Driving Force unfolds the long and colorful history of magnets: how they guided (or misguided) Columbus; mesmerized eighteenth-century Paris but failed to fool Benjamin Franklin; lifted AC power over its rival, DC, despite all the animals, one human among them, executed along the way; led Einstein to the theory of relativity; helped defeat Hitler's U-boats; inspired writers from Plato to Dave Barry. In a way that will delight and instruct even the nonmathematical among us, James Livingston shows us how scientists today are creating magnets and superconductors that can levitate high-speed trains, produce images of our internal organs, steer high-energy particles in giant accelerators, and--last but not least--heat our morning coffee. From the "new" science of materials to everyday technology, Driving Force makes the workings of magnets a matter of practical wonder. The book will inform and entertain technical and nontechnical readers alike and will give them a clearer sense of the force behind so much of the working world. “[A] delightful little book...[Livingston] connects magnetism to both past and present human culture and its underlying technology. This connection ranges over an incredible breadth of topics and personalities, a few (nonscientist) examples of the latter being James Bond, Plato, Ben Jonson, Gilbert and Sullivan, Jonathan Swift, Mary Baker Eddy, Dick Tracy, Uri Geller and Madonna...A smashing book...I wish there were more science books for the general population written with so engaging an approach.” ― Paul M. Grant , Nature “Livingston introduces magnetic principles through eight "facts about the force," and uses these to explain the theory behind later examples of applications. Mixed in with this excellent educational approach is a history of magnetism and its influence, which takes in everything from Plato to Gilbert and Sullivan...The book is an excellent and comprehensive look at magnetism and its applications. It is a good read for materials (and other) scientists, a thorough introduction to the subject for the layman, and, to boot, a useful reference text for students.” ― Steve Hill , Materials World “Here is everything you ever, ever wanted to know about magnets...Covering subjects ranging from the science of magnetic forces to that great magnet in the sky, our planet, to the fakes who assure you that magnets will improve your wine and your sexual prowess, Livingston has written a book that is easy, entertaining, and often fascinating.” ― Leon M. Lederman, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics, 1988, and author of The God Particle “This fascinating book gives a historical view of science undergirding the technology we use daily at home and in the workplace...[Livingston's] clear explanations, background information, and creative use of analogies guide any interested reader smoothly through the concepts [such as electromagnetic theory, the microstructure of matter, and quantum electrodynamics]...Livingston writes with a passion that grows out of his lifelong interest in materials science, and his personal experiences are woven throughout this scientific adventure story. He has a knack for keeping the science stimulating and the historical connections exciting...I recommend this book highly for readers who want to know the science involved in everyday applications of technology...This is truly a tour de force on magnetism.” ― Science Books & Films “Livingston's engaging style and evident love of his subject should go far in attracting readers to a study of magnetism. Many of the applications discussed in the book are fascinating in their own right... Driving Force is a welcome addition to the library of books that seek to popularize hard science.” ― G. Lyle Hoffman , American Journal of Physics “Any book that has jacket blurbs from D. Allan Bromley, Leon Lederman (with pun) and Dave Barry has got to be worth investigating. For those who maintain a collection of books in the style of David Feldman's When Did Wild Poodles Roam the Earth? (HarperCollins, 1992) or David Macaulay's The Way Things Work (Houghton Mifflin, 1988), this is another one for the shelf...Livingston has devoted much of his career to magnetism, first at General Electric as a physicist in the materials department and more recently as a senior lecturer in materials science at MIT. He also tells a good story...[T]he book is mostly a serious and comprehensive discussion of the field, carefully crafted for the nonspecialist...I highly recommend the book, both for enjoyable reading and as a valuable source of information on the history of magnetism.” ― Frederick R. Fickett , Physics Today “The book deals exclusively with magnets, describing past, present, and future applications and history. Livingston's light and conversational style makes the material easy to read, quite accessible, and rather entertaining. His lifetime of experience with magnets, both at MIT and while doing research and develo