The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt

Nicola Tesla was a genius and inventor who spent his last years in a lonely room at the New Yorker hotel. He is responsible for the electricity we use today and once harnessed the power of Niagra Falls to power the World's Fair. Robbed of recognition and patents by uncrupulous scientists, he continued to work on inventions. This much is true. Add in a lonely chambermaid, a grieving father, a mad genius who claims to have traveled in time, Mark Twain, Thomas Edison, and flocks of pigeons. The result is this amazing novel about what it means to be creative, to be different, to be part of the larger cosmos. This book (obviously) defies description. It is funny, touching, inspirational and just plain fun to read. By the way, Mark Twain was a huge fan of Tesla's and used to visit his room for "hair raising" electrical experiments. The real Tesla and one of his inventions are pictured on the left.