"Describes what electricity is and how it works through humor and core science content"--Provided by publisher.

This high-voltage introduction to energy combines physical science and environmental science with fun. Easy-to-follow diagrams show different ways energy can be harnessed. Tips on how to use energy sensibly are included.

The bestselling author of E=mc2 weaves tales of romance, divine inspiration, and fraud through an account of the invisible force that permeates our universe—electricity—and introduces us to the virtuoso scientists who plumbed its secrets. For centuries, electricity was seen as little more than a curious property of certain substances that sparked when rubbed. Then, in the 1790s, Alessandro Volta began the scientific investigation that ignited an explosion of knowledge and invention. The force that once seemed inconsequential was revealed to be responsible for everything from the structure of the atom to the functioning of our brains. In harnessing its power, we have created a world of wonders—complete with roller coasters and radar, computer networks and psychopharmaceuticals. In Electric Universe, the great discoverers come to life in all their brilliance and idiosyncrasy, including the visionary Michael Faraday, who struggled against the prejudices of the British class system, and Samuel Morse, a painter who, before inventing the telegraph, ran for mayor of New York City on a platform of persecuting Catholics. Here too is Alan Turing, whose dream of a marvelous thinking machine—what we know as the computer—was met with indifference, and who ended his life in despair after British authorities forced him to undergo experimental treatments to “cure” his homosexuality. From the frigid waters of the Atlantic to the streets of Hamburg during a World War II firestorm to the interior of the human body, Electric Universe is a mesmerizing journey of discovery.

Shocking Electricity is packed with sizzling zap-fillied facts to electrify every reader. Children can find out about the scientist who gave electric shocks to his eyeballs, that lightning can strike you with heat five times hotter than the sun and much more! Redesigned in a bold, funky new look for the next generation of Horrible Science fans.

Most Americans still do not understand electric utilities, and many consumers have only a vague grasp of the intricacies of regulation and deregulation. This is a paradox of sorts; regulation, in particular, seems easy enough to grasp. The real difficulty lies in understanding how power companies have manipulated the regulators. If you think utility deregulation has done away with electric utility monopolies, think again! Deregulation is a myth-it's business as usual for the power companies. For most of America, utility deregulation has yet to become a reality. Even if it does, electric companies will still swindle those they serve. Why? One reason: deregulation allows the utility giants to retain control of the transmission and distribution of electricity. Utility cheating has gone unchecked for more than a century. Author Joe Seeber has caught the electric companies red-handed, from fudged financials and courtroom trickery to meter manipulation and outright fraud. He paints a compelling portrait of an industry wired for greed-and argues that it's time someone pulled the plug.

Comical characters explain the basics, including the many forms energy can take. Readers can learn how energy changes from one form to another so that the Sun's energy can end up in a lunch box and eventually in people's muscles. Easy-to-follow diagrams show different ways energy can be harnessed. For a green look at the topic, the pros and cons of each form of energy are outlined, and tips on how to use energy sensibly are included. This high-voltage introduction to energy combines physical science and environmental science with fun.