While there is no lack of most excellent text-books for the study of
those branches of Electricity which are above the elementary stage,
there is a decided need of text-books which shall explain, in simple
language, to young people of, say, fourteen years and upward, a general
outline of the science, as well as the ground-work of those electrical
inventions which are to-day of such vast commercial importance.
There is also a need for such a book among a large part of the adult
population, for the reason that there have been great and radical
changes in this science since the time they completed their studies,
and they have not the time to follow up the subject in the advanced
books.
As instances of those changes just spoken of, the electric light,
telephone, and storage batteries may be mentioned, which have been
developed during the last ten or twelve years, with the result of
adding very many features that were entirely new to electricians.
With these ideas in view I have prepared this little volume. It is not
intended, in the slightest degree, to be put forward as a scientific
work, but it will probably give to many the information they desire
without requiring too great a research into books which treat more
extensively and deeply of this subject.