AC/DC

The Savage Tale of the First Standards War

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AC/DC

Written by: Tom McNichol

Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner

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About this listen

Long before there was VHS versus Betamax, Windows versus Macintosh, or Blu-Ray versus HD-DVD, the first and nastiest standards war was fought over how electricity would be transmitted around the world: alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). The savage showdown between AC and DC changed the lives of billions of people, shaped the modern technological age, and set the stage for all standards wars to follow.

AC/DC tells the little-known story of how Thomas Edison bet wrong in that war, eventually losing control over the "operating system" for his future inventions - not to mention the company he founded, which would later become General Electric. Today's Digital Age wizards can take lessons from Edison's fierce battle: control an invention's technical standard and you control the market

Physics

Science

Critic Reviews

"Though a battle over electrical standards sounds dry, this tale is anything but....[The] book tantalizingly scratches the surface of Edison's ingenuity and force of will, Westinghouse's shrewd business sense, and most of all the sheer eccentricity of Nikola Tesla." ( Publishers Weekly)

Most relevant

I felt prey to the pop culture of worshiping Tesla as a fallen genius, and Edison as a tyrannical businessman. Turns out there wasn’t exactly a war between them.

And the real hero Westinghouse got lost in the sands of time.

Great book, superb narration.

An Eye Opener

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nice account of invention, business conflicts, technology war, ego clash. book covers horizon across multiple centuries.....AC, DC to HVDC, steam engine to DVD, musician to electrician......nice book

excellent one

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Unputdownable. Gives great insight into the minds and personalities of great inventors, and what went behind the adoption of AC as the standard the world over. Fantastic narration.

Engrossing book and narration

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