This was originally written and published in 1979 when so many people were still actively exploring alternative energy systems. Geeks and dreamers fantasize about the newest hi-tech batteries and that incredible energy generation system they're going to build so they can disconnect from the grid. People with their feet on the ground realize that the common ol' lead-acid cell represents the cheapest, quickest way to getting the job done.
Life is about getting results.
And lead-acid is one great success story because it gets results. Here you learn the ins and outs of using these old workhorses. What you get is a distillation of complex industrial texts. You learn about battery chemistry and why these things work at all. You learn what specific gravity is and how it's used to measure charge.