There Are No Electrons by Kenn Amdahl

If you've ever wanted to understand the basics of electricity but couldn't face the pain involved in studying volts, amps, and ohms, then this is the book for you!

Who should read it

There Are No Electrons is written for the person who has an interest in "this electricity thing" that so greatly affects our lives every day. The person whose eyes glaze over whenever a conventional explanation of electrons begins.

The author tells a different kind of story

Author Kenn Amdahl is not an engineer. He is a master storyteller. He weaves a fun and fantastic story about what's really flowing down those wires in our electric appliances. It's not electrons; that's a myth that scientists tell us to keep us thinking they're smarter than we are. Amdahl says what's really flowing down those wires is Little Greenies. He goes on to describe the whole world of Little Greenies, their cars, and their need to party.

If dancing chickens and green buffalo sound more interesting to you than electro-magnetic flux lines and inductive reactance, then There Are No Electrons is speaking your language.

In reading the story, you "accidentally" learn how electricity works. It's painless. Fun even. No math required. Taking notes is not required.

Don't read it if you like it grim

Don't read this book, however, if you think learning should be grim and serious. You'll be disappointed.

The style of this book is so easily digestible that a sixth grader would probably do fine with it. But it's really written for the nervous kid inside so many adults. The one who feels math and physics challenged. You don't need a Mensa membership; all you need to love this book is a tiny bit of curiosity about how things work.

If you have a Mensa membership, you'll probably still enjoy reading There Are No Electrons. If you have an electronics background, you may find yourself muttering, "Why didn't they teach it that way when I was starting out?"

Just the good stuff

Kenn Amdahl does a superb job of peeling away the unnecessary bulk of electronic theory and leaving the kernel of important stuff. If you're not going to be an engineer, you just don't need to know all that other stuff. He uses outrageous (or are they?) analogies and entertaining scenarios to explain the handful of concepts needed to grasp the mysterious workings of electricity and electronics. If you're allergic to instructive silliness, then this book'll give you hives.

Warning: Can be addictive

Once you start reading There Are No Elections, you won't want to put it down. And when you're done, you'll never look at your toaster quite the same way again.