Jill Jonnes Knihy

Podtitul: Tesla, Edison, Westinghouse a závod o elektrifikaci světa Kniha se zabývá třemi velikány, kteří se zasloužili o vývoj prvních elektrických zařízení, zprvu na stejnosměrný proud, a později i o rozvoj proudu střídavého. Jde o Thomase Alvu Edisona, Nikolu Teslu a George Westinghousea. Autorka prochází jejich životem, popisuje objevy na vynálezy, na nichž se účastnili, a zobrazuje dobu, v níž žili a která ovlivňovala jejich práci (objevitelskou i podnikatelskou), ať už to byli finančníci podporující jejich výzkumy nebo v počátcích nedůvěra lidí v novou věc. Čtenáři se postupně seznamují s životem T. A. Edisona a jeho snahou elektrifikovat americká města stejnosměrným proudem i s Edisonovým zarputilým bojem proti proudu střídavému, konkurujícímu jeho patentům na stejnosměrné stroje a na objev žárovky, k čemuž využíval své pověsti ikony americké společnosti. Dále se objevují N. Tesla a G. Westinghouse s patenty na střídavé stroje, kteří dokázali překonat omezení přenosu elektřiny na delší vzdálenosti (což velmi omezovalo Edisona) a poprvé levně elektřinu vyrobili v podzemní elektrárně u Niagarských vodopádů. Předtím byla vyráběna jen v parních generátorech. Zlomovou v názoru na elektřinu se ukázala světová výstava 1893 v Chicagu, kdy Tesla a Westinghouse prokázali úspěšnost své koncepce.

"Thirty-five years after this landmark of urban history first captured the rise, fall, and rebirth of a once-thriving New York City borough-ravaged in the 1970s and '80s by disinvestment and fires, then heroically revived and rebuilt in the 1990s by community activists-Jill Jonnes returns to chronicle the ongoing revival of the South Bronx. Though now globally renowned as the birthplace of hip-hop, the South Bronx remains America's poorest urban congressional district. In this new edition, we meet the present generation of activists who are transforming their communities with the arts and greening, notably the restoration of the Bronx River. For better or worse, real estate investors have noticed, setting off new gentrification struggles"-- Provided by publisher

Focusing on the controversial construction of New York's original Penn Station and its tunnels, this narrative delves into the complexities and challenges faced during this iconic project. The author, known for works like Eiffel's Tower and Urban Forests, provides a detailed exploration of the historical significance and architectural innovations involved, highlighting the impact of this monumental endeavor on the city and its residents. The book offers a captivating blend of history and storytelling, making it a compelling read for architecture enthusiasts.

Eiffel's Tower for Young People is a vivid, lively pageant of people and cultures meeting—and competing—on the world stage at the dawn of the modern era. The 1889 World's Fair was a worldwide event showcasing the cutting-edge cultural and technological accomplishments of the world's most powerful nations on the verge of a new century. France, with its long history of sophistication and cultivation and a new republican government, presented the Eiffel Tower, the world's tallest structure, crafted from eighteen thousand pieces of wrought iron and 2.5 million rivets, as a symbol of national pride and engineering superiority. The United States, with its brash, can-do spirit, full of pride in its frontier and its ingenuity, presented the rollicking Wild West show of Buffalo Bill Cody and Annie Oakley, and the marvelous new phonograph of Thomas Edison. With historical photos throughout, outsized personalities, squabbling artists, and a sprinkling of royalty, this dramatic history opens a window to a piece of the past that, in its passions and politics, is an unforgettable portrait of a unique moment in history.

The story of the world-famous monument and the extraordinary world’s fair that introduced it, by the author of Conquering Gotham and Urban Forests In this first general history of the Eiffel Tower in English, Jill Jonnes-acclaimed author of Conquering Gotham-offers an eye- opening look not only at the construction of one of the modern world's most iconic structures, but also the epochal event that surrounded its arrival as a wonder of the world. In this marvelously entertaining portrait of Belle Époque France, fear and loathing over Eiffel's brash design share the spotlight with the celebrities that made the 1889 Exposition Universelle an event to remember-including Buffalo Bill and his sharpshooter Annie Oakley, Thomas Edison, and artists Whistler, Gauguin, and van Gogh. Eiffel's Tower is a richly textured portrait of an era at the dawn of modernity, reveling in the limitless promise of the future.