The Electric Universe

By Alison Temple

Only during power-cuts do we become properly aware of how reliant we are on electricity; usually we just plug things in and turn lights on without giving it a second thought. Yet how many of us truly understand how ‘lecky works? Here is an entertaining look at electricity in all its forms and functions, and how it affects our daily lives.

In this book, David Bodanis takes us on a historical trip full of dark deception and intrigue. From the early investigations of Alessandro Volta back in the 18th century, via electrical pioneers such as Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison and Michael Faraday, to the modern day. We don’t just learn about the electricity that flows along wires, but plunge deep into our own physiology to discover how it helps run the human body. The pace of the narrative never slackens throughout and there are enough battles for patents, scientific feuds and glorious breakthroughs to keep you thoroughly gripped.

Bodanis also has a talent for explaining the physics of electricity in a wonderfully easy to understand manner making for a smooth reading experience that will leave you talking volts, coulombs and Ohms with aplomb. Give it a look - it’s a real live wire.

[David Bodanis, Electric Universe: The Shocking True Story of Electricity, Little Brown, 2005.]