George Westinghouse: Powering the World

by William R. Huber

Overview

While most know Thomas Edison for his invention of the light bulb, his counterpart, George Westinghouse, is too often overlooked. Westinghouse, however, became known as one of the most prolific inventors and businessmen of the Industrial Revolution. This biography reveals the man whose teachers suspected was mentally disabled and who quit college after one semester, yet founded more than 60 different companies employing 50,000 people, and received 361 U.S. patents. He later fought the "Battle of the Currents" (AC vs. DC) with Thomas Edison and won. Westinghouse, with his engineers, provided power and light for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. They harnessed the massive power of Niagara Falls and sent it over wires to light Buffalo and eventually the Northeast. His electric engines powered trains, and his air brakes stopped them. His scientific contributions forever changed the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476644141
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	02/03/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	291
File size:	29 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

William R. Huber worked at Bell Telephone Laboratories and other major American technology companies before becoming an expert witness in patent litigation cases. He lives near Pinehurst, North Carolina.
William R. Huber worked at Bell Telephone Laboratories and other major American technology companies before becoming an expert witness in patent litigation cases. He lives in West End, North Carolina.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Foreword by Gary Hoover
Preface
Introduction
 1. Origins
 2. Working on the Railroad
 3. It’s Hard to Stop a Train
 4. The Smoky City
 5. Straight Air Brakes
 6. Automatic Air Brakes
 7. What’s a Wilmerding?
 8. Two Trains, One Track
 9. Solitude
10. Gas Pains
11. More Energy
12. AC or DC
13. Assembling the Pieces
14. The Greatest Inventor Who Ever Lived
15. The Greatest Experimenter Who Ever Lived
16. Bankers Always Win
17. Dying for Electricity
18. The Worst of Times
19. The White City
20. Over a Barrel at Niagara
21. New Lands to Conquer
22. Rotary Redux
23. Trolleys and Trains
24. Panic!
25. Homes and Family
26. Retirement, Honors, and Death
27. Memorials
28. The Next Century
Appendix I—Westinghouse Family Genealogy
Appendix II—Automatic Air Brake Operation
Appendix III—Electrical Engineering 101
Appendix IV—How Does an Induction Motor Work?
Appendix V—How Does a Turbine Operate?
Appendix VI—Patent Law Primer
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Huber is a Pittsburgh native and clearly an admirer of Westinghouse, his contributions to Pittsburgh, and his relatively humane treatment of employees. Huber writes well: compared to the previous biographies, this one is better illustrated and more informative.... The detailed, illustrated appendixes included in the book will assist readers wishing to understand Westinghouse's technical accomplishments...recommended”—Choice

From the Publisher