Thoughtful treatment of the subject, 14 Jun 2008
The education of the reader seems to be first priority here. The author is good at his explanations and the order of material has been well conidered.

My favourite feature is the relevance of the exercises for the reader. Sometimes I'm tempted to read the text and skip the hard work, but fortunately I resisted on this occasion. It feels like each exercise has been hand-picked to give the reader some new insight or appreciation, in a subject area which is full of subtleties and mathematical pitfalls.

This book is a must for someone learning electrodynamics. Jackson was another option, but I found this "bible" way too cumbersome and more of a reference book than an accompaniment to a course. I still used it, because the section on relativity is pretty good, and his tensor notation seems more common. It's expensive, so find it in a library.

Probably the best undergraduate text I've used.

An Introduction to Electrodynamics, 01 Jun 2008
This text book is without a doubt the best text book I own. The style of writing is brilliant, with Griffiths talking about electromagnetism in a relaxed but authorative manner. Unlike many other texts this does not hide behind technical language, and is clear and concise. Examples are well written and there a great number of problems to attempt.

This text is ideal for an undergraduate electrodynamics course, and I would highly recommend it, for it's highly approachable, and easily understood introduction to such a subject.

Perfect for what it says on the title - and more., 05 Dec 2003
This book is not only user friendly but also comprehensive and covers a good deal of what should be covered in a book about Electrodynamics. It is full of intuitive illustrations and good examples and explains in a nice Feynman-ish way.
It also supplies a very nice vector analysis intro. for those of you who need it (which is quite a critical organ in the body of knowledge of Electrodynamics and physics at large).

I also liked its habit of not ignoring pitfalls when it comes to understanding the basics as I think, that is one of the differences between understanding Physics and just knowing Physical facts.

I say hooray(hoorah in the UK??) for Griffiths, he's done it in a few fields but in this one it is a winner.
In summary, not only this book is perfect for the novice Electrodynamics technician (physicist/engineer/mathematician/curious people with lots of free time) but also for reference, for it has been so ever since I have it in my possesion and it is a great one (ref. that is).

And no, I've no relation to Griffiths what so ever ( but I wouldn't mind having one )

Stirring explanation of the laws of electrodynamics., 01 Aug 2000
I very much enjoyed Griffiths explanations and examples. Clear text. Pithy figures. Interesting examples.

Thoughtful treatment of the subject, 14 Jun 2008
The education of the reader seems to be first priority here. The author is good at his explanations and the order of material has been well conidered.

My favourite feature is the relevance of the exercises for the reader. Sometimes I'm tempted to read the text and skip the hard work, but fortunately I resisted on this occasion. It feels like each exercise has been hand-picked to give the reader some new insight or appreciation, in a subject area which is full of subtleties and mathematical pitfalls.

This book is a must for someone learning electrodynamics. Jackson was another option, but I found this "bible" way too cumbersome and more of a reference book than an accompaniment to a course. I still used it, because the section on relativity is pretty good, and his tensor notation seems more common. It's expensive, so find it in a library.

Probably the best undergraduate text I've used.

An Introduction to Electrodynamics, 01 Jun 2008
This text book is without a doubt the best text book I own. The style of writing is brilliant, with Griffiths talking about electromagnetism in a relaxed but authorative manner. Unlike many other texts this does not hide behind technical language, and is clear and concise. Examples are well written and there a great number of problems to attempt.

This text is ideal for an undergraduate electrodynamics course, and I would highly recommend it, for it's highly approachable, and easily understood introduction to such a subject.

Perfect for what it says on the title - and more., 05 Dec 2003
This book is not only user friendly but also comprehensive and covers a good deal of what should be covered in a book about Electrodynamics. It is full of intuitive illustrations and good examples and explains in a nice Feynman-ish way.
It also supplies a very nice vector analysis intro. for those of you who need it (which is quite a critical organ in the body of knowledge of Electrodynamics and physics at large).

I also liked its habit of not ignoring pitfalls when it comes to understanding the basics as I think, that is one of the differences between understanding Physics and just knowing Physical facts.

I say hooray(hoorah in the UK??) for Griffiths, he's done it in a few fields but in this one it is a winner.
In summary, not only this book is perfect for the novice Electrodynamics technician (physicist/engineer/mathematician/curious people with lots of free time) but also for reference, for it has been so ever since I have it in my possesion and it is a great one (ref. that is).

And no, I've no relation to Griffiths what so ever ( but I wouldn't mind having one )

Stirring explanation of the laws of electrodynamics., 01 Aug 2000
I very much enjoyed Griffiths explanations and examples. Clear text. Pithy figures. Interesting examples.

ramping up in difficulty, 09 Nov 2006
Hi

Summary

I have been looking into this for several weeks and find I.M.H.O, its a fine, formal way to add understanding to this fascinating natural phenomena and how its can be used by mankind. I have some background in this from other courses, so I may be biased? In preparation for this volume,I read a `University Physics / Mastering Physics' type volumes as well as separate Mathematical revision topics. i never thought i would make this comment, but approaching this from a more mathematical perspective seems easier (I.M.H.O) that the approach from an electrical engineering only.

My initial findings of the book.

In a way the definitions that apply say B, H, M, I, V, E, etc appear quite quickly from the first chapters onwards and using their mathematical descriptions can help to get to grip with these. This is a great approach at this level if your able to use this, but it depends on how much mathematical background you have? You will also find liberal usage of S.I units / Dimensional analysis, i.e L = 'length'

Summary descriptions of the later chapters.

I would say its easier if you have some knowledge of 'Vector Calculus' + 'Mechanics' and 'Complex Number' theory from other sources before this book. If you do this then its fun to read. To me, in the middle section of the book covered 'H.N.D' level stuff, such as 'Thevenin', and 'Nodal Analysis' in a way of reminding the reader that is good for it brevity.

My view of latter parts of the book.

The latter parts of the book are newer to me, such as 'Transmission Lines' and a brief look into natural electromagnetic radiation and how it interacts with energy -fields and say, materials such as 'glass'. The involvement of 'Maxwell's Equations', (which heavily uses `Div', `Curl', and `Grad' to describe electromagnetic phenomena) and allows exploration at a deeper level, the physics of 'Wave Guides' + 'Antennas' using high frequencies. The mathematical development in these chapters to support these topics shows clearly how the mathematical content has responded in 'ramping -up' in difficultly compared to the opening chapters of the volume. I would say its still needs more external Math background study to get fully comfortable in this area.

Personal.

I.M.H.O If you can cope with `Euclidian', `Cylindrical' and `Spherical' coordinates systems as well, this I found helpful. I knew a few students on engineering courses who's math study stopped at their second-year found this final-year topic "pure-torture". I can understand their viewpoint. To cope you need to spend however much time it takes to cope with mathematical treatments used in this book. Its a good book, but I do not know if its the best available in this area. A well-known college I will not name recommended it to me for this topic.


Can't avoid it, it's my set book., 07 Jan 2004
Well, it's fairly comprehensive at least. If you want to learn about electromagnetic waves and waveguides and so on, there's a *lot* of boring old electrostatics to wade through first. And it's a pretty heavy subject.

You need to have your multiple integration and vector calculus skills up to speed or you'll be lost in the first chapter. Apart from that, it seems fairly good, although a bit dry.

Lucid textbook on a difficult subject, 07 Jan 2003
The text is lucid in its presentation of what is often viewed as a difficult subject.

Starting with no more than a sound understanding of sixth form (high school) Mathematics and Physics, the authors proceed to underpin elementary concepts of electrostatics, simple circuits, and magnetism with the rigour and completeness demanded at University level. New mathematical ideas are introduced gently (so naturally, in fact, that the reader does not feel that (s)he is being asked to learn some new things!) and blended into the key Physical concepts.

The book accelerates through a whole lot of material and tacitly introduces the reader to Maxwell's Equations without calling them so. Only after all of the core physical concepts - Dielectrics, Steady Currents and Magnetic Fields, Ferromagnetism, Electromagnetism/Induction - have been covered, do the authors venture to integrate the mathematics into Maxwell's equations. This emphasis on the Physics (with the Mathematics working merely as a tool) works really well and is central to the readability of this book.

The latter chapters explore Transmission Lines, Electromagnetic Waves (which the mathematically inclined texts like to boast about as solutions of Maxwell's Equations), and the beginnings of Relativistic Electrodynamics.

All in all, an excellent, enjoyable book - highly recommended! Makes Physics fun!

Lastly, I might add that I was one of the "guinea pigs" at Manchester who benefited directly from the materials in this book and others in the Manchester Physics Series.

Average undergraduate level text, 18 Oct 1999
Dr Grant lectured my final year course on electromagnetic radiation and famously, in the last lecture of the course said, 'if you know the whole lecture course then you should get a 2:1'. Puh, a 2:1! Thanks for the encouragement, but I knew 'just enough' and got 92%. Dr Grant was a miserable g*t, especially if you had the misfortune to meet him in the lab. Dr Philips, on the other hand, was a nice guy, who lectured my second year course on electricity and magnetism. So we have a Dr Nice Guy (popular with the secretaries...) and a Dr Grumpy who write a book that basically contains nothing of interest to anyone other than a student attempting to drink as much beer as possible and yet still pass the first two years of Physics. If you want a really good book, read Jackson's Classical Electrodynamics. If you want the lecture notes photo copy your mates.

good, but not on its own, 05 Sep 1999
I'm a first year physics student, and I thought this book was very good in helping me understand the subject. However, I would strongly recommend having another book as well, like Duffin's Electricity and Magnetism, as some of the proofs can be a bit confusing, and are better demonstrated another way. (eg the dipole E-field) Overall, though, and excellent buy.

Thoughtful treatment of the subject, 14 Jun 2008
The education of the reader seems to be first priority here. The author is good at his explanations and the order of material has been well conidered.

My favourite feature is the relevance of the exercises for the reader. Sometimes I'm tempted to read the text and skip the hard work, but fortunately I resisted on this occasion. It feels like each exercise has been hand-picked to give the reader some new insight or appreciation, in a subject area which is full of subtleties and mathematical pitfalls.

This book is a must for someone learning electrodynamics. Jackson was another option, but I found this "bible" way too cumbersome and more of a reference book than an accompaniment to a course. I still used it, because the section on relativity is pretty good, and his tensor notation seems more common. It's expensive, so find it in a library.

Probably the best undergraduate text I've used.

An Introduction to Electrodynamics, 01 Jun 2008
This text book is without a doubt the best text book I own. The style of writing is brilliant, with Griffiths talking about electromagnetism in a relaxed but authorative manner. Unlike many other texts this does not hide behind technical language, and is clear and concise. Examples are well written and there a great number of problems to attempt.

This text is ideal for an undergraduate electrodynamics course, and I would highly recommend it, for it's highly approachable, and easily understood introduction to such a subject.

Perfect for what it says on the title - and more., 05 Dec 2003
This book is not only user friendly but also comprehensive and covers a good deal of what should be covered in a book about Electrodynamics. It is full of intuitive illustrations and good examples and explains in a nice Feynman-ish way.
It also supplies a very nice vector analysis intro. for those of you who need it (which is quite a critical organ in the body of knowledge of Electrodynamics and physics at large).

I also liked its habit of not ignoring pitfalls when it comes to understanding the basics as I think, that is one of the differences between understanding Physics and just knowing Physical facts.

I say hooray(hoorah in the UK??) for Griffiths, he's done it in a few fields but in this one it is a winner.
In summary, not only this book is perfect for the novice Electrodynamics technician (physicist/engineer/mathematician/curious people with lots of free time) but also for reference, for it has been so ever since I have it in my possesion and it is a great one (ref. that is).

And no, I've no relation to Griffiths what so ever ( but I wouldn't mind having one )

Stirring explanation of the laws of electrodynamics., 01 Aug 2000
I very much enjoyed Griffiths explanations and examples. Clear text. Pithy figures. Interesting examples.

ramping up in difficulty, 09 Nov 2006
Hi

Summary

I have been looking into this for several weeks and find I.M.H.O, its a fine, formal way to add understanding to this fascinating natural phenomena and how its can be used by mankind. I have some background in this from other courses, so I may be biased? In preparation for this volume,I read a `University Physics / Mastering Physics' type volumes as well as separate Mathematical revision topics. i never thought i would make this comment, but approaching this from a more mathematical perspective seems easier (I.M.H.O) that the approach from an electrical engineering only.

My initial findings of the book.

In a way the definitions that apply say B, H, M, I, V, E, etc appear quite quickly from the first chapters onwards and using their mathematical descriptions can help to get to grip with these. This is a great approach at this level if your able to use this, but it depends on how much mathematical background you have? You will also find liberal usage of S.I units / Dimensional analysis, i.e L = 'length'

Summary descriptions of the later chapters.

I would say its easier if you have some knowledge of 'Vector Calculus' + 'Mechanics' and 'Complex Number' theory from other sources before this book. If you do this then its fun to read. To me, in the middle section of the book covered 'H.N.D' level stuff, such as 'Thevenin', and 'Nodal Analysis' in a way of reminding the reader that is good for it brevity.

My view of latter parts of the book.

The latter parts of the book are newer to me, such as 'Transmission Lines' and a brief look into natural electromagnetic radiation and how it interacts with energy -fields and say, materials such as 'glass'. The involvement of 'Maxwell's Equations', (which heavily uses `Div', `Curl', and `Grad' to describe electromagnetic phenomena) and allows exploration at a deeper level, the physics of 'Wave Guides' + 'Antennas' using high frequencies. The mathematical development in these chapters to support these topics shows clearly how the mathematical content has responded in 'ramping -up' in difficultly compared to the opening chapters of the volume. I would say its still needs more external Math background study to get fully comfortable in this area.

Personal.

I.M.H.O If you can cope with `Euclidian', `Cylindrical' and `Spherical' coordinates systems as well, this I found helpful. I knew a few students on engineering courses who's math study stopped at their second-year found this final-year topic "pure-torture". I can understand their viewpoint. To cope you need to spend however much time it takes to cope with mathematical treatments used in this book. Its a good book, but I do not know if its the best available in this area. A well-known college I will not name recommended it to me for this topic.


Can't avoid it, it's my set book., 07 Jan 2004
Well, it's fairly comprehensive at least. If you want to learn about electromagnetic waves and waveguides and so on, there's a *lot* of boring old electrostatics to wade through first. And it's a pretty heavy subject.

You need to have your multiple integration and vector calculus skills up to speed or you'll be lost in the first chapter. Apart from that, it seems fairly good, although a bit dry.

Lucid textbook on a difficult subject, 07 Jan 2003
The text is lucid in its presentation of what is often viewed as a difficult subject.

Starting with no more than a sound understanding of sixth form (high school) Mathematics and Physics, the authors proceed to underpin elementary concepts of electrostatics, simple circuits, and magnetism with the rigour and completeness demanded at University level. New mathematical ideas are introduced gently (so naturally, in fact, that the reader does not feel that (s)he is being asked to learn some new things!) and blended into the key Physical concepts.

The book accelerates through a whole lot of material and tacitly introduces the reader to Maxwell's Equations without calling them so. Only after all of the core physical concepts - Dielectrics, Steady Currents and Magnetic Fields, Ferromagnetism, Electromagnetism/Induction - have been covered, do the authors venture to integrate the mathematics into Maxwell's equations. This emphasis on the Physics (with the Mathematics working merely as a tool) works really well and is central to the readability of this book.

The latter chapters explore Transmission Lines, Electromagnetic Waves (which the mathematically inclined texts like to boast about as solutions of Maxwell's Equations), and the beginnings of Relativistic Electrodynamics.

All in all, an excellent, enjoyable book - highly recommended! Makes Physics fun!

Lastly, I might add that I was one of the "guinea pigs" at Manchester who benefited directly from the materials in this book and others in the Manchester Physics Series.

Average undergraduate level text, 18 Oct 1999
Dr Grant lectured my final year course on electromagnetic radiation and famously, in the last lecture of the course said, 'if you know the whole lecture course then you should get a 2:1'. Puh, a 2:1! Thanks for the encouragement, but I knew 'just enough' and got 92%. Dr Grant was a miserable g*t, especially if you had the misfortune to meet him in the lab. Dr Philips, on the other hand, was a nice guy, who lectured my second year course on electricity and magnetism. So we have a Dr Nice Guy (popular with the secretaries...) and a Dr Grumpy who write a book that basically contains nothing of interest to anyone other than a student attempting to drink as much beer as possible and yet still pass the first two years of Physics. If you want a really good book, read Jackson's Classical Electrodynamics. If you want the lecture notes photo copy your mates.

good, but not on its own, 05 Sep 1999
I'm a first year physics student, and I thought this book was very good in helping me understand the subject. However, I would strongly recommend having another book as well, like Duffin's Electricity and Magnetism, as some of the proofs can be a bit confusing, and are better demonstrated another way. (eg the dipole E-field) Overall, though, and excellent buy.

Electric Universe, 04 Oct 2008
'Electric Universe' is a short, fascinating book that touches on many facets of electricity and it's use and application. It leaves you with many questions and makes you want to explore some of the themes in greater depth, which is either a positive or negative conclusion depending on your take. I found it to be immensely easy to read, but superficial and light. It explores the ideas around electricity well without being truly illuminating or deeply informative. This is a great science primer and a good place to start if you want a try a 'popular science' book, but if you've read other science books, or have a passing knowledge of electricity and scientific development in that past 100, years then you can give this a miss without any qualms. A solid three star book, good but not excellent.

Trvial and superficial, 28 Sep 2008
I agree with the other reviewers who considered this book superficial. It only touches upon the interesting experimental aspects of the subject and provides way too much irrelevant padding. Whilst I appreciate it may make for more easier reading to provide background material on the personalities and have enjoyed this when done in balance by other authors I feel this one simply neglects the main theme in favour of irrelevances - why include a paragraph quoting Hitler and why the lengthy discussion of Bomber Harris and air raids on Germany - the obvious point about the influence of radio/radar could have been made much more succinctly. All in all lightweight and trivial with glaring omissions in it's central subject.

a great history of the pioneers of electricity, 22 Jan 2008
From the subtitle of this book, 'how electricity switched on the modern world', I was expecting much more of a history of the application of electricity. I wanted to know how it spread, how it came to insinuate itself into every aspect of our work and leisure. Although there is some of this, particularly with the telegraph, this book is actually a history of the discovery of electricity, of men and their experiments.
It's still fascinating, and full of anecdotes and stories. If I was a scientist I'm sure I would scoff at the explanations of what electricity is and what it does, but I'm not, so I appreciate the layman's terms. I learned plenty, especially in the later chapters as Bodanis explains electricity's role in biology and psychology. They didn't teach me that in school. Or if they did I wasn't paying attention.
It's a fine book, and very readable. I just thought I ought to clarify that subtitle.

Superb book, 15 Aug 2007
Don't be put off by the churlish sniffy purist reviews.It is a book for people who are beginning to be interested in the history of science,not the "experts".It's well-written, accessible, and treats the reader as an intelligent non-specialist human being. Fully deserves the award.The chapter on Alan Turing is brilliantly informative, and very moving.You've got to be a good writer to pull that of.

Makes you want to learn more, 30 Nov 2006
I loved this book and couldn't put it down.It helped me to understand the basics behind radio, radar, computers, nerves in the body, telegraphs and telephones to name but a few. These are things I've always wanted to understand.True at times it doesn't go into very detailed theory but this book is meant to be an overview of electricity and would be difficult to satisfy everyone in one book and it is in no way overly simple. After reading it it has given me the desire to learn even more and I believe it is a great introduction to the subject.

Thoughtful treatment of the subject, 14 Jun 2008
The education of the reader seems to be first priority here. The author is good at his explanations and the order of material has been well conidered.

My favourite feature is the relevance of the exercises for the reader. Sometimes I'm tempted to read the text and skip the hard work, but fortunately I resisted on this occasion. It feels like each exercise has been hand-picked to give the reader some new insight or appreciation, in a subject area which is full of subtleties and mathematical pitfalls.

This book is a must for someone learning electrodynamics. Jackson was another option, but I found this "bible" way too cumbersome and more of a reference book than an accompaniment to a course. I still used it, because the section on relativity is pretty good, and his tensor notation seems more common. It's expensive, so find it in a library.

Probably the best undergraduate text I've used.

An Introduction to Electrodynamics, 01 Jun 2008
This text book is without a doubt the best text book I own. The style of writing is brilliant, with Griffiths talking about electromagnetism in a relaxed but authorative manner. Unlike many other texts this does not hide behind technical language, and is clear and concise. Examples are well written and there a great number of problems to attempt.

This text is ideal for an undergraduate electrodynamics course, and I would highly recommend it, for it's highly approachable, and easily understood introduction to such a subject.

Perfect for what it says on the title - and more., 05 Dec 2003
This book is not only user friendly but also comprehensive and covers a good deal of what should be covered in a book about Electrodynamics. It is full of intuitive illustrations and good examples and explains in a nice Feynman-ish way.
It also supplies a very nice vector analysis intro. for those of you who need it (which is quite a critical organ in the body of knowledge of Electrodynamics and physics at large).

I also liked its habit of not ignoring pitfalls when it comes to understanding the basics as I think, that is one of the differences between understanding Physics and just knowing Physical facts.

I say hooray(hoorah in the UK??) for Griffiths, he's done it in a few fields but in this one it is a winner.
In summary, not only this book is perfect for the novice Electrodynamics technician (physicist/engineer/mathematician/curious people with lots of free time) but also for reference, for it has been so ever since I have it in my possesion and it is a great one (ref. that is).

And no, I've no relation to Griffiths what so ever ( but I wouldn't mind having one )

Stirring explanation of the laws of electrodynamics., 01 Aug 2000
I very much enjoyed Griffiths explanations and examples. Clear text. Pithy figures. Interesting examples.

ramping up in difficulty, 09 Nov 2006
Hi

Summary

I have been looking into this for several weeks and find I.M.H.O, its a fine, formal way to add understanding to this fascinating natural phenomena and how its can be used by mankind. I have some background in this from other courses, so I may be biased? In preparation for this volume,I read a `University Physics / Mastering Physics' type volumes as well as separate Mathematical revision topics. i never thought i would make this comment, but approaching this from a more mathematical perspective seems easier (I.M.H.O) that the approach from an electrical engineering only.

My initial findings of the book.

In a way the definitions that apply say B, H, M, I, V, E, etc appear quite quickly from the first chapters onwards and using their mathematical descriptions can help to get to grip with these. This is a great approach at this level if your able to use this, but it depends on how much mathematical background you have? You will also find liberal usage of S.I units / Dimensional analysis, i.e L = 'length'

Summary descriptions of the later chapters.

I would say its easier if you have some knowledge of 'Vector Calculus' + 'Mechanics' and 'Complex Number' theory from other sources before this book. If you do this then its fun to read. To me, in the middle section of the book covered 'H.N.D' level stuff, such as 'Thevenin', and 'Nodal Analysis' in a way of reminding the reader that is good for it brevity.

My view of latter parts of the book.

The latter parts of the book are newer to me, such as 'Transmission Lines' and a brief look into natural electromagnetic radiation and how it interacts with energy -fields and say, materials such as 'glass'. The involvement of 'Maxwell's Equations', (which heavily uses `Div', `Curl', and `Grad' to describe electromagnetic phenomena) and allows exploration at a deeper level, the physics of 'Wave Guides' + 'Antennas' using high frequencies. The mathematical development in these chapters to support these topics shows clearly how the mathematical content has responded in 'ramping -up' in difficultly compared to the opening chapters of the volume. I would say its still needs more external Math background study to get fully comfortable in this area.

Personal.

I.M.H.O If you can cope with `Euclidian', `Cylindrical' and `Spherical' coordinates systems as well, this I found helpful. I knew a few students on engineering courses who's math study stopped at their second-year found this final-year topic "pure-torture". I can understand their viewpoint. To cope you need to spend however much time it takes to cope with mathematical treatments used in this book. Its a good book, but I do not know if its the best available in this area. A well-known college I will not name recommended it to me for this topic.


Can't avoid it, it's my set book., 07 Jan 2004
Well, it's fairly comprehensive at least. If you want to learn about electromagnetic waves and waveguides and so on, there's a *lot* of boring old electrostatics to wade through first. And it's a pretty heavy subject.

You need to have your multiple integration and vector calculus skills up to speed or you'll be lost in the first chapter. Apart from that, it seems fairly good, although a bit dry.

Lucid textbook on a difficult subject, 07 Jan 2003
The text is lucid in its presentation of what is often viewed as a difficult subject.

Starting with no more than a sound understanding of sixth form (high school) Mathematics and Physics, the authors proceed to underpin elementary concepts of electrostatics, simple circuits, and magnetism with the rigour and completeness demanded at University level. New mathematical ideas are introduced gently (so naturally, in fact, that the reader does not feel that (s)he is being asked to learn some new things!) and blended into the key Physical concepts.

The book accelerates through a whole lot of material and tacitly introduces the reader to Maxwell's Equations without calling them so. Only after all of the core physical concepts - Dielectrics, Steady Currents and Magnetic Fields, Ferromagnetism, Electromagnetism/Induction - have been covered, do the authors venture to integrate the mathematics into Maxwell's equations. This emphasis on the Physics (with the Mathematics working merely as a tool) works really well and is central to the readability of this book.

The latter chapters explore Transmission Lines, Electromagnetic Waves (which the mathematically inclined texts like to boast about as solutions of Maxwell's Equations), and the beginnings of Relativistic Electrodynamics.

All in all, an excellent, enjoyable book - highly recommended! Makes Physics fun!

Lastly, I might add that I was one of the "guinea pigs" at Manchester who benefited directly from the materials in this book and others in the Manchester Physics Series.

Average undergraduate level text, 18 Oct 1999
Dr Grant lectured my final year course on electromagnetic radiation and famously, in the last lecture of the course said, 'if you know the whole lecture course then you should get a 2:1'. Puh, a 2:1! Thanks for the encouragement, but I knew 'just enough' and got 92%. Dr Grant was a miserable g*t, especially if you had the misfortune to meet him in the lab. Dr Philips, on the other hand, was a nice guy, who lectured my second year course on electricity and magnetism. So we have a Dr Nice Guy (popular with the secretaries...) and a Dr Grumpy who write a book that basically contains nothing of interest to anyone other than a student attempting to drink as much beer as possible and yet still pass the first two years of Physics. If you want a really good book, read Jackson's Classical Electrodynamics. If you want the lecture notes photo copy your mates.

good, but not on its own, 05 Sep 1999
I'm a first year physics student, and I thought this book was very good in helping me understand the subject. However, I would strongly recommend having another book as well, like Duffin's Electricity and Magnetism, as some of the proofs can be a bit confusing, and are better demonstrated another way. (eg the dipole E-field) Overall, though, and excellent buy.

Electric Universe, 04 Oct 2008
'Electric Universe' is a short, fascinating book that touches on many facets of electricity and it's use and application. It leaves you with many questions and makes you want to explore some of the themes in greater depth, which is either a positive or negative conclusion depending on your take. I found it to be immensely easy to read, but superficial and light. It explores the ideas around electricity well without being truly illuminating or deeply informative. This is a great science primer and a good place to start if you want a try a 'popular science' book, but if you've read other science books, or have a passing knowledge of electricity and scientific development in that past 100, years then you can give this a miss without any qualms. A solid three star book, good but not excellent.

Trvial and superficial, 28 Sep 2008
I agree with the other reviewers who considered this book superficial. It only touches upon the interesting experimental aspects of the subject and provides way too much irrelevant padding. Whilst I appreciate it may make for more easier reading to provide background material on the personalities and have enjoyed this when done in balance by other authors I feel this one simply neglects the main theme in favour of irrelevances - why include a paragraph quoting Hitler and why the lengthy discussion of Bomber Harris and air raids on Germany - the obvious point about the influence of radio/radar could have been made much more succinctly. All in all lightweight and trivial with glaring omissions in it's central subject.

a great history of the pioneers of electricity, 22 Jan 2008
From the subtitle of this book, 'how electricity switched on the modern world', I was expecting much more of a history of the application of electricity. I wanted to know how it spread, how it came to insinuate itself into every aspect of our work and leisure. Although there is some of this, particularly with the telegraph, this book is actually a history of the discovery of electricity, of men and their experiments.
It's still fascinating, and full of anecdotes and stories. If I was a scientist I'm sure I would scoff at the explanations of what electricity is and what it does, but I'm not, so I appreciate the layman's terms. I learned plenty, especially in the later chapters as Bodanis explains electricity's role in biology and psychology. They didn't teach me that in school. Or if they did I wasn't paying attention.
It's a fine book, and very readable. I just thought I ought to clarify that subtitle.

Superb book, 15 Aug 2007
Don't be put off by the churlish sniffy purist reviews.It is a book for people who are beginning to be interested in the history of science,not the "experts".It's well-written, accessible, and treats the reader as an intelligent non-specialist human being. Fully deserves the award.The chapter on Alan Turing is brilliantly informative, and very moving.You've got to be a good writer to pull that of.

Makes you want to learn more, 30 Nov 2006
I loved this book and couldn't put it down.It helped me to understand the basics behind radio, radar, computers, nerves in the body, telegraphs and telephones to name but a few. These are things I've always wanted to understand.True at times it doesn't go into very detailed theory but this book is meant to be an overview of electricity and would be difficult to satisfy everyone in one book and it is in no way overly simple. After reading it it has given me the desire to learn even more and I believe it is a great introduction to the subject.

Almost a detective novel, 16 Jan 2008
This is, in a way, a strange book. It has a clear theme - the search for free energy - but the theme is delved into in a wide variety of ways. It seems to start as a pamphlet on global warming, looks into the history of science, then introduces some really weird characters, mines the patent office for curious applications, only to return at the greenhouse once more. Absolutely hilarious is the chapter on a bunch of con-artists that lured investors into free energy schemes.

Though he sticks to bare facts most of the time, ignoring the possibilities for sensationalist writing, Keith Tutt succeeds at points in invoking a detective novel like atmosphere. Did T. Henry Moray really succeed in capturing the energy from cosmic rays? Who were the people who tried to kill him? Why did the same happen to the man who took up his legacy seventy years later?

Decent research, well written, a fine read.



A journey into the love and hate of energy..., 29 Sep 2007
This book will open one's eyes to the blood sweat and tears in the quest of ideal energy.

A extremely intriguing read..., 23 Jun 2003
As i agree with the previous review, the technical talk is at times hard to get around, but that's the point. This book details the trials and tribulations of a new frontier, which will hopefully be broken into in the near future. It is complex read - otherwise the idea of 'free energy' would not be such a msyterious concept today. However, do not let the detail deter you, it just made me really think into the ideas shown in the book, there are so many areas of research that surely someday this book will be like a precursor to a new way of living. Or literally as a history book,exploring the possibilities of the future that the huge change that free energy production will surely bring.

Fascinating, 28 Apr 2003
This book caught my eye in a bookstore display and I bought it based on a desire to find out what really happened with cold fusion.

It is a history of the search for free energy, but rather than a full sequential historical account it is a history told in a series of snapshot stories.

And fascinating stories they are. Keith Tutt is clearly a fan of free energy research, but while his enthusiasm is evident throughout the book, he is careful to retain a healthy level of scepticism.

The book does get quite technical in places, but skipping the technical paragraphs (or reading them and being none the wiser) does not have a detrimental effect.

If, like me, you remember that cold fusion was a big fuss about nothing - a terrible mistake by scientists that should have been more thorough - then think again. Cold fusion is alive and well and the true story of what happened is worth the price of the book alone...

The biggest scandal in the history of science, 20 Mar 2003
This book should be read by everyone. It describes, in a lucid, clear and level-headed style, the discoveries made by inventors and engineers over the years, in their quests to find a free and non-polluting source of energy, and why their inventions are still not out on the market. It makes for very sobering, not to say chilling and even frightening, reading. Infuriating is another word that comes to mind. In his foreword to the book, none other than Sir Arthur C. Clarke describes this as, "almost certainly the biggest scandal in the history of science."
This is not a "conspiracy theory" book. It does not describe grand conspiracies and cover-ups (although it does touch on those subjects). Tutt simply lays out the facts as they are, gathered from news stories, interviews, and the personal writings of the people involved (from both the pro and con camps). It is clear that with adequate funding and support, a source of limitless energy would be within our grasp in a matter of years. Yet very little funding is forthcoming, continued ridicule abounds, and our tortured world is still subjected to a year-by-year massive increase in pollution caused by the burning of primitive stone age fossil fuels. Not to mention the continued dependence of the Western world on the oil supplied by the fundamentalist Arab world.
There is no organized conspiracy, I certainly hope, but there is a "momentum" against change, and what is desperately needed is a paradigm shift. People with vested interests, and people whose livelihood and careers depend on the continued use of our primitive and backward energy technologies, are, independently of each other, actively working against the new technologies, and collectively they form a massive resistance that does indeed look like a great conspiracy. And in the scientific establishment we have all the "experts," whose careers and reputations depend on the continued discrediting of cold fusion and all other alternative free energy sources. The result is the world as we see it today, with its massive pollution and energy problems.
For those with no technical background, this book is heavy going at times. There is a lot of technical detail, and Tutt relies heavily, at times, on extracts from other sources, which interrupts the flow of the narrative. But the stories told are, nevertheless, interesting ones. Here is the original "mad scientist," Nikola Tesla, and his several free energy devices. Here is also the Radiant Energy Device of T. Henry Moray, and the tragic story of his futile struggle to find acceptance for his technology. Here is the mysterious N-Machine, and the Thesta-Distatica, developed by a sect of Christian fanatics somewhere up in the Swiss Alps. Here is the very tragic story of how the promise of cold fusion was destroyed, as Tutt delves into all the popular misconceptions about this important technology. And here is the story of Randell Mills and his BlackLight technology, currently in development. Tutt also describes some of the free energy scams that are continually being pulled by various con artists who usually claim that God has given them the technology, with the predictable result that long lines of evangelical Christians immediately form up to give the "inventor" their money.
I give this book the rating 4 out of 5 only because, as I said, it is not an easy read for those who are technically challenged. But the book is more than well worth reading. People with closed minds will no doubt scorn and deride, as such people always do, but for intelligent and open-minded individuals, this book gives an important insight into what is really going on in the field of free energy development. Highly recommended.

Thoughtful treatment of the subject, 14 Jun 2008
The education of the reader seems to be first priority here. The author is good at his explanations and the order of material has been well conidered.

My favourite feature is the relevance of the exercises for the reader. Sometimes I'm tempted to read the text and skip the hard work, but fortunately I resisted on this occasion. It feels like each exercise has been hand-picked to give the reader some new insight or appreciation, in a subject area which is full of subtleties and mathematical pitfalls.

This book is a must for someone learning electrodynamics. Jackson was another option, but I found this "bible" way too cumbersome and more of a reference book than an accompaniment to a course. I still used it, because the section on relativity is pretty good, and his tensor notation seems more common. It's expensive, so find it in a library.

Probably the best undergraduate text I've used.

An Introduction to Electrodynamics, 01 Jun 2008
This text book is without a doubt the best text book I own. The style of writing is brilliant, with Griffiths talking about electromagnetism in a relaxed but authorative manner. Unlike many other texts this does not hide behind technical language, and is clear and concise. Examples are well written and there a great number of problems to attempt.

This text is ideal for an undergraduate electrodynamics course, and I would highly recommend it, for it's highly approachable, and easily understood introduction to such a subject.

Perfect for what it says on the title - and more., 05 Dec 2003
This book is not only user friendly but also comprehensive and covers a good deal of what should be covered in a book about Electrodynamics. It is full of intuitive illustrations and good examples and explains in a nice Feynman-ish way.
It also supplies a very nice vector analysis intro. for those of you who need it (which is quite a critical organ in the body of knowledge of Electrodynamics and physics at large).

I also liked its habit of not ignoring pitfalls when it comes to understanding the basics as I think, that is one of the differences between understanding Physics and just knowing Physical facts.

I say hooray(hoorah in the UK??) for Griffiths, he's done it in a few fields but in this one it is a winner.
In summary, not only this book is perfect for the novice Electrodynamics technician (physicist/engineer/mathematician/curious people with lots of free time) but also for reference, for it has been so ever since I have it in my possesion and it is a great one (ref. that is).

And no, I've no relation to Griffiths what so ever ( but I wouldn't mind having one )

Stirring explanation of the laws of electrodynamics., 01 Aug 2000
I very much enjoyed Griffiths explanations and examples. Clear text. Pithy figures. Interesting examples.

ramping up in difficulty, 09 Nov 2006
Hi

Summary

I have been looking into this for several weeks and find I.M.H.O, its a fine, formal way to add understanding to this fascinating natural phenomena and how its can be used by mankind. I have some background in this from other courses, so I may be biased? In preparation for this volume,I read a `University Physics / Mastering Physics' type volumes as well as separate Mathematical revision topics. i never thought i would make this comment, but approaching this from a more mathematical perspective seems easier (I.M.H.O) that the approach from an electrical engineering only.

My initial findings of the book.

In a way the definitions that apply say B, H, M, I, V, E, etc appear quite quickly from the first chapters onwards and using their mathematical descriptions can help to get to grip with these. This is a great approach at this level if your able to use this, but it depends on how much mathematical background you have? You will also find liberal usage of S.I units / Dimensional analysis, i.e L = 'length'

Summary descriptions of the later chapters.

I would say its easier if you have some knowledge of 'Vector Calculus' + 'Mechanics' and 'Complex Number' theory from other sources before this book. If you do this then its fun to read. To me, in the middle section of the book covered 'H.N.D' level stuff, such as 'Thevenin', and 'Nodal Analysis' in a way of reminding the reader that is good for it brevity.

My view of latter parts of the book.

The latter parts of the book are newer to me, such as 'Transmission Lines' and a brief look into natural electromagnetic radiation and how it interacts with energy -fields and say, materials such as 'glass'. The involvement of 'Maxwell's Equations', (which heavily uses `Div', `Curl', and `Grad' to describe electromagnetic phenomena) and allows exploration at a deeper level, the physics of 'Wave Guides' + 'Antennas' using high frequencies. The mathematical development in these chapters to support these topics shows clearly how the mathematical content has responded in 'ramping -up' in difficultly compared to the opening chapters of the volume. I would say its still needs more external Math background study to get fully comfortable in this area.

Personal.

I.M.H.O If you can cope with `Euclidian', `Cylindrical' and `Spherical' coordinates systems as well, this I found helpful. I knew a few students on engineering courses who's math study stopped at their second-year found this final-year topic "pure-torture". I can understand their viewpoint. To cope you need to spend however much time it takes to cope with mathematical treatments used in this book. Its a good book, but I do not know if its the best available in this area. A well-known college I will not name recommended it to me for this topic.


Can't avoid it, it's my set book., 07 Jan 2004
Well, it's fairly comprehensive at least. If you want to learn about electromagnetic waves and waveguides and so on, there's a *lot* of boring old electrostatics to wade through first. And it's a pretty heavy subject.

You need to have your multiple integration and vector calculus skills up to speed or you'll be lost in the first chapter. Apart from that, it seems fairly good, although a bit dry.

Lucid textbook on a difficult subject, 07 Jan 2003
The text is lucid in its presentation of what is often viewed as a difficult subject.

Starting with no more than a sound understanding of sixth form (high school) Mathematics and Physics, the authors proceed to underpin elementary concepts of electrostatics, simple circuits, and magnetism with the rigour and completeness demanded at University level. New mathematical ideas are introduced gently (so naturally, in fact, that the reader does not feel that (s)he is being asked to learn some new things!) and blended into the key Physical concepts.

The book accelerates through a whole lot of material and tacitly introduces the reader to Maxwell's Equations without calling them so. Only after all of the core physical concepts - Dielectrics, Steady Currents and Magnetic Fields, Ferromagnetism, Electromagnetism/Induction - have been covered, do the authors venture to integrate the mathematics into Maxwell's equations. This emphasis on the Physics (with the Mathematics working merely as a tool) works really well and is central to the readability of this book.

The latter chapters explore Transmission Lines, Electromagnetic Waves (which the mathematically inclined texts like to boast about as solutions of Maxwell's Equations), and the beginnings of Relativistic Electrodynamics.

All in all, an excellent, enjoyable book - highly recommended! Makes Physics fun!

Lastly, I might add that I was one of the "guinea pigs" at Manchester who benefited directly from the materials in this book and others in the Manchester Physics Series.

Average undergraduate level text, 18 Oct 1999
Dr Grant lectured my final year course on electromagnetic radiation and famously, in the last lecture of the course said, 'if you know the whole lecture course then you should get a 2:1'. Puh, a 2:1! Thanks for the encouragement, but I knew 'just enough' and got 92%. Dr Grant was a miserable g*t, especially if you had the misfortune to meet him in the lab. Dr Philips, on the other hand, was a nice guy, who lectured my second year course on electricity and magnetism. So we have a Dr Nice Guy (popular with the secretaries...) and a Dr Grumpy who write a book that basically contains nothing of interest to anyone other than a student attempting to drink as much beer as possible and yet still pass the first two years of Physics. If you want a really good book, read Jackson's Classical Electrodynamics. If you want the lecture notes photo copy your mates.

good, but not on its own, 05 Sep 1999
I'm a first year physics student, and I thought this book was very good in helping me understand the subject. However, I would strongly recommend having another book as well, like Duffin's Electricity and Magnetism, as some of the proofs can be a bit confusing, and are better demonstrated another way. (eg the dipole E-field) Overall, though, and excellent buy.

Electric Universe, 04 Oct 2008
'Electric Universe' is a short, fascinating book that touches on many facets of electricity and it's use and application. It leaves you with many questions and makes you want to explore some of the themes in greater depth, which is either a positive or negative conclusion depending on your take. I found it to be immensely easy to read, but superficial and light. It explores the ideas around electricity well without being truly illuminating or deeply informative. This is a great science primer and a good place to start if you want a try a 'popular science' book, but if you've read other science books, or have a passing knowledge of electricity and scientific development in that past 100, years then you can give this a miss without any qualms. A solid three star book, good but not excellent.

Trvial and superficial, 28 Sep 2008
I agree with the other reviewers who considered this book superficial. It only touches upon the interesting experimental aspects of the subject and provides way too much irrelevant padding. Whilst I appreciate it may make for more easier reading to provide background material on the personalities and have enjoyed this when done in balance by other authors I feel this one simply neglects the main theme in favour of irrelevances - why include a paragraph quoting Hitler and why the lengthy discussion of Bomber Harris and air raids on Germany - the obvious point about the influence of radio/radar could have been made much more succinctly. All in all lightweight and trivial with glaring omissions in it's central subject.

a great history of the pioneers of electricity, 22 Jan 2008
From the subtitle of this book, 'how electricity switched on the modern world', I was expecting much more of a history of the application of electricity. I wanted to know how it spread, how it came to insinuate itself into every aspect of our work and leisure. Although there is some of this, particularly with the telegraph, this book is actually a history of the discovery of electricity, of men and their experiments.
It's still fascinating, and full of anecdotes and stories. If I was a scientist I'm sure I would scoff at the explanations of what electricity is and what it does, but I'm not, so I appreciate the layman's terms. I learned plenty, especially in the later chapters as Bodanis explains electricity's role in biology and psychology. They didn't teach me that in school. Or if they did I wasn't paying attention.
It's a fine book, and very readable. I just thought I ought to clarify that subtitle.

Superb book, 15 Aug 2007
Don't be put off by the churlish sniffy purist reviews.It is a book for people who are beginning to be interested in the history of science,not the "experts".It's well-written, accessible, and treats the reader as an intelligent non-specialist human being. Fully deserves the award.The chapter on Alan Turing is brilliantly informative, and very moving.You've got to be a good writer to pull that of.

Makes you want to learn more, 30 Nov 2006
I loved this book and couldn't put it down.It helped me to understand the basics behind radio, radar, computers, nerves in the body, telegraphs and telephones to name but a few. These are things I've always wanted to understand.True at times it doesn't go into very detailed theory but this book is meant to be an overview of electricity and would be difficult to satisfy everyone in one book and it is in no way overly simple. After reading it it has given me the desire to learn even more and I believe it is a great introduction to the subject.

Almost a detective novel, 16 Jan 2008
This is, in a way, a strange book. It has a clear theme - the search for free energy - but the theme is delved into in a wide variety of ways. It seems to start as a pamphlet on global warming, looks into the history of science, then introduces some really weird characters, mines the patent office for curious applications, only to return at the greenhouse once more. Absolutely hilarious is the chapter on a bunch of con-artists that lured investors into free energy schemes.

Though he sticks to bare facts most of the time, ignoring the possibilities for sensationalist writing, Keith Tutt succeeds at points in invoking a detective novel like atmosphere. Did T. Henry Moray really succeed in capturing the energy from cosmic rays? Who were the people who tried to kill him? Why did the same happen to the man who took up his legacy seventy years later?

Decent research, well written, a fine read.



A journey into the love and hate of energy..., 29 Sep 2007
This book will open one's eyes to the blood sweat and tears in the quest of ideal energy.

A extremely intriguing read..., 23 Jun 2003
As i agree with the previous review, the technical talk is at times hard to get around, but that's the point. This book details the trials and tribulations of a new frontier, which will hopefully be broken into in the near future. It is complex read - otherwise the idea of 'free energy' would not be such a msyterious concept today. However, do not let the detail deter you, it just made me really think into the ideas shown in the book, there are so many areas of research that surely someday this book will be like a precursor to a new way of living. Or literally as a history book,exploring the possibilities of the future that the huge change that free energy production will surely bring.

Fascinating, 28 Apr 2003
This book caught my eye in a bookstore display and I bought it based on a desire to find out what really happened with cold fusion.

It is a history of the search for free energy, but rather than a full sequential historical account it is a history told in a series of snapshot stories.

And fascinating stories they are. Keith Tutt is clearly a fan of free energy research, but while his enthusiasm is evident throughout the book, he is careful to retain a healthy level of scepticism.

The book does get quite technical in places, but skipping the technical paragraphs (or reading them and being none the wiser) does not have a detrimental effect.

If, like me, you remember that cold fusion was a big fuss about nothing - a terrible mistake by scientists that should have been more thorough - then think again. Cold fusion is alive and well and the true story of what happened is worth the price of the book alone...

The biggest scandal in the history of science, 20 Mar 2003
This book should be read by everyone. It describes, in a lucid, clear and level-headed style, the discoveries made by inventors and engineers over the years, in their quests to find a free and non-polluting source of energy, and why their inventions are still not out on the market. It makes for very sobering, not to say chilling and even frightening, reading. Infuriating is another word that comes to mind. In his foreword to the book, none other than Sir Arthur C. Clarke describes this as, "almost certainly the biggest scandal in the history of science."
This is not a "conspiracy theory" book. It does not describe grand conspiracies and cover-ups (although it does touch on those subjects). Tutt simply lays out the facts as they are, gathered from news stories, interviews, and the personal writings of the people involved (from both the pro and con camps). It is clear that with adequate funding and support, a source of limitless energy would be within our grasp in a matter of years. Yet very little funding is forthcoming, continued ridicule abounds, and our tortured world is still subjected to a year-by-year massive increase in pollution caused by the burning of primitive stone age fossil fuels. Not to mention the continued dependence of the Western world on the oil supplied by the fundamentalist Arab world.
There is no organized conspiracy, I certainly hope, but there is a "momentum" against change, and what is desperately needed is a paradigm shift. People with vested interests, and people whose livelihood and careers depend on the continued use of our primitive and backward energy technologies, are, independently of each other, actively working against the new technologies, and collectively they form a massive resistance that does indeed look like a great conspiracy. And in the scientific establishment we have all the "experts," whose careers and reputations depend on the continued discrediting of cold fusion and all other alternative free energy sources. The result is the world as we see it today, with its massive pollution and energy problems.
For those with no technical background, this book is heavy going at times. There is a lot of technical detail, and Tutt relies heavily, at times, on extracts from other sources, which interrupts the flow of the narrative. But the stories told are, nevertheless, interesting ones. Here is the original "mad scientist," Nikola Tesla, and his several free energy devices. Here is also the Radiant Energy Device of T. Henry Moray, and the tragic story of his futile struggle to find acceptance for his technology. Here is the mysterious N-Machine, and the Thesta-Distatica, developed by a sect of Christian fanatics somewhere up in the Swiss Alps. Here is the very tragic story of how the promise of cold fusion was destroyed, as Tutt delves into all the popular misconceptions about this important technology. And here is the story of Randell Mills and his BlackLight technology, currently in development. Tutt also describes some of the free energy scams that are continually being pulled by various con artists who usually claim that God has given them the technology, with the predictable result that long lines of evangelical Christians immediately form up to give the "inventor" their money.
I give this book the rating 4 out of 5 only because, as I said, it is not an easy read for those who are technically challenged. But the book is more than well worth reading. People with closed minds will no doubt scorn and deride, as such people always do, but for intelligent and open-minded individuals, this book gives an important insight into what is really going on in the field of free energy development. Highly recommended.

A superb book to learn or revise from, 21 Jun 2001
This book contains EVERYTHING you need to know, and just what you need to know, in simple terms. If you are doing the EdExcel Physics AS/A level - THIS is the study book. It probably works out quite expensive compared to one Lett's book, but these books are so clear and understandable they are bound to help you!

Thoughtful treatment of the subject, 14 Jun 2008
The education of the reader seems to be first priority here. The author is good at his explanations and the order of material has been well conidered.

My favourite feature is the relevance of the exercises for the reader. Sometimes I'm tempted to read the text and skip the hard work, but fortunately I resisted on this occasion. It feels like each exercise has been hand-picked to give the reader some new insight or appreciation, in a subject area which is full of subtleties and mathematical pitfalls.

This book is a must for someone learning electrodynamics. Jackson was another option, but I found this "bible" way too cumbersome and more of a reference book than an accompaniment to a course. I still used it, because the section on relativity is pretty good, and his tensor notation seems more common. It's expensive, so find it in a library.

Probably the best undergraduate text I've used.

An Introduction to Electrodynamics, 01 Jun 2008
This text book is without a doubt the best text book I own. The style of writing is brilliant, with Griffiths talking about electromagnetism in a relaxed but authorative manner. Unlike many other texts this does not hide behind technical language, and is clear and concise. Examples are well written and there a great number of problems to attempt.

This text is ideal for an undergraduate electrodynamics course, and I would highly recommend it, for it's highly approachable, and easily understood introduction to such a subject.

Perfect for what it says on the title - and more., 05 Dec 2003
This book is not only user friendly but also comprehensive and covers a good deal of what should be covered in a book about Electrodynamics. It is full of intuitive illustrations and good examples and explains in a nice Feynman-ish way.
It also supplies a very nice vector analysis intro. for those of you who need it (which is quite a critical organ in the body of knowledge of Electrodynamics and physics at large).

I also liked its habit of not ignoring pitfalls when it comes to understanding the basics as I think, that is one of the differences between understanding Physics and just knowing Physical facts.

I say hooray(hoorah in the UK??) for Griffiths, he's done it in a few fields but in this one it is a winner.
In summary, not only this book is perfect for the novice Electrodynamics technician (physicist/engineer/mathematician/curious people with lots of free time) but also for reference, for it has been so ever since I have it in my possesion and it is a great one (ref. that is).

And no, I've no relation to Griffiths what so ever ( but I wouldn't mind having one )

Stirring explanation of the laws of electrodynamics., 01 Aug 2000
I very much enjoyed Griffiths explanations and examples. Clear text. Pithy figures. Interesting examples.

ramping up in difficulty, 09 Nov 2006
Hi

Summary

I have been looking into this for several weeks and find I.M.H.O, its a fine, formal way to add understanding to this fascinating natural phenomena and how its can be used by mankind. I have some background in this from other courses, so I may be biased? In preparation for this volume,I read a `University Physics / Mastering Physics' type volumes as well as separate Mathematical revision topics. i never thought i would make this comment, but approaching this from a more mathematical perspective seems easier (I.M.H.O) that the approach from an electrical engineering only.

My initial findings of the book.

In a way the definitions that apply say B, H, M, I, V, E, etc appear quite quickly from the first chapters onwards and using their mathematical descriptions can help to get to grip with these. This is a great approach at this level if your able to use this, but it depends on how much mathematical background you have? You will also find liberal usage of S.I units / Dimensional analysis, i.e L = 'length'

Summary descriptions of the later chapters.

I would say its easier if you have some knowledge of 'Vector Calculus' + 'Mechanics' and 'Complex Number' theory from other sources before this book. If you do this then its fun to read. To me, in the middle section of the book covered 'H.N.D' level stuff, such as 'Thevenin', and 'Nodal Analysis' in a way of reminding the reader that is good for it brevity.

My view of latter parts of the book.

The latter parts of the book are newer to me, such as 'Transmission Lines' and a brief look into natural electromagnetic radiation and how it interacts with energy -fields and say, materials such as 'glass'. The involvement of 'Maxwell's Equations', (which heavily uses `Div', `Curl', and `Grad' to describe electromagnetic phenomena) and allows exploration at a deeper level, the physics of 'Wave Guides' + 'Antennas' using high frequencies. The mathematical development in these chapters to support these topics shows clearly how the mathematical content has responded in 'ramping -up' in difficultly compared to the opening chapters of the volume. I would say its still needs more external Math background study to get fully comfortable in this area.

Personal.

I.M.H.O If you can cope with `Euclidian', `Cylindrical' and `Spherical' coordinates systems as well, this I found helpful. I knew a few students on engineering courses who's math study stopped at their second-year found this final-year topic "pure-torture". I can understand their viewpoint. To cope you need to spend however much time it takes to cope with mathematical treatments used in this book. Its a good book, but I do not know if its the best available in this area. A well-known college I will not name recommended it to me for this topic.


Can't avoid it, it's my set book., 07 Jan 2004
Well, it's fairly comprehensive at least. If you want to learn about electromagnetic waves and waveguides and so on, there's a *lot* of boring old electrostatics to wade through first. And it's a pretty heavy subject.

You need to have your multiple integration and vector calculus skills up to speed or you'll be lost in the first chapter. Apart from that, it seems fairly good, although a bit dry.

Lucid textbook on a difficult subject, 07 Jan 2003
The text is lucid in its presentation of what is often viewed as a difficult subject.

Starting with no more than a sound understanding of sixth form (high school) Mathematics and Physics, the authors proceed to underpin elementary concepts of electrostatics, simple circuits, and magnetism with the rigour and completeness demanded at University level. New mathematical ideas are introduced gently (so naturally, in fact, that the reader does not feel that (s)he is being asked to learn some new things!) and blended into the key Physical concepts.

The book accelerates through a whole lot of material and tacitly introduces the reader to Maxwell's Equations without calling them so. Only after all of the core physical concepts - Dielectrics, Steady Currents and Magnetic Fields, Ferromagnetism, Electromagnetism/Induction - have been covered, do the authors venture to integrate the mathematics into Maxwell's equations. This emphasis on the Physics (with the Mathematics working merely as a tool) works really well and is central to the readability of this book.

The latter chapters explore Transmission Lines, Electromagnetic Waves (which the mathematically inclined texts like to boast about as solutions of Maxwell's Equations), and the beginnings of Relativistic Electrodynamics.

All in all, an excellent, enjoyable book - highly recommended! Makes Physics fun!

Lastly, I might add that I was one of the "guinea pigs" at Manchester who benefited directly from the materials in this book and others in the Manchester Physics Series.

Average undergraduate level text, 18 Oct 1999
Dr Grant lectured my final year course on electromagnetic radiation and famously, in the last lecture of the course said, 'if you know the whole lecture course then you should get a 2:1'. Puh, a 2:1! Thanks for the encouragement, but I knew 'just enough' and got 92%. Dr Grant was a miserable g*t, especially if you had the misfortune to meet him in the lab. Dr Philips, on the other hand, was a nice guy, who lectured my second year course on electricity and magnetism. So we have a Dr Nice Guy (popular with the secretaries...) and a Dr Grumpy who write a book that basically contains nothing of interest to anyone other than a student attempting to drink as much beer as possible and yet still pass the first two years of Physics. If you want a really good book, read Jackson's Classical Electrodynamics. If you want the lecture notes photo copy your mates.

good, but not on its own, 05 Sep 1999
I'm a first year physics student, and I thought this book was very good in helping me understand the subject. However, I would strongly recommend having another book as well, like Duffin's Electricity and Magnetism, as some of the proofs can be a bit confusing, and are better demonstrated another way. (eg the dipole E-field) Overall, though, and excellent buy.

Electric Universe, 04 Oct 2008
'Electric Universe' is a short, fascinating book that touches on many facets of electricity and it's use and application. It leaves you with many questions and makes you want to explore some of the themes in greater depth, which is either a positive or negative conclusion depending on your take. I found it to be immensely easy to read, but superficial and light. It explores the ideas around electricity well without being truly illuminating or deeply informative. This is a great science primer and a good place to start if you want a try a 'popular science' book, but if you've read other science books, or have a passing knowledge of electricity and scientific development in that past 100, years then you can give this a miss without any qualms. A solid three star book, good but not excellent.

Trvial and superficial, 28 Sep 2008
I agree with the other reviewers who considered this book superficial. It only touches upon the interesting experimental aspects of the subject and provides way too much irrelevant padding. Whilst I appreciate it may make for more easier reading to provide background material on the personalities and have enjoyed this when done in balance by other authors I feel this one simply neglects the main theme in favour of irrelevances - why include a paragraph quoting Hitler and why the lengthy discussion of Bomber Harris and air raids on Germany - the obvious point about the influence of radio/radar could have been made much more succinctly. All in all lightweight and trivial with glaring omissions in it's central subject.

a great history of the pioneers of electricity, 22 Jan 2008
From the subtitle of this book, 'how electricity switched on the modern world', I was expecting much more of a history of the application of electricity. I wanted to know how it spread, how it came to insinuate itself into every aspect of our work and leisure. Although there is some of this, particularly with the telegraph, this book is actually a history of the discovery of electricity, of men and their experiments.
It's still fascinating, and full of anecdotes and stories. If I was a scientist I'm sure I would scoff at the explanations of what electricity is and what it does, but I'm not, so I appreciate the layman's terms. I learned plenty, especially in the later chapters as Bodanis explains electricity's role in biology and psychology. They didn't teach me that in school. Or if they did I wasn't paying attention.
It's a fine book, and very readable. I just thought I ought to clarify that subtitle.

Superb book, 15 Aug 2007
Don't be put off by the churlish sniffy purist reviews.It is a book for people who are beginning to be interested in the history of science,not the "experts".It's well-written, accessible, and treats the reader as an intelligent non-specialist human being. Fully deserves the award.The chapter on Alan Turing is brilliantly informative, and very moving.You've got to be a good writer to pull that of.

Makes you want to learn more, 30 Nov 2006
I loved this book and couldn't put it down.It helped me to understand the basics behind radio, radar, computers, nerves in the body, telegraphs and telephones to name but a few. These are things I've always wanted to understand.True at times it doesn't go into very detailed theory but this book is meant to be an overview of electricity and would be difficult to satisfy everyone in one book and it is in no way overly simple. After reading it it has given me the desire to learn even more and I believe it is a great introduction to the subject.

Almost a detective novel, 16 Jan 2008
This is, in a way, a strange book. It has a clear theme - the search for free energy - but the theme is delved into in a wide variety of ways. It seems to start as a pamphlet on global warming, looks into the history of science, then introduces some really weird characters, mines the patent office for curious applications, only to return at the greenhouse once more. Absolutely hilarious is the chapter on a bunch of con-artists that lured investors into free energy schemes.

Though he sticks to bare facts most of the time, ignoring the possibilities for sensationalist writing, Keith Tutt succeeds at points in invoking a detective novel like atmosphere. Did T. Henry Moray really succeed in capturing the energy from cosmic rays? Who were the people who tried to kill him? Why did the same happen to the man who took up his legacy seventy years later?

Decent research, well written, a fine read.



A journey into the love and hate of energy..., 29 Sep 2007
This book will open one's eyes to the blood sweat and tears in the quest of ideal energy.

A extremely intriguing read..., 23 Jun 2003
As i agree with the previous review, the technical talk is at times hard to get around, but that's the point. This book details the trials and tribulations of a new frontier, which will hopefully be broken into in the near future. It is complex read - otherwise the idea of 'free energy' would not be such a msyterious concept today. However, do not let the detail deter you, it just made me really think into the ideas shown in the book, there are so many areas of research that surely someday this book will be like a precursor to a new way of living. Or literally as a history book,exploring the possibilities of the future that the huge change that free energy production will surely bring.

Fascinating, 28 Apr 2003
This book caught my eye in a bookstore display and I bought it based on a desire to find out what really happened with cold fusion.

It is a history of the search for free energy, but rather than a full sequential historical account it is a history told in a series of snapshot stories.

And fascinating stories they are. Keith Tutt is clearly a fan of free energy research, but while his enthusiasm is evident throughout the book, he is careful to retain a healthy level of scepticism.

The book does get quite technical in places, but skipping the technical paragraphs (or reading them and being none the wiser) does not have a detrimental effect.

If, like me, you remember that cold fusion was a big fuss about nothing - a terrible mistake by scientists that should have been more thorough - then think again. Cold fusion is alive and well and the true story of what happened is worth the price of the book alone...

The biggest scandal in the history of science, 20 Mar 2003
This book should be read by everyone. It describes, in a lucid, clear and level-headed style, the discoveries made by inventors and engineers over the years, in their quests to find a free and non-polluting source of energy, and why their inventions are still not out on the market. It makes for very sobering, not to say chilling and even frightening, reading. Infuriating is another word that comes to mind. In his foreword to the book, none other than Sir Arthur C. Clarke describes this as, "almost certainly the biggest scandal in the history of science."
This is not a "conspiracy theory" book. It does not describe grand conspiracies and cover-ups (although it does touch on those subjects). Tutt simply lays out the facts as they are, gathered from news stories, interviews, and the personal writings of the people involved (from both the pro and con camps). It is clear that with adequate funding and support, a source of limitless energy would be within our grasp in a matter of years. Yet very little funding is forthcoming, continued ridicule abounds, and our tortured world is still subjected to a year-by-year massive increase in pollution caused by the burning of primitive stone age fossil fuels. Not to mention the continued dependence of the Western world on the oil supplied by the fundamentalist Arab world.
There is no organized conspiracy, I certainly hope, but there is a "momentum" against change, and what is desperately needed is a paradigm shift. People with vested interests, and people whose livelihood and careers depend on the continued use of our primitive and backward energy technologies, are, independently of each other, actively working against the new technologies, and collectively they form a massive resistance that does indeed look like a great conspiracy. And in the scientific establishment we have all the "experts," whose careers and reputations depend on the continued discrediting of cold fusion and all other alternative free energy sources. The result is the world as we see it today, with its massive pollution and energy problems.
For those with no technical background, this book is heavy going at times. There is a lot of technical detail, and Tutt relies heavily, at times, on extracts from other sources, which interrupts the flow of the narrative. But the stories told are, nevertheless, interesting ones. Here is the original "mad scientist," Nikola Tesla, and his several free energy devices. Here is also the Radiant Energy Device of T. Henry Moray, and the tragic story of his futile struggle to find acceptance for his technology. Here is the mysterious N-Machine, and the Thesta-Distatica, developed by a sect of Christian fanatics somewhere up in the Swiss Alps. Here is the very tragic story of how the promise of cold fusion was destroyed, as Tutt delves into all the popular misconceptions about this important technology. And here is the story of Randell Mills and his BlackLight technology, currently in development. Tutt also describes some of the free energy scams that are continually being pulled by various con artists who usually claim that God has given them the technology, with the predictable result that long lines of evangelical Christians immediately form up to give the "inventor" their money.
I give this book the rating 4 out of 5 only because, as I said, it is not an easy read for those who are technically challenged. But the book is more than well worth reading. People with closed minds will no doubt scorn and deride, as such people always do, but for intelligent and open-minded individuals, this book gives an important insight into what is really going on in the field of free energy development. Highly recommended.

A superb book to learn or revise from, 21 Jun 2001
This book contains EVERYTHING you need to know, and just what you need to know, in simple terms. If you are doing the EdExcel Physics AS/A level - THIS is the study book. It probably works out quite expensive compared to one Lett's book, but these books are so clear and understandable they are bound to help you!

An excellent aproach to the real world physics., 07 Feb 2001
Although the lack of deep and extensive theoretical treatment, this book has contributed to a fantastic guided-to-reality learning through electromagnetics phenomena applied to the development of today's world.

Excellent text book for all the Electrical Engineers to be!, 06 Oct 2000
The author does a very thorough job in explaining the nuances of electromagnetics. This is really a terrific all-around text. Not only broad, complete coverage of the theory, but lots of interesting real-world and practical examples.

A lot of good, usuable information, 02 Sep 1999
I found this to be informative from the beginning. The author does a very thorough job in explaining the nuances of electromagnetics.

Excellent, 06 Jul 1999
The best introduction to engineering physics I've ever read.

FANTASTIC engineering e&m text - best I've found, 14 Jun 1999
This is really a terrific all-around text. Not only broad, complete coverage of the theory, but lots of interesting real-world and practical stuff sprinkled in. Once again - I STRONGLY recommend this text.

Thoughtful treatment of the subject, 14 Jun 2008
The education of the reader seems to be first priority here. The author is good at his explanations and the order of material has been well conidered.

My favourite feature is the relevance of the exercises for the reader. Sometimes I'm tempted to read the text and skip the hard work, but fortunately I resisted on this occasion. It feels like each exercise has been hand-picked to give the reader some new insight or appreciation, in a subject area which is full of subtleties and mathematical pitfalls.

This book is a must for someone learning electrodynamics. Jackson was another option, but I found this "bible" way too cumbersome and more of a reference book than an accompaniment to a course. I still used it, because the section on relativity is pretty good, and his tensor notation seems more common. It's expensive, so find it in a library.

Probably the best undergraduate text I've used.

An Introduction to Electrodynamics, 01 Jun 2008
This text book is without a doubt the best text book I own. The style of writing is brilliant, with Griffiths talking about electromagnetism in a relaxed but authorative manner. Unlike many other texts this does not hide behind technical langua