There is a lot of great stuff in this book. The account is accurate as far as I know. You never can tell where the truth lies with Rossi, but this is pretty much what I have heard from various people. Lewan downplays the severity of some of the incidents, such as NASA's visit to Rossi.
The parts about Rossi's long-suffering friends and supporters are true. The parts about long-suffering, heroic Jim Dunn are true. The book makes Mike Melich and me look bad in places with regard to Defkalion. We were too trusting. Oh well. They had some impressive people and equipment at first. They seemed promising. As far as I can tell, they are are now a farce. The impressive people left, 'cause they weren't paid. It's that money thing again, and the old credit rating problem. Hot air is no substitute for cash. Mats Lewan has guts publishing this, and his earlier reports. He must have been attacked by many people. The parts about the 1-MW reactor test are well known to readers here. Lewan describes his own sense of confusion at the fact that the test was inconclusive. Even when the test was underway I could see it was yet another inconclusive non-demonstration. I think I know why Rossi usually does unconvincing demonstrations. Lewan quotes me speculating about this, and then he says Rossi confirmed what I said. From the book: Jed: "Edison knew he had solved the problem, but he had a lot of work left, [so] more intellectual property [was] there for the taking. Low hanging fruit. He did not want his competition to take him too seriously. On the other hand, he needed more big bucks from the investors and banks. It was a delicate balancing act: how to keep up the excitement while triggering the lowest possible level of serious competition. Rossi is doing exactly the same thing. I recognize that is his strategy. He is hardly keeping it secret. Countless inventors and companies have done this. It does not mystify me at all. To people unfamiliar with business it looks crazy." Lewan: I asked Rossi about the matter and he replied bluntly that it was true. (Actually, I knew this was his strategy because Rossi and I discussed the matter and he sort-of, kind-of, grudgingly acknowledged it is. Mike McKubre also recognized this. As I said, it wasn't like Rossi was keeping it a secret.) This strategy is getting old! Still it seems to have worked for him. He has financial backing now, and yet 99.99% of the world thinks he is a crazy or a scam artist. I hope the Swedes have done a careful, totally convincing job this time. It is about time for this strategy to come to an end. Edison eventually drew it to close with the incandescent light. He used the most effective method imaginable. He puts lights up in his his workshop in Menlo Park, NJ, and strung them on polls outside. People started coming from miles around to see them in the winter evenings and nights. It must have been an extraordinary sight for people who had never seen anything as bright as an electric light. The railroads had to schedule extra trains from New York to accommodate the crowds. The naysayers finally shut up. - Jed
