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 up to date. An appendix provides a cross-referenced timeline of innovation.

“a nice contribution to a global field growing in importance...highly recommended”—Choice; “for students and scholars of the history of battery technology, this will be a useful resource to consult. Academic and special libraries with patrons working in this area should consider adding this volume to their collections.”—ARBA.

Kevin Desmond, a technology historian and biographer, lives near Bordeaux in southern France. Since 1976, he has published 33 books and 300-plus articles on the men and women innovators, often forgotten, behind the progress of transport and related subjects.