description: From the author of the bestselling E=MC2, comes a mesmerizing journey of discovery illuminating the wondrous yet unseen force that permeates our world and the scientists who've probed its secrets. Before 1790, when Alessandro Volta began the scientific investigation that spurred an explosion of knowledge and invention, electricity was perceived as little more than a property of certain substances that sparked when rubbed. Now we know that this formerly thought an inconsequential force is responsible for everything from the structure of the atom to the functioning of our brains. Bodanis, a superb storyteller, tells a story filled with romance, divine inspiration, fraud, and scientific breakthroughs revealing how we learned to harness its powers. The great scientists such as Michael Faraday and Samuel Morse come to life, complete with all their brilliance and idiosyncrasy.
language: English
title: Electric Universe : The Shocking True Story of Electricity
titlecomplete: Electric Universe : The Shocking True Story of Electricity
genres: Historical, Audiobook, History, Science, Engineering, Technology, History Of Science, Physics, Business, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 1343
awards: awardedAt: 1136102400000
name: Royal Society Science Book Prize
category: General Prize
publisher: Books on Tape