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"The universe is filled with magical things – patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." – Eden Phillpotts
Paul Schatzkin is the author of two 'biographies of obscure 20th century scientists' who looked over the threshold into that universe of magical things.
All Philo T. Farnsworth did was invent a thing called 'the television' - which over the course of his lifetime (1906-1971) became the most ubiquitous appliance in the history of human civilization. Every video screen on the planet - including the one you are looking at now – can trace its practical origins to a sketch that 14-year-old Philo drew for his high school science teacher in 1922. Schatzkin's first book – "The Boy Who Invented Television" – traces the arc of Farnsworth's life from the advent of television in the 1920s and 30s to edge of humanity's next frontier: controlled nuclear fusion.
Schatzkin's second book – exploring the mysterious life of T. Townsend Brown (1095-1985) – is 'the biography of a man whose story cannot be told.' "The Man Who Mastered Gravity" is a tale that lives in the Venn diagram between science, science fiction and pseudo science, with elements of world history, international espionage, and cross-generational romance.
Taken together, Schatzkin's two books suggest that if advanced civilizations are galavanting around the galaxy, then their vessels are propelled by the two technologies that Farnsworth and Brown came close to – fusion energy and gravity control – that remain tantalizingly out of reach of even 21st century humans.
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Paul Schatzkin has been described variously as a visionary, gadfly, serial entrepreneur, Internet pioneer, staunch McLuhanist, author, occasional bomb-thrower, guitarist and songwriter. He was born in New York City and raised in Springsteen Country (Monmouth County, NJ) He has spent the first two decades of twenty-first century researching and writing these two biographies of obscure scientists from the twentieth.
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What readers say about 'The Boy Who Invented Television'
"Here is a book that will draw you in and keep you going. A true tale about how the television got started. When you think of TV, we have to also think of computers and other things that have come from the technology developed from the television. A very, very good book." –Aunt Em
"A riveting story. I also got the sense, with all the references and footnotes, that this was a carefully researched book. Being an electrical engineer myself, I appreciated that there was enough technical information without loosing the understanding of lay readers. I found none of the technical blunders that often appear in biographies of technical wizards. In this book, it becames clear that there are technological breakthroughs that can only come from a great mind, and not from the "inevitable" march of technology." –Joseph S.
"I really enjoyed this engaging biography. The science of the book was mostly understandable to a layperson, and I found myself rooting for Farnsworth all the way. I could really sympathize with his triumphs and his losses, and I was so saddened and angry at the way he was treated toward the end of his life. It seems a real shame that he has not gotten the recognition he deserves, and I'm glad this book is out to give him his due." – A.R.
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What readers say about 'The Man Who Mastered Gravity'
"This is a thoroughly enjoyable book. Deep investigating, unraveled mysteries, interwoven stories, clean background paragraphs on 20th century history, smart writing, honesty, and humor all work together as Schatzkin delivers a not-by-the-book biography of a fascinating man and those near and dear to him. Not to mention the mind-blowing work T. Townsend Brown was doing. Schatzkin includes clear explanations of physics, the space-time continuum, and gravity that even this humanities girl could understand. I kept saying "Wow!' as I read it. A well-researched, thoughtful, and fun read." (Avid Listener)
Very interesting account of the life of this brilliant and enigmatic scientist and inventor. A Heroic Effort by author Paul Schatzkin! – Larry R.
"This is quite literally the essential and most authoritative biography of T. Townsend Brown available. Through access to Brown's family and friends as well as hard-earned documents and dogged research, Schatzkin gives new insights to the life of Townsend Brown that seemed impossible a few years ago. He fearlessly goes down the rabbit holes inevitably encountered in the world of black projects. He ably explores the technology and physics that Brown worked on. He dispells many of the myths about Brown and corrects mis- and dis- information. He even drops a few bombshells that will certainly challenge some readers perceptions of what's going on in this world and how the Universe works. I found a great value in these pages. Above all, it is a respectfull text, full of valuable information, that lets the reader arrive her/his own conclusions." – Ernesto
"Schatzkin is a sober, intelligent, and sensitive author writing about a man who mostly inhabits the risky world of the fringe and conspiracy theory. He does it with cajones and good sense. It is well worth the read." – 'Thorny'
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