Electricity Demystified

Book Details

Title	Electricity Demystified
Author(s)	Stan Gibilisco
Publisher	McGraw-Hill Professional
Year	2005
Edition	First Edition
Language	English
Pages	340
ISBN	9780071439251
Genre	Science / Electricity
Series	Demystified Series
Size	4.8 MB
Extension	PDF

Summary

Electricity Demystified is a self-teaching guide written by Stan Gibilisco, one of McGraw-Hill's most prolific and popular authors in the fields of science and technology. Published in 2005 as part of the publisher's Demystified series, the book was designed for anyone who wants to understand the fundamental concepts of electricity, whether for academic study, professional development, or personal enrichment. Gibilisco, whose other works include the highly successful Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics, brings a clarity and patience to the subject that has made this volume a trusted entry point for beginners. The book's structure reflects its pedagogical purpose: it moves systematically through direct current, alternating current, and magnetism, building knowledge one step at a time without assuming any prior technical background [citation:8].

The content is organized into three main parts that mirror the natural progression of electrical study. Part One addresses DC electricity, covering atoms and charge carriers, current, voltage, and resistance, power and energy, series and parallel circuits, and cells and batteries. Part Two moves into AC electricity, explaining the basics of alternating current, power conversion, wire and cable, the utility grid, and alternative electricity sources. Part Three is devoted to magnetism, exploring what magnetism is, types of magnets, motors and generators, electromagnetic waves, and universal magnetism. This tripartite structure ensures that readers develop a solid foundation in DC principles before encountering the more complex behaviors of AC circuits and the relationship between electricity and magnetism [citation:4].

What distinguishes Electricity Demystified from a conventional textbook is its self-teaching format. Each chapter concludes with a quiz designed to pinpoint weaknesses and reinforce understanding, and each of the three parts ends with a fifty-question test. A comprehensive final exam of one hundred questions allows readers to assess their mastery of the entire book. Answers to all quiz, test, and exam questions are provided in an appendix, enabling independent learners to check their work and identify areas requiring further review. The book also includes an appendix of symbols used in schematic diagrams, a helpful reference for readers who may encounter circuit diagrams in other contexts. Reviewers have consistently praised this structure, with one noting that the book is "excellent for self-study" and another describing it as "concise, well ordered" with good diagrams [citation:5][citation:4].

The book is intended for a broad audience of beginners, including students taking introductory electricity courses, hobbyists working with circuits, professionals in adjacent fields who need a working knowledge of electrical concepts, and anyone curious about how the electricity that powers modern life actually works. It assumes no mathematical background beyond basic arithmetic, and Gibilisco takes care to explain formulas such as Ohm's Law and the power equation in plain language with worked examples. The step-by-step format and frequent self-checks make it particularly suitable for independent learners who want to progress at their own pace. Readers who have used the book have described it as "a reference book in your family's library" and "the best beginning book on electricity that I have ever seen" [citation:5].

Electricity Demystified occupies a useful niche between superficial introductions and rigorous engineering texts. It provides enough depth to be genuinely informative without overwhelming the novice, and its emphasis on self-assessment gives readers concrete feedback on their progress. The book was successful enough to warrant a second edition in 2012, and Gibilisco's related title, Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics, has become one of McGraw-Hill's most successful offerings in the TAB series. For readers seeking a patient, well-structured, and affordable introduction to electricity, this book remains a reliable choice nearly two decades after its initial publication [citation:8].

Key Features

• The book is structured as a self-teaching guide with quizzes at the end of every chapter, allowing readers to test their comprehension as they progress.
• Each of the three main parts concludes with a fifty-question test, providing cumulative review and helping readers identify areas needing further study.
• A comprehensive one-hundred-question final exam allows learners to assess their mastery of the entire book and grade themselves using the answer appendix.
• Part One covers DC electricity in detail, including atoms and charge carriers, current, voltage, resistance, power, energy, and series and parallel circuits.
• Part Two addresses AC electricity, explaining alternating current, power conversion, wire and cable, the utility grid, and alternative electricity sources.
• Part Three is devoted to magnetism, covering magnetic principles, types of magnets, motors, generators, and electromagnetic waves.
• The book explains Ohm's Law, power equations, and other fundamental formulas in plain language with worked examples, requiring no advanced mathematics.
• An appendix of schematic symbols helps readers interpret circuit diagrams they may encounter in other books or practical contexts.
• The author, Stan Gibilisco, is a veteran science and technology writer whose Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics is a standard reference in the field.
• Reviewers have praised the book as "excellent for self-study" and "concise, well ordered," with diagrams that support the text effectively.
• The step-by-step format allows readers to progress at their own pace without needing an instructor or formal course enrollment.
• The book serves as an accessible prelude to more advanced texts, including Gibilisco's own more comprehensive Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics.

About the Author

Stan Gibilisco is an American science and technology writer born on September 26, 1953, in Birmingham, Alabama. He was educated at the University of Minnesota, where he developed the foundation for a career that would span technical work and scientific communication. Before becoming a full-time author, he worked as vice president of an electronics company, gaining practical experience in the industry that informs the clarity and practicality of his writing. Gibilisco's primary interests lie in technical and scientific fields, but his passion has always been writing, and he has applied that passion to making complex subjects accessible to general readers [citation:3].

Gibilisco is one of McGraw-Hill's most prolific and popular authors, with a bibliography that includes Understanding Einstein's Theory of Relativity, Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics, and numerous other titles in electronics, physics, and mathematics. Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics, in particular, has become one of McGraw-Hill's most successful TAB offerings and is widely used as a standard reference. Electricity Demystified was conceived as an accessible precursor to that more comprehensive work, designed for readers who need a gentler introduction before tackling the deeper material. His books are characterized by clear explanations, practical examples, and a genuine respect for the reader's intelligence, qualities that have earned him a loyal following among self-learners and students alike [citation:3][citation:8].

Related Books

• Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics — Stan Gibilisco
• Electronics Demystified — Stan Gibilisco
• Basic Electricity — U.S. Bureau of Naval Personnel
• Practical Electronics for Inventors — Paul Scherz and Simon Monk
• Getting Started in Electronics — Forrest M. Mims III
• The Art of Electronics — Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill
• Electricity and Electronics — Howard H. Gerrish, William E. Dugger Jr., and Richard M. Roberts
• Understand Electronics — Owen Bishop

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FAQ

Q : What is the ISBN of Electricity Demystified by Stan Gibilisco?

R : The primary ISBN for the 2005 McGraw-Hill edition is 9780071439251 (ISBN-10: 0071439250). Some library records list a different ISBN, 0071466967, for the electronic version, and an Indian edition carries its own identifier. The book is 340 pages in the print edition, though some sources list 320 pages, likely reflecting differences between printings [citation:1][citation:8].

Q : Is Electricity Demystified suitable for someone with no technical background?

R : Yes, the book was explicitly designed for beginners. Gibilisco assumes no prior knowledge of electricity or mathematics beyond basic arithmetic, and he explains concepts such as voltage, current, and resistance in plain language before introducing formulas. The step-by-step format and frequent quizzes allow readers to confirm their understanding before moving on. Reviewers have described it as "easy to understand" and suitable for "the non technical person" [citation:5][citation:8].

Q : Does the book cover both AC and DC electricity?

R : Yes, the book is divided into three parts, with the first dedicated to DC electricity and the second to AC electricity. The DC section covers atoms and charge carriers, current, voltage, resistance, power, energy, series and parallel circuits, and batteries. The AC section addresses alternating current fundamentals, power conversion, wire and cable, the utility grid, and alternative electricity sources such as solar and fuel cells [citation:4][citation:14].

Q : How does the self-teaching format work?

R : Each chapter ends with a quiz designed to test comprehension of the material just covered. After each of the three main parts, a fifty-question test provides cumulative review. At the end of the book, a one-hundred-question final exam allows readers to assess their overall mastery. Answers to all questions are provided in an appendix, so readers can check their work and identify areas needing further study without needing an instructor [citation:4][citation:14].

Q : Is this book the same as Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics?

R : No, they are different books by the same author. Electricity Demystified is a shorter, more introductory self-teaching guide intended for beginners, while Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics is a more comprehensive and in-depth treatment of the same subjects. The publisher describes Electricity Demystified as a "pre-cursor" to the more advanced title. Readers who complete Electricity Demystified and want to go further will find Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics a natural next step [citation:8].

Q : Does the book explain how to read circuit diagrams?

R : Yes, the book includes an appendix of symbols used in schematic diagrams, which helps readers interpret the circuit diagrams they encounter in the text and in other contexts. The chapters on DC circuits introduce circuit diagrams early and use them throughout to illustrate series and parallel configurations, batteries, and other components. Understanding these symbols is essential for anyone who wants to work with electrical schematics [citation:4].

Q : What is the difference between the first and second editions?

R : The first edition was published in 2005 and is the version described on this page. A second edition was released in 2012, updated and revised. The core content remains substantially the same, covering DC electricity, AC electricity, and magnetism, but the second edition may include corrections, updated examples, and minor organizational changes. Readers should check which edition is required for their purposes, though either edition provides a solid introduction [citation:11].

Q : Is the book useful for someone studying for an electrician's exam or a formal course?

R : The book can be a helpful supplement but is not designed as an exam preparation guide for professional licensing. One reviewer who bought it for a spouse taking an electrician's course noted that it was useful for dipping into but felt somewhat "Americanised" and may not align perfectly with a specific national curriculum. Its strength lies in building conceptual understanding rather than drilling exam-style questions, so it is best used alongside a course or as a foundation before more specialized study [citation:8].