Electric Life: The Hidden Radiance of Everything

Did you know bees charge themselves like batteries, frogs float on magnetic fields, and seals use radar? In this groundbreaking non-fiction graphic novel, Sander Funneman explores electricity and magnetism in the natural world, buttressing his findings with solid evidence at every step.

Billions of years before the invention of the light bulb, natural electricity was already shaping our world.

From subatomic particles to the solar system we’re all part of, electromagnetic forces have long formed the building blocks of reality as we know it. Yet the full extent of their impact is only just beginning to come to light. Electric Life invites readers on a breathtaking journey into this unseen world, revealing how electricity and magnetism affect not only us humans but also our planet and the universe at large: How does lightning influence communication among fish? Can plant electricity be translated into music? Do Earth and the sun charge the moon like a solar battery? Does your heart’s magnetic field surround your entire body? Can the electrical properties of microbes be used to heal our bodies, or even reverse environmental damage?

With a fresh perspective and an accessible tone, Electric Life breaks down recent scientific advances and emerging technologies to answer these questions and more. Sander Funneman brings his many years of research to bear to create a cohesive and essentially hopeful look at the interconnectedness of life, complemented by the clarity and humor of Peter Brouwers’s spectacular illustrations. Together, they challenge readers to take a closer look at this incredible electrical world we are all part of.

About the Author

Sander Funneman is a research journalist and author whose previous books include Electric Ecosystem and Electric Context. Sander has collaborated with various scientists on different publications and is a regular contributor to the Dutch magazine The Optimist. He began his career teaching general economy and statistics in higher professional education. Now, as director of the Template Foundation and an international public speaker, he covers a wide range of topics concerning the natural templates of life. Sander lives in the Netherlands. electriclifebook.com

Peter Brouwers has been drawing all his life. At the age of eight, he already knew he wanted to become an artist. Born and raised in Maastricht, the Netherlands, he attended art school there. When he became a father he started to make children’s books. He published eleven books, of which Bertje Big is his most popular title. In 2009, he began holding art lessons for children and discovered his passion for teaching. He now has students ranging in age from five to seventy attending his daily classes at his studio in Utrecht. This is his first graphic novel, a dream come true for eight-year-old Peter. peterbrouwers.net