I've been doing lots of reading on lighting lately, but one of the things I keep running into is that, even though I know all the formulas about making sure I don't blow circuits, I'm still pretty ignorant about the fundamentals of electricity. For example, I really couldn't tell you the difference between amps, volts, and watts.

So, can anyone recommend a book on electricity that doesn't read like a technical text but also isn't focused on home improvement? (Right now I'm wishing Larry Gonick would write "The Cartoon Guide to Electricity").

I bought this book right here...
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1578201152/qid=1055175713

Lighting for Digital Video & Television


There is a big chapter in there all about watts, amps, volts and all the technical electrical jargon. It's very easy to understand. A simple way to think about it is that the flow of electricity is like the flow of water in a pipe. Voltage can be thought of as the speed the water is traveling, and Amps can be thought of as the amount of water that's traveling at that speed.


Volts x Amps = Watts
&
Amps = Watts/Volts

moderator edit: removed Amazon's user ID from the URL
so that everyone looking at the book isn't being logged as "Brad"

A good understanding of ohm's law will get you through anything electrical. If you don't understand ohm's law you don't understand electricity , period!

http://webhome.idirect.com/~jadams/electronics/ohm.htm

I f you really want to know about lighting, you kinda have to read this book:

Set Lighting Technician's Handbook
Film Lighting Equipment, Practice, and Electrical Distribution
by Harry Box

Other books on lighting:
http://www.bhusa.com/focalbooks/us/subindex.asp?maintarget=&isbn=&country=United+States&srccode=&ref=&subcode=&head=&pdf=&basiccode=&txtSearch=&SearchField=&operator=

Sounds interesting!