Audiobooks by Edward Leedskalnin

Magnetic Current

"Magnetic Current is a short pamphlet by eccentric sculptor and writer Edward Leedskalnin. Detailing his many experiments with magnets, this work posits that it is not metal itself that is magnetic. Rather, tiny individual magnet particles that circulate in and around the metal give it its pull. Edward Leedskalnin was born in Latvia in 1887. While his formal education lasted only until 4th grade, he was intensely curious and spent much of his youth reading. At the age of 26, Leedskalnin became engaged. But as the young woman was only 16, she (or her mother) decided that he wasn’t a suitable match and called off the wedding the day before it was set to occur. Heartbroken, Leedskalnin emigrated to the United States. In 1923, he purchased an undeveloped acre of land in Florida City. Over the next 28 years, Leedskalnin cut massive pieces of oolite rock from his property, moved them, and sculpted them—all on his own. He built a two-story tower from oolite, which served as his living quarters. In the grounds below, sculptures and carved stone furniture dot the landscape. The project was dedicated to his “Sweet Sixteen,” the woman who rejected him years before. During the years of his construction project, Leedskalnin studied and tested magnets from his home base of Rock Gate. His findings were eventually compiled into Magnetic Current, a short pamphlet detailing his theories of magnetism. The pamphlet explains many of his experiments. Using U-shaped, round, and bar magnets, as well as car batteries, light bulbs, and coils of wire, he demonstrates the movements of magnetic currents in a double helix pattern, swirling around each other to create pull."

Edward Leedskalnin (Author), Larry Peterson (Narrator)

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Collected Writings of Edward Leedskalnin: Magnetic Current & A Book in Every Home

"The Collected Writings of Edward Leedskalnin is a compilation of two of Leedskalnin's works, Magnetic Current and A Book in Every Home. This eccentric sculptor and amateur scientist devoted most of his life to creating a large complex of megalithic stones that he quarried and carved himself. Edward Leedskalnin was born in Latvia in 1887. Although he only received formal education up to the fourth grade, he was very inquisitive and spent a large part of his youth reading. He was said to be a sickly boy and grew into a small man-reportedly measuring just 5 feet tall and weighing 100 lbs. At age 26, he was engaged to marry a 16-year-old girl named Agnes Skuvst, but the wedding was called off. Accounts differ, some claiming the wedding was canceled the day before it was scheduled and others saying that Leedskalnin was jilted at the altar. Regardless, he was heartbroken and shortly after emigrated to America. After reaching New York in 1912, he continued on to Oregon where he worked for an ax-handle manufacturer. By 1923, he had contracted tuberculosis. The illness prompted him to move to a warmer climate for his health. He chose Florida, where he purchased an undeveloped acre of land in Florida City. It was on this modest plot that he began Rock Gate (later renamed Coral Castle). This ambitious project involved extracting enormous pieces of oolite stone from his land, moving them into position, and carving them-entirely alone. The pieces include sculptures and carved stone furniture, as well as a two-story tower that served as his living quarters. The project was devoted to his 'Sweet Sixteen,' the woman who had rejected him many years earlier. Due to the scale of the project, some have dubbed it 'Florida's Stonehenge.' While it's unclear how Leedskalnin was able to complete it, it is all the more impressive considering his small stature and questionable health. When he wasn't hewing or carving stone, Leedskalnin was also conducting experiments and writing."

Edward Leedskalnin (Author), Larry Peterson (Narrator)

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