Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
BETTER THAN IMAGINED!, February 19, 2000
I ordered this book after hearing a radio drama, based on the book and presented in 15-minutes-a-day segments. I found it fascinating and inspiring, because I share Michael's love of science and a deep, living Christian faith. True to life in those times, with lots of interesting events which clearly illustrate the character of Faraday and those around him, the story is written to appeal to any age reader. As an electronics professional I did not find the writng at all childish, yet it is an easy read and contains some humor as well. One can feel Michael's pain as he faces the obstacles, applaud his persistence and humility, and share his exuberance as his dreams were finally realized. Mr. Ludwig's balanced treatment of Faraday's life provides insights into many aspects of the London of his time, as well as detailed descriptions of Michael's experiments. Many prominent scientists and their discoveries are mentioned in the book, and a two-page bibliography is included at the end. This short publication could be used as a starting point for researching a larger, more detailed treatise. Every high school student and adult should read this book. Thank you, Charles Ludwig and Amazon, for this appealing biography of Michael Farady.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Faraday's Faith / Ludwig's Style, November 23, 2004
A remarkable and memorable book! An A+. A 10. I ran across a copy at the Santa Barbara library's donated books for sale shelves and liked the "look" of the book. The size and the "heft", too. I bought it with other books mostly to support the library selling it, :-) but when I got home, I started to read it. It is an amazing read. Mr. Ludwig's style is surprising, different and intriguing. Mr. Ludwig's outlook on Michael Faraday's life and how and why he accomplished what he did, combined in that style, made the unprepossessing book quite a read! I read the whole thing right then and there and found it an amazing reading experience. The envisioning and portraying by Mr. Ludwig of Michael Faraday and Faraday's life, world, era, and beliefs is very, very, special. The overall "portrait" is unforgettable. I do not see this as just a child's or student's book. I see it as an inspiration. I plan to give copies to thoughtful friends and family. Read it. Judge for yourself and pass it on. Highly recommended.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A fairly average biography, May 20, 2004
Based on the glowing review above, I ordered this book hoping to assign it for summer reading for 10th graders who will be studying electricity and magnetism next year. Unfortunately, like many biographies written for high schoolers, the book is clumsily written and fairly boring. Parts of it are written like a fictionalized account, and parts like a biography, with quotes from Faraday's letters. There is little sense of Faraday's experimental method, which is arguably the most interesting aspect of his career. Overall, I'm afraid reading this book would decrease, rather than increase, the students' interest in the subject. So I'm still looking for a good biography of Faraday...
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