Why Nikola Tesla Said "Of All Things, I Liked Books Best" – A Look into the Mind of a Genius

Long before he electrified the world with his inventions, Nikola Tesla found his first source of inspiration not in laboratories—but in books. He once said:

“Of all things, I liked books best,”

a quiet but powerful statement that reveals the core of his intellectual and emotional life. What made books so special to one of history’s greatest inventors? Was it escapism, curiosity, or a deeper philosophical calling? In this article, we’ll explore the meaning behind this quote, the role literature played in shaping Tesla’s genius, and why his words still resonate in a digital age that often forgets the power of reading.

Origin and Context of the Quote

Nikola Tesla’s quote, “Of all things, I liked books best,” appears in his 1919 autobiography titled My Inventions. Tesla reflects on his early childhood and the intellectual influences that shaped him, and this quote emerges as a deeply personal admission of what truly brought him joy and purpose. While Tesla is widely recognized as a scientist and inventor, this quote sheds light on a lesser-known side of him—Tesla the reader, Tesla the thinker, Tesla the lover of stories and ideas.

Tesla grew up in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the 19th century, in a household where language, poetry, and oral storytelling were part of daily life. His father was a Serbian Orthodox priest and a writer, and his mother, although uneducated formally, was highly inventive and intelligent. Books, in that environment, were not only tools of learning but sacred vessels of imagination and truth.

This context is essential: Tesla didn’t just say he liked books—he said he liked them best. More than gadgets, more than machines, even more than experiments. This quote places literature above all, showing us what truly fed his inner world.

Meaning of the Quote: A Declaration of Intellectual Affection

When Tesla said “Of all things, I liked books best,” he wasn’t simply stating a hobby. He was revealing a fundamental part of his identity. This quote is a declaration of love—not toward material things or even scientific instruments—but toward something intangible and enduring: the written word.

To understand the depth of this statement, let’s break it down.

“Of all things” suggests he is comparing books to every possible interest—art, music, invention, fame, even human relationships.
“I liked” is soft and humble. Tesla doesn’t say loved or worshipped, but the understatement is telling—it’s how reserved people express their strongest passions.
“Books best” is a form of ranking. For Tesla, books are not a luxury. They are essential.

So why books?

Because books are more than pages and print. They are time machines, windows into other minds, and blueprints for inner growth. For Tesla, reading was not a passive activity—it was active mental construction. Through books, he imagined worlds, studied physics, absorbed poetry, and contemplated the mysteries of the universe.

In other words, this quote isn’t about leisure. It’s about nourishment—intellectual, emotional, and even spiritual.

Tesla as a Reader: The Books That Shaped His Mind

To understand Tesla’s love of books, we must look at what he read and how reading shaped his character. He was not a casual reader. From a young age, Tesla consumed texts that were often far beyond the typical scope of a child’s understanding. He was drawn to philosophy, literature, and science with equal intensity.

Some of the books and authors that left a lasting impact on Tesla include:

“Gorski Vijenac” by Petar II Petrović Njegoš, a poetic and philosophical work that Tesla claimed shaped his character more than anything else.
Works of Goethe, particularly Faust, which blend science, morality, and metaphysical questions.
Voltaire, whose wit and rationality appealed to Tesla’s logical mind.
J.S. Mill and Herbert Spencer, for their contributions to scientific philosophy and logic.
Ancient Greek and Eastern philosophies, especially those that dealt with universal balance, energy, and the metaphysical.

What’s important here is that Tesla did not limit himself to technical manuals or scientific journals. His reading was wide-ranging and multidisciplinary. That’s what made his thinking so original. He wasn’t just an inventor; he was a thinker who fused emotion and intellect, science and poetry.

In fact, many of Tesla’s visionary ideas were inspired not only by calculations but also by the imagination sparked through reading. He once said that he could construct entire devices in his mind before building them—proof that literature trained his powers of visualization and abstraction.

In sum, Tesla’s love of books wasn’t an accessory to his genius—it was the foundation of it.

Ethics and Values: Books as a Path to Self-Knowledge

When Nikola Tesla expressed his preference for books above all things, he wasn’t just talking about entertainment or knowledge for its own sake. Books, for him, were moral compasses. They offered a path toward understanding oneself and one’s place in the world. This is a key point students often miss: the ethical dimension of reading.

Books can shape a person’s conscience. They challenge us to think deeply about justice, suffering, love, sacrifice, truth, and purpose. Tesla, who lived a life of simplicity, non-materialism, and focused discipline, likely drew much of his ethical framework from the literature he absorbed.

Through reading, we’re invited into the minds of others—characters who make difficult choices, thinkers who question society, poets who explore human emotion. In this way, books don’t only teach facts. They train empathy. They strengthen inner values.

Tesla’s own values—hard work, humility, discipline, service to humanity—reflect a character cultivated by reflection, not impulse. And reading fosters exactly that: quiet reflection. The kind that allows a person not only to imagine the outer world but to refine the inner one.

So when Tesla said he liked books best, it’s fair to interpret this as a statement about values. For him, books were silent mentors—ethical guides in a noisy world.

Similar Quotes and Parallel Ideas in Philosophy and Literature

Tesla’s sentiment doesn’t stand alone. Across centuries, great thinkers, writers, and philosophers have echoed the same idea: that books are among humanity’s greatest treasures. By comparing Tesla’s quote with others, we can better understand its universal resonance.

Consider the following reflections:

“A room without books is like a body without a soul.” — Cicero
“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” — Harper Lee
“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” — Jim Rohn
“The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.” — Descartes

Each of these quotes highlights a different reason for loving books—identity, necessity, personal growth, dialogue with the past. Yet all share one core idea: that reading is not optional for those who wish to live a deep and meaningful life.

Philosophically, Tesla’s view aligns closely with humanism—a belief in the value of human intellect and creativity, often cultivated through the arts and sciences. It also parallels the stoic tradition, which emphasizes internal development, calm focus, and moral clarity—often reached through contemplation and study.

Tesla may not have quoted the Stoics directly, but his ascetic lifestyle and devotion to mental discipline reflect the same principles found in the writings of Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Epictetus. In all cases, books are seen not just as texts, but as tools for transformation.

Interesting Facts: Tesla’s Literary Side

Most people know Tesla as a man of electricity and invention, but fewer realize that he had a literary side as well. His love of reading wasn’t passive—it was active, intentional, and deeply rooted in his daily life. Here are some lesser-known facts about Tesla’s relationship with literature:

He had an almost photographic memory, which allowed him to memorize long passages of books, particularly poetry.
He frequently quoted Byron, Goethe, and Shakespeare in conversation, often from memory.
Tesla claimed that poetry helped him during illness—especially in his youth when he was bedridden and began reading to escape the fear of death.
Although he didn’t publish poetry himself, there is evidence he wrote reflective and poetic prose in his journals.
Tesla believed that creative inspiration came from silence, and books were one of the most profound ways to access that silence.

One fascinating anecdote comes from his youth: when he was around 17 and seriously ill, doctors gave up hope. But Tesla credited the reading of Mark Twain’s works for helping him recover—he laughed so hard that his condition improved, which he later described with deep gratitude.

This shows that books were not merely intellectual companions. They were emotional lifelines.

Books as the Symbol of Tesla’s Inner Universe

Tesla’s quote, “Of all things, I liked books best,” is much more than a personal preference. It encapsulates a worldview. A declaration of what truly matters. In a life surrounded by machines, ideas, and scientific experiments, it is profoundly telling that Tesla placed books at the top of his list.

Books symbolized something essential for him: a bridge between thought and imagination, between solitude and society, between facts and meaning. In a world that often praises productivity above reflection, Tesla’s quote reminds us that real genius is built not only on knowledge, but on depth—and depth comes from reading.

For students and readers today, the lesson is simple but vital: to feed your intellect, to grow your character, and to understand the world, start with books. Not because they’re trendy, but because, like Tesla, you might just discover that they are the best thing of all.

Why Nikola Tesla Said “Of All Things, I Liked Books Best” – A Look into the Mind of a Genius