When Robert A. Dent, current chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Power & Energy Society History Committee, decided he wanted to write a book about the history of electricity, he didn’t want to go it alone.

So, he turned to IEEE’s Indian equivalent, the Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA), for help. The two groups teamed up on The Foundations of Electricity, a book which chronicle electricity’s history and draws parallels between the foundational innovations in the industry and the modern-day power grid.

“This book illustrates the significant developments of electricity over a 125-year period. These advancements are built on the discoveries of many giants of electricity, their theories, and the resultant products,” Dent said in a news release. “The contributions to electricity have occurred by engineers around the world. The outcome of these developments is to make our lives more comfortable by reducing or eliminating drudgery, and for some, it has given them the opportunity to live better lives otherwise experienced only by the wealthy over the last 100 years.”

IEEMA’s role in the creation of the book was production: The India-based group helped structure, conceptualize, design, and edit the book, all while leading the local team that put the book together.

IEEMA President Babu Babel, in comments on the book, spoke glowingly on the importance of the topic.

“Electricity is modern life. Without access to reliable power, our lives would be much more like they were before the industrial revolution: solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short,” Babel said. “Nearly every feature of modern civilization depends on affordable, reliable electricity and the things it powers.”

The book, which first went on sale last month, is available on the IEEE website.

(xegxef/Pixabay)