Simply Electrifying : The Technology That Transformed the World, From Benjamin Franklin to Elon Musk

"Electricity is at the core of all modern life. Despite this, the full story of this revolutionary force has remained untold--until now. Simply Electrifying offers the comprehensive story of one of mankind's most important journeys: from a time when only a few could even imagine a world with electricity to today when, for most of us, a world without electricity would be unimaginable. Since the birth of the modern science of electricity 265 years ago, mankind has built an impressive structure to produce, deliver, and use electricity, thanks to a combination of pioneering science, innovative technology, shrewd business strategy, and pervasive economic and environmental regulation. Simply Electrifying brings to life the stories of the people that made it all possible--from early pathfinders like Benjamin Franklin, Michael Faraday, James Clerk Maxwell, and Albert Einstein to innovators such as Samuel Morse, Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse, and Nikola Tesla. Later on, business strategists and economic and environmental regulation driven by many, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Rachel Carson, and even President Barack Obama, have shaped how we use and understand electricity in crucial ways. Today, Elon Musk and others are on the verge of again changing the way we think about and interact with it. Simply Electrifying is painstakingly researched and beautifully written, showing us how both profit-makers and policy-makers must use a wide-angle lens to truly understand the past and anticipate the future."--Jacket.;Looks at the stories of the researchers, innovators, businesspeople, and regulators who shaped how electricity was understood and used, from early researchers like Benjamin Franklin to contemporary innovators like Elon Musk.;Prologue: Just imagine -- Part one: The age of Franklin : a time of awe and discovery. Benjamin Franklin's kite ; James Watt's steam engine ; Faraday's faith (and Maxwell's equations) -- Part two: The age of Edison : let there be light (and power). Samuel Morse's telegraph ; Thomas Edison's light ; George Westinghouse's and Nikola Tesla's alternative ; Samuel Insull's Electric City, Chicago -- Part three: The age of big : big government, big power plants. FDR's New Deal (for electricity) ; Herbert Hoover's dam ; David Lilienthal's Tennessee Valley Authority ; King Coal's reign ; Albert Einstein's equation (E=mc2) -- Part four: The age of harm : crisis, change, and scandal. Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace (and war) ; Rachel Carson's Silent Spring ; California's electricity crisis (and Enron's greed) ; Competition's steady rise -- Part five: The age of uncompromising belief. President Obama's Clean Power Plan ; George Mitchell's shale gas revolution ; Elon Musk's vision (and history's lessons) -- Epilogue: Just imagine. Selected for J.P. Morgan's 2018 Holiday Reading List Imagine your life without the internet. Without phones. Without television. Without sprawling cities. Without the freedom to continue working and playing after the sun goes down. Electricity is at the core of all modern life. It has transformed our society more than any other technology. Yet, no book offers a comprehensive history about this technological marvel. Until now. Simply Electrifying: The Technology that Transformed the World, from Benjamin Franklin to Elon Musk brings to life the 250-year history of electricity through the stories of the men and women who used it to transform our world: Benjamin Franklin, James Watt, Michael Faraday, Samuel F.B. Morse, Thomas Edison, Samuel Insull, Albert Einstein, Rachel Carson, Elon Musk, and more. In the process, it reveals for the first time the complete, thrilling, and often-dangerous story of electricity's historic discovery, development, and worldwide application. Electricity plays a fundamental role not only in our everyday lives but in history's most pivotal events, from global climate change and the push for wind- and solar-generated electricity to Japan's nuclear accident at Fukushima and Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons. Written by electricity expert and four-decade veteran of the industry Craig R. Roach, Simply Electrifying marshals, in fascinating narrative detail, the full range of factors that shaped the electricity business over time—science, technology, law, politics, government regulation, economics, business strategy, and culture—before looking forward toward the exhilarating prospects for electricity generation and use that will shape our future. Intro -- Praise for Simply Electrifying -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Prologue -- Part One: The Age of Franklin: A Time of Awe and Discovery -- Chapter 1: Benjamin Franklin's Kite -- Chapter 2: James Watt's Steam Engine -- Chapter 3: Faraday's Faith (and Maxwell's Equations) -- Part Two: The Age of Edison -- Chapter 4: Samuel Morse's Telegraph -- Chapter 5: Thomas Edison's Light -- Chapter 6: George Westinghouse's and Nikola Tesla's Alternative -- Chapter 7: Samuel Insull's Electric City, Chicago -- Part Three: The Age of Big: Big Government, Big Power Plants -- Chapter 8: FDR's New Deal (for Electricity) -- Chapter 9: Herbert Hoover's Dam -- Chapter 10: David Lilienthal's Tennessee Valley Authority -- Chapter 11: King Coal's Reign -- Chapter 12: Albert Einstein's Equation (E = mc2) -- Part Four: The Age of Harm: Crisis, Change, and Scandal -- Chapter 13: Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace (and War) -- Chapter 14: Rachel Carson's Silent Spring -- Chapter 15: California's Electricity Crisis (and Enron's Greed) -- Chapter 16: Competition's Steady Rise -- Part Five: The Age of Uncompromising Belief -- Chapter 17: President Obama's Clean Power Plan -- Chapter 18: George Mitchell's Shale Gas Revolution -- Chapter 19: Elon Musk's Vision (and History's Lessons) -- Epilogue: Just Imagine -- List of Acronyms -- Bibliography -- Endnotes -- Index -- About the Author