Book Log 2006 #23: Edison and the Electric Chair by Mark Essig

Thomas Edison was not a nice guy. Nothing makes that clearer than his involvement in promoting the use of the electric chair in executions. While he stood against the death penalty, Edison didn't let his scruples stand in the way of using capital punishment as a tool for doing damage to his main business rival, Westinghouse, and their use of alternating current.

To be fair, the Westinghouse folks weren't exactly charming, either. In fact, it's hard to find anyone in this book who inspires positive emotion. It's enough to make you want to go back to whale oil.

That all being said, the book is an engaging read and a nice introduction to the "battle of the currents" and this particular skirmish. The author makes an interesting point at the end - that Edison's involvement in the electric chair may have allowed capital punishment to persist in the US while it faded from use in other Western democracies - that could have been expanded. I'd recommend it, though.