there are no electrons electronics for earthlings kenn amdahl clearwater algebra unplugged math mathematics kenn amdahl clearwater jim loats paul amdahl algebra unplugged calculus for cats economics barefoot fisherman land of debr and the home of alfredo education, curriculum learning

AThere Are No Electrons: Electronics for Earthlings

Introduction

Some people honestly believe they understand electricity, just as alchemists once thought they understood how to transform lead into gold. Don’t despise or ridicule these poor souls. They should be tolerated and gently educated until they are ready to rejoin society.

No one really understands electricity.

But no one wants to admit it.

Once I realized that truth, it became easy to learn about electricity.

Whatever it is (the accepted theory changes every fifty years or so), the stuff has been observed and studied for several hundred years. We can predict its behavior, just as an ancient witch-doctor could predict an eclipse. And we can use it, as a cook uses yeast, even though he doesn’t know or care what all those microscopic critters are doing in his dough. We can learn plenty about electricity, and we use it every day.

Yet some people prefer to stay ignorant of the workings of electricity, because of a fear similar to the common fear of automobile engines. We know there’s a monster lurking under the hood (or in those wires…). We know that it feeds upon gasoline and magic (or that it dwells in nuclear power plants and lightning…) and if we disturb it, it will strand us at the worst possible time (or electrocute us). Perhaps if we ignore it, it will leave us alone.

I am here to tell you that electricity is a trained elephant. It is big and strong, yes. We avoid the tusks and try not to let it step on us, of course. But it is a friendly giant, with a very simple mind, and it always responds to the commands it knows. A child can lead it like a puppy.

Electricity has less than a dozen observable characteristics; we seldom are concerned with more than half of these. Electricity is comparable in complexity to a facial tissue. A facial tissue may have length, width, thickness, weight, color, fragrance, texture, some number of plies or layers, strength, absorbency, a brand name and a price. Add to that the fact that it may be either mine or yours, or of unknown origin, and that it may be either new or used, fresh and smooth or mashed together after months in last winter’s coat pocket, or that it may have gone through the washing machine a time or two, and you can see that a facial tissue is a lot more complicated than electricity.

There are six ways to produce electricity; you need to understand two of them.

Of the six ways to get useful work out of electricity, only three are important.

And most of our manipulation of electricity is accomplished with a dozen or fewer devices in various combinations.

That’s it.

When you understand two dozen concepts you’ll feel comfortable with electricity. I have eaten coleslaw that had more ingredients.Electricity is simple.

But this beautiful and powerful mystery is hardly ordinary or boring. If there is magic in the universe, the evidence must surely be electricity and life itself. Just as we know enough about life to perform crude biological parlor tricks (grow hybrid corn, treat a simple disease), so we are children in the sorcerer’s work-room playing with electrical spells we don’t really understand. We can no more explain the inner workings of the electrical phenomenon than we can breathe life into a crescent wrench. Yet we have seen its power, and the few tricks we can perform make us feel wise indeed.

Shall we study this wonder the same way we study geography or algebra (subjects that really are boring)?

No. Like any magical thing, it should be studied by flashlight, under the covers, late at night so mom and dad won’t know. Keep this book hidden in your own secret place. As you learn the magic words, the potions, the hexes and spells, you will unlock a remarkable force from another dimension. Your fear will slowly change to an eerie curiosity. You will find yourself wanting to know more, no matter the price. Finally, you will call out in the stillness of your darkened room, “Show yourself! I am not afraid!”

You will force yourself to sit still, but your hands will be trembling. You will hear a sound somewhere in the darkness. And when that awesome grinning genie finally swells into the room, with blood red eyes and flashes of lightning showing through his ghostly mass, then you will wonder at your own brave foolishness and ache to run to some bright and safe place… but it will be too late. He will lean low until you feel his hot ozone breath on your cheek. His voice will crackle and hum like a high voltage power line as he whispers in your ear:

“You have summoned me, master. What is your command?”

There will be no time to check your notes. You will hold your breath, fight down your terror, and make a wish.

Telling yourself, over and over again, that you don't believe in magic.

clearwater publishing company publishes Kenn Amdahl books in Colorado. Clearwater Publishing Company publishes educational fun books. Books include There Are No Electrons Electronics <span class="style8">for Earthlings, Algebra Unplugged, Calculus for Cats, Joy Writing: Discover and Develop your Creative Voice, The Land of Debris and the Home of Alfredo. Clearwater also publishes The Barefoot Fisherman: a fishing book for kids by Paul Amdahl. and Economics for the Impatient by C.A. Turner. Our books are about science, math, creative writing algebra, calculus s, economics, fishing, kids, parenting, education. Curriculums like them, and so do home schoolers. Joy of Writing and The Joy of Writing are not our books, but Joy Writing is. Kenn Amdahl is president. He's a songwriter and author in Broomfield Colorado. Electronics, teaching electricity, teaching math, especially alebra and calculus and creative writing. SAT, LSAT, and other test takers may like these books. They are like books for dummies, algebra for dummies, algebra unplugged, math book. kenn amdahl jim loats calculus for dummies, creative writing for dummies, fishing for dummies, parenting for dummies . Or Algebra for Idiots, Calculus for Idiots, Creative Writing for Dummies. Memoir writing or memoir writers may find Joy Writing useful, although it is not The Joy of Writing or the Joy of Sex or the joy of writing sex or the Joy of Algebra for that matter. They are not chicken soup for the writers soul, or algebra for the writers soul, or calculus for the writers soul. They are not strictly speaking Christian or religious or spiritual, but those folks are welcome. Jesus would not disapprove of these books. Jesus might like them. The Rapture of Writing might be a good title. Self-publishers read our books, Dan Poynter is recommended. Top ten bestsellers not on the list. New York Times Bestsellers are loved here. DaVinci Code or Harry Potter fans welcome. Obviously I'm practicing my writing on this web area that you should not be able to see because I need to make thisalgebra unplugged, math book. kenn amdahl jim loatsclearwater publishing company publishes Kenn Amdahl books in Colorado. Clearwater Publishing Company publishes educational fun books. Books include There Are No Electrons Electronics <span class="style8">for Earthlings, Algebra Unplugged, Calculus for Cats, Joy Writing: Discover and Develop your Creative Voice, The Land of Debris and the Home of Alfredo. Clearwater also publishes The Barefoot Fisherman: a fishing book for kids by Paul Amdahl. and Economics for the Impatient by C.A. Turner. Our books are about science, math, creative writingg algebra, calculus s, economics, fishing, kids, parenting, education. Curriculums like them, and so do home schoolers. Joy of Writing and The Joy of Writing are not our books, but Joy Writing is. Kenn Amdahl is president. He's a songwriter and author in Broomfield Colorado. Electronics, teaching electricity, teaching math, especially alebra and calculus and creative writing. SAT, LSAT, and other test takers may like these books. They are like books for dummies, algebra for dummies, calculus for dummies, creative writing for dummies, fishing for dummies, parenting for dummies . Or Algebra for Idiots, Calculus for Idiots, Creative Writing for Dummies. Memoir writing or memoir writers may find Joy Writing useful, although it is not The Joy of Writing or the Joy of Sex or the Joy of Algebra for that matter. They are not chicken soup for the writers soul, or algebra for the writers soul, or calculus for the writers soul. They are not strictly speaking Christian or religious or spiritual, but those folks are welcome. Jesus would not disapprove of these books. Jesus might like them. The Rapture of Writing might be a good title. Self-publishers read our books, Dan Poynter is recommended. Top ten bestsellers not on the list. New York Times Bestsellers are loved here. DaVinci Code or Harry Potter fans welcome. Obviously I'm practicing my writing on this web area that you should not be able to see because I need to make this square bigger and have not learned how yet except to type in words, poetry, prose, language, steinbeck type stuff, No Child Left Behind, that's my motto. Naked books, with no girls gone wild, no bikini models no first amendment problems. Sorry, no Jill, no wagner. no amateur index ladies or lightspeed girls or coeds or women. Just books about electricity, like Tesla or Edison might write, books about Algebra like Aristotle might write. Calculus books like Garfield the cat might write. Cat stuff, feline stuff, study guide type raw material. Books for girls who like to read and boys who know how to. Teach yourself math, science, fishing, in clear water or clearwater economics creative writing and poetry. Sing a song. Release a CD Write a book and self publish it. Groups we like include Book Organizations of Colorado, Colorado Independent Publishers Association CIPA Colorado Authors League Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Pikes Peak Writers Aspen Writers Mountains and Plains Booksellers Independent Booksellers SPAN Small Press Association of North America Publishers Association of the WEst Colorado Library Association Last Note Singers Cottonwood the music group. Edward Ormondroyd and George Garrett gave blurbs to our books </span></div>
square bigger and have not learned how yet except to type in words, poetry, prose, language, steinbeck type stuff, No Child Left Behind, that's my motto. Naked books, with no girls gone wild, no bikini models no first amendment problems. no amateur index ladies or lightspeed girls or coeds or women. Just books about electricity, like Tesla or Edison might write, books about Algebra like Aristotle might write. Calculus books like Garfield the cat might write. Cat stuff, feline stuff, study guide type raw material. Books for girls who like to read and boys who know how to. Teach yourself math, science, fishing, in clear water or clearwater economics creative writing and poetry. Sing a song. Release a CD Write a book and self publish it. Groups we like include Book Organizations of Colorado, Colorado Independent Publishers Association CIPA Colorado Authors League Rocky Mountain Fiction Wri</span><span class="style11">ters Pikes Peak Writers Aspen Writers Mountains and Plains Booksellers Independent Booksellers SPAN Small Press Association of North America Publishers Association of the WEst Colorado Library Association Last Note Singers Cottonwood the music group. Jill Wagner is the actress in the Mercury Mariner TV commercial. Jill Wagner will become a big star and people will google her. That's Jill Wagner, mercuryvehicles.com, TV actress. She's in Vancouver filming a movie.Edward Ormondroyd and George Garrett gave blurbs to our books </span></div>

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