From the Royal Institution to the Bank of England

Faraday is probably as well known as Newton, Darwin or Einstein and is probably a more popular scientist, yet he has never attracted as much scholarly attention as the other three. The number of new books published to coincide with his bicentenary year (Faraday was born in September 1791) is therefore small. Since Faraday has always been a favourite figure with popular biographers, one might have expected most of these books to be in that tradition. In fact the new books reflect a welcome diversity as to approach and selection of material. They range from short, accessible descriptions of his life, work and impact, to substantial discussions that address important issues about the nature of Faraday's science, if not of science in general. Several offer something new in the way of interpretation or source material. I shall begin with the more demanding books, which for some will also be the most rewarding ones, and move on to the more popular titles.