title: My Inventions and Other Writings
author:  Nikola Tesla 
description: <b>Nikola Tesla</b> (1856-1943) was born in Smiljan (modern-day Croatia). He emigrated to America in his youth and became a naturalized citizen in 1891. Tesla lived out the last ten years of his life at the Hotel New Yorker in solitude. He died in debt despite his numerous contributions and patents.<br><b><br>Samantha Hunt</b> is the author of two novels, including <i>The Invention of Everything</i>-about an imagined period in Tesla's life- which was shortlisted for the Orange Prize. She lives in Tivoli, New York.
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  ### My Inventions
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Table of Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * [I. My Early Life](part0001.html)
  * [II. My First Efforts At Invention](part0002.html)
  * [III. My Later Endeavors The Discovery of the Rotating Magnetic Field](part0003.html)
  * [IV. The Discovery of the Tesla Coil and Transformer](part0004.html)
  * [V. The Magnifying Transmitter](part0005.html)
  * [VI. The Art of Telautomatics](part0006.html)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ###
  
  
  # I. My Early Life
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The progressive development of man is vitally dependent on invention. It is
  the most important product of his creative brain. Its ultimate purpose is the
  complete mastery of mind over the material world, the harnessing of the forces
  of nature to human needs. This is the difficult task of the inventor who is
  often misunderstood and unrewarded. But he finds ample compensation in the
  pleasing exercises of his powers and in the knowledge of being on