John Wasik
I’m a journalist, speaker and author of 19 books and more than 1,000 pieces on business, health, the environment, investing/retirement and personal finance. My “Keynes’s Way to Wealth: Timeless Investment Lessons from the Great Economist” has been translated into Chinese, German and Japanese. I’ve contributed to The New York Times, Forbes, PBS/Next Avenue, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg and Reuters. I’ve spoken all across North America and have been a frequent media guest.
As an active environmentalist, I’m a master naturalist and volunteer as a restoration steward and serve on the executive board/steering committee of the Chicago Wilderness Alliance. I am finishing my 20th book “The Natural Neighborhood.” I also publish an environmentally themed Substack newsletter entitled “Refinement.”
I am currently an elected county and forest preserve commissioner in Lake County, Illinois, representing central Lake County.
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Samuel Insull and the Merchants of Power: Growing Demands For Data and Power
In his time, Sam Insull, protege of Thomas Edison, was the Bill Gates of electricity. He not only built power plants, he assembled the modern power grid, which is now more than a century old. I’ll highlight his work and where we are today as the world demands more electricity for everything from AI to data centers.
“Triple B” Natural Gardens: What Do You Need To Know?
As an environmentalist concerned about climate change, I’m focusing on integrating native plants into every yard. I will discuss my “Triple B” plan to introduce birds, bugs (pollinators) and biosphere into any landscape plan. I’ll focus on rain gardens and natural landscapes that are water, pollinator and bird friendly.
Lincolnomics: How Abraham Lincoln Seeded Our Modern Age
Most portraits of Lincoln focus on his Civil War years and timeless writing. In Lincolnomics, I examine the little-known story of his deep interest in public works. He stressed “internal improvements” that created our modern age. Based on my book of the same title, I will present an important side of Lincoln’s political philosophy that is still influencing how Americans think about infrastructure.
Nikola Tesla: The Genius Behind Our Electrical Age
No, Tesla did not invent the car named after him. But he did create the global system that made it possible. I’ll tell the story of the inventor-engineer behind the alternating current system and how it made everything from electric lights to internet possible. Based on my book, the talk will explore the multi-faceted man who was involved in everything from creating power from Niagara Falls to radio broadcasting.