Electrified Sheep by Alex Boese
(from the book jacket)
Benjamin Franklin was a pioneering scientist, leader of the
Enlightenment, and a founding father of the United States. But perhaps less well known is that he was
also the first person to use mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on an electric-shock
victim. Odder still, it was actually
mouth-to-beak resuscitation on a hen that he himself had shocked.
Welcome to some of the weirdest and most wonderful
experiments ever conducted in the name of science. Filled with stories of science gone strange,
Electrified Sheep is packed with eccentric characters, irrational obsessions,
and extreme experiments. Watch as
scientists attempt to nuke the moon, wince at the doctor who performs a
self-appendectomy, and catch the faint whiff of singed wool from electrified
sheep.
Boese collects some very interesting experiments here. And some that are less interesting than
gross. I liked the book and I found it
fascinating in places but I squirmed a little in places too. The experiments are grouped together in
chapters so the similar ones are together but there are short little stories
with headings every few pages or so, so it is a good book to sit down and read for
a while or if you only have a few minutes at a time. Everything here was done in the name of
science and it seemed like the scientists truly had good intentions but their
methods can get kind of rough. Animals
were hurt in the process here. And you
will see some dedicated scientists operate on themselves and expose themselves
to disease (including eating vomit of fever victims). It is interesting to see the scientific
process as the men try to work out the unknown.
And it is interesting to see how thin the line between dedication and
crazy is. I learned about a lot of
things I had never of heard of before and had a great time doing it. But, like I said, it can get unpleasant at
times so think carefully before you read this, especially if you are an animal
lover or have a weak stomach.
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