Zapped

From Infrared to X-rays, the Curious History of Invisible Light

By: Bob Berman

Narrated by: Peter Ganim

Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

How much do you know about the radiation all around you?

Your electronic devices swarm with it; the sun bathes you in it. It's zooming at you from cell towers, microwave ovens, CT scans, mammogram machines, nuclear power plants, deep space, even the walls of your basement. You cannot see, hear, smell, or feel it, but there is never a single second when it is not flying through your body. Too much of it will kill you, but without it you wouldn't live a year.

From beloved popular science writer Bob Berman, Zapped tells the story of all the light we cannot see, tracing infrared, microwaves, ultraviolet, X-rays, gamma rays, radio waves and other forms of radiation from their historic, world-altering discoveries in the 19th century to their central role in our modern way of life, setting the record straight on health costs (and benefits) and exploring the consequences of our newest technologies.

Lively, informative, and packed with fun facts and "eureka moments", Zapped will delight anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of our world.

©2017 Bob Berman (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"An enthusiastic account of all the light we cannot see from a science popularizer with a knack for presenting hard facts clearly and stylishly... For those concerned about health and safety, the author deftly separates fact from myths about cell phones, brain scans, and other sources of radiation... A guide for laymen written with gusto and assurance." ( Kirkus)

Good book

Enjoyed it. Pretty well written. I read lots of science books and have good physics understanding but i learned a lot have having the different em radiation laid out on how they differ. Finally have the basics sorted out in my head.

Wow, such a great book

Full of interesting tidbits & facts that I have never heard before. If you are a science geek then this is a must read book.

I loved this book.

Zapped, a book everybody in this century should read or listen to at the vary least once. Both entertaining and informative.

very interesting

for me the reader's pace was too slow 1.35 is a minimum, but still good.

Fabulously Informative!

I absolutely loved this! Though it’s a bit light on science it’s heavy in the history of the discoveries of all the forms of invisible light we know about today. I learned more than I was expecting though near the end he kinda devolved into talking a lot about sci-fi type stuff that doesn’t really exist but it was ok.

Great overview of invisible light

Eye-opening for the novice, this book offers a thorough treatment of the various spectrums
of invisible light, from microwaves to gamma rays to infrared, cell phone emissions and beyond. The author is extremely knowledgeable and often witty. The narrator I found decent - would have enjoyed a more animated narration.

Good Book

I liked it. Lots of information presented in an easy to understand format with just enough humor and insight to keep me listening.

misleading oversimplifications

Those trained in physics will find this book misleading in certain parts. Gives a good overview of the Greek centric history of light.