Thomas Edison stunned America in 1879 by unveiling a world-changing invention-the light bulb-and then launching the electrification of America's cities. A decade later, despite having been an avowed opponent of the death penalty, Edison threw his laboratory resources and reputation behind the creation of a very different sort of device-the electric chair. Deftly exploring this startling chapter in American history, Edison & the Electric Chair delivers both a vivid portrait of a nation on the cusp of modernity and a provocative new examination of Edison himself.
Chapter 4: Electricity and Life
Chapter 5: "Down to the Last Penny"
Chapter 8: The Death Penalty Commission
Chapter 9: George Westinghouse and the Rise of Alternating Current
Chapter 10: The Electrical Execution Law
Chapter 11: "A Desperate Fight"
Chapter 12: "Criminal Economy"
Chapter 15: The Unmasking of Harold Brown
Chapter 16: Pride and Reputation
Chapter 17: The Electric Wire Panic
Chapter 18: Designing the Electric Chair
Chapter 19: The Conversion of William Kemmler
Chapter 20: The First Experiment
Chapter 22: The End of the Battle of the Currents
Chapter 23: The Age of the Electric Chair
EPILOGUE: The New Spectacle of Death