Electricity is all around us: cars, telephones, computers, lights -- the modern world runs entirely on electrons. But what are electrons? How do they behave? How do we control them? This book will show you how to build a battery, detect static electricity and construct a basic current meter, all using common items from your kitchen. Along the way you'll learn about the meaning of "e;voltage"e; and "e;current"e;, what makes an LED work and the difference between AC and DC. The last chapter uses transistors -- the basic building blocks of every computer -- for lots of interesting experiments. With plenty of colorful illustrations, historical stories and an easy, accessible style, "e;A Kitchen Course in Electricity and Magnetism"e; will be a great start for budding and amateur scientists who want to learn more about how the world works.