had trouble finding mainstream acceptance." —Publishers Weekly (July 18, 2011)


"Canadian science writer Tyler Hamilton has given the scientific community working on renewable energy solutions a public relations boost with his illuminating and important book, Mad Like Tesla: Underdog Inventors and Their Relentless Pursuit of Clean Energy." —New York Journal of Books (September 1, 2011)


"From the spellbinding introduction, this one had me." —Seth Godin, entrepreneur, author, Tribes and We Are All Weird


"Each case examined [in Mad Like Tesla] is engaging, and each would-be game-changing technology is intriguing, so it's easy enough to get caught up in the often whimsical nature of the inventors' visions and follow Hamilton along on the ride." —Canadian Geographic (May 2012)
About the Author
Tyler Hamilton writes a weekly green energy and technology column for the Toronto Star and a popular blog called "Clean Break." He is the author of Privacy Payoff. He lives in Toronto.

Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: ECW Press (September 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1770410082
ISBN-13: 978-1770410084