Synopses & Reviews
If there could be only one book chosen as the boy's book of electricity, it would have to be this one. The first edition appeared in 1913 and there were many to follow. This is the 1940 edition, and I know there were later editions.
Here, you get chapters entitled magnets and magnetism; static electricity; static electric machines; voltaic cells and batteries; electromagnetism and magnetic inductions; electrical units; wires and accessories; electrical measuring instruments; bells, burglar alarms and annunciators; telegraphy; microphones and telephones; inductions coils; transformers; wireless telegraphy; radio receiving sets; an experimental "wireless" telephone; electric motors; dynamos; an electric railway; miniature lighting; miscellaneous electrical apparatus.
You may remember having read The Boy Electrician when you were a kid. If not, you missed something. You get practical how-to plans and advice to build and have fun with all kinds of electrical equipment.
You might start with a cork and needle compass, but before long you'll be building a Wimshurst machine, powerful batteries from scratch, galvanometers, voltmeters, ammeters, telegraph keys and sounders, a telephone, a high voltage induction coil, a step-down transformer, wireless telegraphy with a crystal set receiver, vacuum tube receivers including a regenerative, motors and generators, an electric train, a device to convert heat directly into electricity and even a Tesla coil!
The whole book is heavily illustrated and a joy to read. Remember. This is written for boys. You're not going to get detailed design theory. Morgan keeps the discussion light and fun. But these are great projects.
You get a boy's classic book. Books like these aren't published anymore. This is worth having. Lots of great experiments, ideas, and teasers to get the imagination going.
So get off yer butt and get a copy of this. Start building. Even if you sit on the couch, suck a barrel of beer and eat a cubic yard of potato chips like I do anymore, you can still enjoy this.