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Guardian
"Neat and stylish … Fara’s account of Benjamin Franklin’s circle of friends and colleagues brings them squabbling, eureka-ing to life."
Review
"Vividly captures the ferment created by the new science of the Enlightenment... Fara deftly shows how new knowledge emerged from a rich mix of improved technology, medical quackery, Continental theorising, religious doubt and scientific rivalry." New Scientist "Neat and stylish... Fara's account of Benjamin Franklin's circle of friends and colleagues brings them squabbling, eureka-ing to life." Guardian "Combines telling anecdote with wise commentary... presents us with numerous tasty and well-presented historical morsels." Times Higher Education Supplement
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you are looking for a book about the history of electricity, you won't do better than start here. And you may also find that you won't need to venture any further - that is, unless you want to delve into electricity's industrial history, post-Faraday.
This book covers the development of our relationship with electricity throughtout the period known as the Scientific Enlightenment. Indeed, as the author, Patricia Fara, points out "Electricity was the scientific vogue of the Enlightenment". It is a very easy read, but certainly not superficial for that. Starting from the entertainment made available from static electricity, she takes the story through Leyden jars, to Volta and metal acid batteries, and to Faraday's invention of the electromagnetic motor, or dynamo. Some of that story is even gruesome and cruel, and, of course, she includes a short consideration of Mary Shelley's inspiration to write the book "Frankenstein".
It has probably been said before, but our discovery and harnessing of electricity must surely be as fundamental for humanity as was our discovery and harnessing of fire. What it initially did for chemistry - the discovery of so many elements, etc - was spectacular. I've heard of all the names involved for years, but never knew how they all fitted with one another. Having read this book, I now feel that I've got a good, working handle on it all.
This book covers the development of our relationship with electricity throughtout the period known as the Scientific Enlightenment. Indeed, as the author, Patricia Fara, points out "Electricity was the scientific vogue of the Enlightenment". It is a very easy read, but certainly not superficial for that. Starting from the entertainment made available from static electricity, she takes the story through Leyden jars, to Volta and metal acid batteries, and to Faraday's invention of the electromagnetic motor, or dynamo. Some of that story is even gruesome and cruel, and, of course, she includes a short consideration of Mary Shelley's inspiration to write the book "Frankenstein".
It has probably been said before, but our discovery and harnessing of electricity must surely be as fundamental for humanity as was our discovery and harnessing of fire. What it initially did for chemistry - the discovery of so many elements, etc - was spectacular. I've heard of all the names involved for years, but never knew how they all fitted with one another. Having read this book, I now feel that I've got a good, working handle on it all.
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