电是启蒙运动时期的科学时尚，“应是天使而非凡人的消遣”。听众对演讲者展示的闪光的喷泉、燃烧的酒，用脚尖旋转的舞者和带电的男孩等现象惊叹不已；喜爱炫耀实验者还使连在一起的士兵们遭电击跳离地面。乐观主义者预测，新发现的这种自然能量能够治愈疾病、增加粮食产量，甚至能使死者复活。
　　美国开国元勋，本杰明·富兰克林在发展新的电学仪器和理论方面也居功至伟。他因用风筝把空中闪电引入地面而闻名于世，他还用避雷针保护高层建筑，用电疗治疗瘫痪病人并对于这种神奇现象作了成功的解释。
　　《天使的娱乐/电和启蒙运动科普英语注释读物·《科学的演进》系列丛书》生动地描绘了富兰克林和他的同事怎样努力探索他们的实验所产生的奇异而又令人兴奋的结果。

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Dedication
Introduction

Part Ⅰ Illuminations：The Light of Reason
Chapter 1：Interpretations
Chapter 2：Electricity and Enlightenment

Part Ⅱ Shocking Inventions：Instruments
Chapter 1：Robert Boyle and the Air-pump
Chapter 2：Francis Hauksbee and the Electrical Machine
Chapter 3：Stephen Gray and the Chartty Boy
Chapter 4：Pieter van Musschenbroek and the Leyden Jar

Part Ⅲ Lightning Cures：Applications
Chapter 1：Benjamin Franklin
Chapter 2：Knobs or Points?
Chapter 3：The Business of Medicine
Chapter 4：Therapeutic Shocks

Part Ⅳ Sparks of Imagination：Theories
Chapter 1：Problems
Chapter 2：Fluids and Atmospheres
Chapter 3：Theological Aethers
Chapter 4：Measurement and Mathematics

Part Ⅵ The Flow of Life：Current Electricity
Chapter 1：Henry Cavendish and the Torpedo
Chapter 2：Luigi Galvani and his Frogs
Chapter 3：Alessandro Volta and his Pile
Chapter 4：Resuscitation
Further Reading
Notes