Electric Universe: The Shocking True Story of Electricity by David Bodanis. Crown, 2005. 320pp. ISBN 1-4000-4550-9.

SB&F review:

This book is an exceptional review of the necessary political and economic developments, the time-consuming scientific processes, and the varied personalities that have enabled our industrialized society to utilize the electron and electricity. The author deftly chronicles the advancements in both scientists’ and society’s understanding of electricity through the early industrial period. Especially well done is the demonstration of the relationship between the development of the telegraph and its use to transmit financial information instantly as an early form of globalization. As a storyteller, author David Bodanis is wonderful, and I only wish that he had used his skills to elaborate upon the transatlantic cable whale attacks with which he only teases the reader. This book is directed at a general audience, but it should be required reading for all scientific professionals. As the author points out in his acknowledgments, he was inspired by his children’s wonder. He certainly has captured that magic and created a beautifully entertaining and informative book.

About the author:

David Bodanis taught a survey of intellectual history at the University of Oxford for many years. He is the author of several books, including The Secret House and the bestselling E-mc², which was translated into more than twenty languages. A native of Chicago, he lives in London.
www.davidbodanis.com

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