In the latter half of the 19th century Gustave Pierre Trouve, a modest but brilliant Parisian electrical engineer, conceived and patented some 75 inventions, including the endoscope, the electric car and the frontal headlamp. He also designed an electric boat--complete with outboard motor, headlight and horn--an electric rifle, an electric piano and a luminous fountain, and developed wearable technology and ultraviolet light (PUVA) therapy. Unlike his famous contemporary Nikola Tesla, who worked for Thomas Edison and was patronized by George Westinghouse, Trouve never came to America. A...

As the world's demand for electrical energy increases, it will be the ingenuity and skill of brilliant electrochemists that enable us to utilize the planet's mineral reserves responsibly. This biographical dictionary profiles 95 electrochemists from 19 nations who during the past 270 years have researched and developed ever more efficient batteries and energy cells. Each entry traces the subject's origin, education, discoveries and patents, as well as hobbies and family life. The breakthroughs of early innovators are cataloged and the work of living scientists and technicians is brought...