The Story of Electricity


Read by Ruth Golding

(4.5 stars; 59 reviews)

In the book's preface, the author writes: "Let anyone stop to consider how he individually would be affected if all electrical service were suddenly to cease, and he cannot fail to appreciate the claims of electricity to attentive study."

In these days when we take for granted all kinds of technology - communications, entertainment, medical, military, industrial and domestic - it is interesting to learn what progress had been made in the fields of electricity and technology by the beginning of the 20th century.

Including the dawn of hydro-electric power, the x-ray, the phonograph, the telephone and the wireless telegraph, this book explains the pioneering work of the men who made our modern world possible, and sets us wondering what the next century may bring - providing that we do not manage to destroy our planet in the meantime.

The Gutenberg text of the 1915 edition (as recorded) does not have the benefit of the book's many diagrams. Also available, however, is an online book scan of the 1912 edition which includes the illustrations and coincides largely with the text recorded. (Summary by Ruth Golding) (6 hr 27 min)

Chapters

01 - Preface; Chapter I: The Electricity of Friction 34:04 Read by Ruth Golding
02 - Chapter II: The Electricity of Chemistry 25:17 Read by Ruth Golding
03 - Chapter III: The Electricity of Heat 8:12 Read by Ruth Golding
04 - Chapter IV: The Electricity of Magnetism 46:55 Read by Ruth Golding
05 - Chapter V: Electrolysis 14:20 Read by Ruth Golding
06 - Chapter VI: The Telegraph and Telephone 52:36 Read by Ruth Golding
07 - Chapter VII: Electric Light and Heat 21:42 Read by Ruth Golding
08 - Chapter VIII: Electric Power 33:40 Read by Ruth Golding
09 - Chapter IX: Minor Uses of Electricity 49:42 Read by Ruth Golding
10 - Chapter X: The Wireless Telegraph 27:57 Read by Ruth Golding
11 - Chapter XI: Electro-Chemistry and Electro-Metallurgy 31:35 Read by Ruth Golding
12 - Chapter XII: Electric Trains 23:22 Read by Ruth Golding
13 - Appendix 18:15 Read by Ruth Golding

Reviews


(4 stars)

Great reader! Fun stuff we take for granted today or have surpassed 100 fold with todays technology. This was written before solid state was even possible. Phones, record players, tungsten filiment lighting, and radio was still in their infancy but cutting edge technology. Interesting to listen how most of those ground breaking ideas took so long to take hold and make it into main stream life. Today everyone wants the newest and best and wants it now.

the story of electricity


(5 stars)

one of the few books able to show the growth of the modern world from an engineers perspective of 100 years ago - wonderful stuff and well read

electricity


(5 stars)

it is interesting to about electricity.In this time electricity is important to all people. Without electricity we can not do anything , electricity use in our house, industry etc

Interesting History


(5 stars)

The reader does a wonderful job with this somewhat technical history of electricity. It's fun to hear the excitement that the author had about electricity

this is an amazing book. I love you!


(5 stars)