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Electrified Sheep
Benjamin Franklin was a pioneering scientist, leader of the Enlightenment and founding father of the USA. But perhaps less well known is that he was also the first person to use artificial respiration to revive an electric shock victim. Odder still, it was actually mouth-to-beak resuscitation on a hen that he himself had shocked. Welcome to some of the most weird and wonderful experiments ever conducted in the name of science. Packed full of eccentric characters, irrational obsessions and extreme experiments, "Electrified Sheep" is the long-awaited follow-up to the bestselling "Elephants on Acid". Watch as scientists attempt to blow up the moon, wince at the doctor who performs a self-appendectomy - and catch the faint whiff of singed wool from an electrified sheep.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
69 people are currently reading
990 people want to read
About the author
Alex Boese
7 books53 followersAlex Boese holds a master's degree in the history of science from UC San Diego. He is the creator of museumofhoaxes.com. He lives near San Diego.
source: http://us.macmillan.com/author/alexboese
source: http://us.macmillan.com/author/alexboese
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
October 29, 2023
Rating: 2.5 stars
This is a collection of historical exploits and bizarre experiments by various "mad" scientists. Boese' selection starts with electrical experiments which mainly involves electrocuting various unfortunate animals, then goes on to all the various things people wanted to blow up with atomic bombs (including the moon), and on to the psychology of deception (which was interesting), various experiments involving chimpanzees in an attempt to find out something about being human, and ending up with a collection of do-it-yourself surgeries. The writing style is easy-going, and vaguely humorous, but not particularly detailed. The book is interesting but tends to cover too many similar experiments, making it tedious to read. Ultimately this is a bathroom reader - best read in short sessions, rather than a few longer sessions
This is a collection of historical exploits and bizarre experiments by various "mad" scientists. Boese' selection starts with electrical experiments which mainly involves electrocuting various unfortunate animals, then goes on to all the various things people wanted to blow up with atomic bombs (including the moon), and on to the psychology of deception (which was interesting), various experiments involving chimpanzees in an attempt to find out something about being human, and ending up with a collection of do-it-yourself surgeries. The writing style is easy-going, and vaguely humorous, but not particularly detailed. The book is interesting but tends to cover too many similar experiments, making it tedious to read. Ultimately this is a bathroom reader - best read in short sessions, rather than a few longer sessions
June 18, 2012
It’s difficult to read this title without thinking of Philip K. Dick’s story Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep which was (very loosely) translated in the movie Blade Runner. Actually it’s difficult to read the title of this book at all because of strangely wordy cover. But what’s inside is not a freak show, but rather an exploration of some of the more bizarre experiments that scientists have in all honest decided to take on.
This is a field that is already covered by the igNobels (annual awards for real scientific papers that make you laugh and then make you think) and the Darwin Awards for people who do such stupid things they end up removing themselves from the gene pool. But Alex Boese treads a middle line of real scientific experiments – often major pieces of research – that sound mind boggling or just surely would never happen. But did. (Apart from nuking the Moon which ‘nearly happened’.)
If it wasn’t such an overused simile I’d say it was a roller coaster of a read – a very interesting mix of ups and downs, from the man who had an unhealthy relationship with a source of electricity to people who thought it would be educational to get two people to pretend to have a gun fight in the middle of a lecture. Not to mention the thousand tonne rocket propelled by hydrogen bombs that was genuinely worked on by American scientists at the end of the 1950s. It’s certainly an eye-opener!
Although the experience of reading the book was good, with an excellent mix of narrative and science fact, there were a couple of points I wasn’t so sure of. Each section started with a dramatisation of an event (Benjamin Franklin attempting to electrocute a turkey and instead shocking himself, for instance). These felt a little false, as if it were drama for the sake of it. And occasionally the author was perhaps a little loose with facts. He says, for example, that lightning is the biggest natural disaster killer worldwide – by most measures it comes in behind droughts and flooding/tsunamis at the very least.
Overall, though an excellent romp through some weird and wonderful scientists and their exploits that genuinely does both entertain and inform in equal measure.
Review first appeared on www.popularscience.co.uk and is reproduced with permission
This is a field that is already covered by the igNobels (annual awards for real scientific papers that make you laugh and then make you think) and the Darwin Awards for people who do such stupid things they end up removing themselves from the gene pool. But Alex Boese treads a middle line of real scientific experiments – often major pieces of research – that sound mind boggling or just surely would never happen. But did. (Apart from nuking the Moon which ‘nearly happened’.)
If it wasn’t such an overused simile I’d say it was a roller coaster of a read – a very interesting mix of ups and downs, from the man who had an unhealthy relationship with a source of electricity to people who thought it would be educational to get two people to pretend to have a gun fight in the middle of a lecture. Not to mention the thousand tonne rocket propelled by hydrogen bombs that was genuinely worked on by American scientists at the end of the 1950s. It’s certainly an eye-opener!
Although the experience of reading the book was good, with an excellent mix of narrative and science fact, there were a couple of points I wasn’t so sure of. Each section started with a dramatisation of an event (Benjamin Franklin attempting to electrocute a turkey and instead shocking himself, for instance). These felt a little false, as if it were drama for the sake of it. And occasionally the author was perhaps a little loose with facts. He says, for example, that lightning is the biggest natural disaster killer worldwide – by most measures it comes in behind droughts and flooding/tsunamis at the very least.
Overall, though an excellent romp through some weird and wonderful scientists and their exploits that genuinely does both entertain and inform in equal measure.
Review first appeared on www.popularscience.co.uk and is reproduced with permission
November 4, 2011
Human kind is unbelievable. This book made me physically sick to my stomach numerous times. Fantastic!
July 26, 2012
Quick, what mad scientist first revived a shock victim using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation? And who was the victim? Answer: The scientist was Ben Franklin, and the victim was a chicken. And that’s just one of the weird stories in this collection.
August 3, 2022
Sounds like most cases are imbeciles with a diploma playing with the tax money, the sort that gave the world Hiroshima, Nagasaki, the International Space Station, and Dr. Mengele.
November 24, 2014
It seems as if there isn't anymore "neat" stuff anymore. Well, at least since the 90's ended. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? From the look of the cover, I knew this book was filled with plenty of neat stuff. It promised true stories about chimpanzee butlers, the day the soviets almost nuked the moon, liquid sunshine, and a zombie chicken. No connoisseur of the bizarre can resist that Bradburyesque lineup.
I should have taken the title, Electrified Sheep, literally since the first quarter deals almost exclusively with the history of shocking animals to death. This isn't what I signed up for. I can't see why Alex Boese decided to hammer on the issue of animal cruelty. Maybe he wanted to make a point about science and morality (or the lack thereof). This opener really deflated my anticipation for a zany read. Three months later the electrocution stories remained fixed in my mind.
The remainder livens up by delivering weird stories that fun to read. Boese writes in a reserved attitude with occasional dry humor, letting the outrageous nature of the events speak for themselves. The organization of the book is as follows: A fictional reenactment presents the historical persons in a moment of their extreme eccentricity. These scenes are always funny and keeps the story focused on the personalities involved. Afterwards, the rest of the article is written in lighthearted, semi-academic style.
This is a pretty cool book. It's the kind of book you might persuade your non-reading friend to read.
"C'mon, you should read this."
"Nah, man, books are hella boring."
"There's monkey butlers in it."
"Alright, give me that."
I should have taken the title, Electrified Sheep, literally since the first quarter deals almost exclusively with the history of shocking animals to death. This isn't what I signed up for. I can't see why Alex Boese decided to hammer on the issue of animal cruelty. Maybe he wanted to make a point about science and morality (or the lack thereof). This opener really deflated my anticipation for a zany read. Three months later the electrocution stories remained fixed in my mind.
The remainder livens up by delivering weird stories that fun to read. Boese writes in a reserved attitude with occasional dry humor, letting the outrageous nature of the events speak for themselves. The organization of the book is as follows: A fictional reenactment presents the historical persons in a moment of their extreme eccentricity. These scenes are always funny and keeps the story focused on the personalities involved. Afterwards, the rest of the article is written in lighthearted, semi-academic style.
This is a pretty cool book. It's the kind of book you might persuade your non-reading friend to read.
"C'mon, you should read this."
"Nah, man, books are hella boring."
"There's monkey butlers in it."
"Alright, give me that."
August 11, 2013
This is A 3.5 rating the opening studies are extremely boring.
Chapter 1: Electric Bodies
The study of electric goes to the animals one thing I will remember next time the lights go out with no sign of a storm, then that is pay back from the pigeons.
Chapter 2: Nuclear Reactions
Much better section the things scientist to with Atomic Bombs will definitely leave your jaw with awh stuck.
Chapter 3: Deceptive Ways
Very boring!
Chapter 4: Monkeying Around
Scientist trying to make monkeys civilized and why not figure out if a female monkey has an orgasm
**Spoiler Alert**
The signs of orgasms appear with facial expressions and grabbing its mate head, but like mens nipples there is no need, so the science table is still open if any one wants to take the studies further.
Chapter 5: Do-it-yourselfers
The best chapter of them all, like Boeses' other bizarre experiments explained I was use to.
Scientist of the late 1800s swallowed nuts, bolts, vomit and urine to give us an idea in such cases. The painful reading section for us men will be the smashing of genitals with hammers and weights in frying pans resting on testis just to see what kind of pain it causes??
Self surgery, with cocaine and many other do-it-yourself, don't try this at home painful suggested reading, I recommend to definitely read this chapter.
Chapter 1: Electric Bodies
The study of electric goes to the animals one thing I will remember next time the lights go out with no sign of a storm, then that is pay back from the pigeons.
Chapter 2: Nuclear Reactions
Much better section the things scientist to with Atomic Bombs will definitely leave your jaw with awh stuck.
Chapter 3: Deceptive Ways
Very boring!
Chapter 4: Monkeying Around
Scientist trying to make monkeys civilized and why not figure out if a female monkey has an orgasm
**Spoiler Alert**
The signs of orgasms appear with facial expressions and grabbing its mate head, but like mens nipples there is no need, so the science table is still open if any one wants to take the studies further.
Chapter 5: Do-it-yourselfers
The best chapter of them all, like Boeses' other bizarre experiments explained I was use to.
Scientist of the late 1800s swallowed nuts, bolts, vomit and urine to give us an idea in such cases. The painful reading section for us men will be the smashing of genitals with hammers and weights in frying pans resting on testis just to see what kind of pain it causes??
Self surgery, with cocaine and many other do-it-yourself, don't try this at home painful suggested reading, I recommend to definitely read this chapter.
February 18, 2015
If you were a Mad Scientist - what experiment would you conduct?
I would embed the workings of a smartphone in people's brains and synch it up with their eyes and ears etc. (instead of a screen, microphone and speakers etc.) just to see if having a secret smartphone would mean they would spend more time inside their heads/smartphones.
I guess on the outside, they would just look a little distracted (and maybe drool a little more), but apart from that, who would be able to tell that they were watching the latest episode of 'Arrow' instead of preparing that oh-so-important spreadsheet.
...and, of course, I'd be able to spy on them from the inside.
Mwahaha!
Oh, the book - almost forgot about that.
It's a lot more involved and much less funny than the prequel (Elephants on Acid: And Other Bizarre Experiments).
I would embed the workings of a smartphone in people's brains and synch it up with their eyes and ears etc. (instead of a screen, microphone and speakers etc.) just to see if having a secret smartphone would mean they would spend more time inside their heads/smartphones.
I guess on the outside, they would just look a little distracted (and maybe drool a little more), but apart from that, who would be able to tell that they were watching the latest episode of 'Arrow' instead of preparing that oh-so-important spreadsheet.
...and, of course, I'd be able to spy on them from the inside.
Mwahaha!
Oh, the book - almost forgot about that.
It's a lot more involved and much less funny than the prequel (Elephants on Acid: And Other Bizarre Experiments).
July 2, 2012
Some good stories, some dumb ones, some funny ones, some I didn't even want to read. Kind of a mixed bag.
January 1, 2022
Un recopilatorio bastante entretenido y a veces trágico de aquellos hombres que hicieron de todo en pro de la ciencia y el saber. Los prólogos dentro de caso simulando un filme a veces no eran tan atinados en el humor, cosa que cambia en las descripciones y observaciones de Alex Boese.
Algo bastante curioso que se deja entrever sin la intención del autor es que en el segmento de la experimentación con simios, se puede percibir la marginación racial con la asociación de la gente de color y los primates, y sobre todo en experimentos que involucraban la domesticación esclavista como suplente por encontrarlos similes. No sabía de estos casos y hasta el día de hoy... yikes.
Algo bastante curioso que se deja entrever sin la intención del autor es que en el segmento de la experimentación con simios, se puede percibir la marginación racial con la asociación de la gente de color y los primates, y sobre todo en experimentos que involucraban la domesticación esclavista como suplente por encontrarlos similes. No sabía de estos casos y hasta el día de hoy... yikes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2025
It’s really interesting how some things were discovered through improbable experiments. For about the first half of the book I felt I understood the history of science better and wanted to share my learnings with my middle school students. However, the latter part of the book was obscene and sadistic and I don’t feel I learned much beyond how twisted some people can be.
March 17, 2018
This book reminded me that science isn't always as straightforward as I think, but this title was fun nonetheless. However, the last chapter made me feel a bit ill- some people do some strange things to themselves in the name of science.
March 20, 2020
Fairly unchallenging read but enjoyed learning about electrified school kids, rampaging elephants. The chapter on the metallic metals was very funny and about the nazi's nuking the moon made me chuckle!
November 7, 2020
Boese describes a number of strange directions that scientific research has taken over the years. While some of the research is just bizarre, there were some endeavours that were instructive.
In the chapter Deceptive Ways, Boese looks at tests where disruptions were staged. Observers were tested afterwards and shown to differ significantly in their accounts.
There was a period when it thought that monkeys could be taught to spell and perhaps even speak, but early efforts failed. The possibility of training monkeys to do repetitive labour also failed when the natural reticence of monkeys came to the fore.
In the chapter Deceptive Ways, Boese looks at tests where disruptions were staged. Observers were tested afterwards and shown to differ significantly in their accounts.
There was a period when it thought that monkeys could be taught to spell and perhaps even speak, but early efforts failed. The possibility of training monkeys to do repetitive labour also failed when the natural reticence of monkeys came to the fore.
July 15, 2017
3 1/2
July 16, 2017
An interesting collection of eccentric individuals who toed the line between science and madness.
February 21, 2018
For some reason, I struggled to get started with this. Once I did, I really enjoyed the section on early primate research.
March 22, 2018
Quite the collection of experimenters. All the stories are pretty short, good to pick up and put down often.
July 8, 2019
More tales of eccentric scientists. Informative and entertaining.
August 11, 2020
Not as good as Elephants on Acid but still a good reading time
December 11, 2020
Some really interesting stories, but others just felt like filter.
Read
September 4, 2022More unbelievable stories of government experiments and plans.
June 18, 2023
Entertaining like Elephants on Acid was. Some experiments more interesting than others, couple in last chapter a bit gross. Overall enjoyed and would recommend.
November 10, 2025
Przyjemna, ale zdecydowanie mniej ciekawa niż pierwsza część, w dodatku pełna niepotrzebnych “historyjek” na początku każdego przykładu.
June 28, 2018
A rambling narrative exploring four fields of scientific enquiry; electricity, nuclear bombs, psychology and scientists who dice with death. I really enjoyed the quirky tales of unusual science experiments, written in a comfy prose. Definitely going to search out Boese's other books.
December 27, 2016
A really interesting book about a lot of "forgotten" experiments in science. Both interesting and sad, and an amazing read!
July 14, 2013
Boese collects some very interesting experiments here. And some that are less interesting than gross. I liked the book and I found it fascinating in places but I squirmed a little in places too. The experiments are grouped together in chapters so the similar ones are together but there are short little stories with headings every few pages or so, so it is a good book to sit down and read for a while or if you only have a few minutes at a time. Everything here was done in the name of science and it seemed like the scientists truly had good intentions but their methods can get kind of rough. Animals were hurt in the process here. And you will see some dedicated scientists operate on themselves and expose themselves to disease (including eating vomit of fever victims). It is interesting to see the scientific process as the men try to work out the unknown. And it is interesting to see how thin the line between dedication and crazy is. I learned about a lot of things I had never of heard of before and had a great time doing it. But, like I said, it can get unpleasant at times so think carefully before you read this, especially if you are an animal lover or have a weak stomach.
August 27, 2014
Definitely a pop science book, with the start of each section having a (at least partially fantasised) dramatic section. In fact, while it is a pop science book, there is a lot of history in there (which is probably quite expected given the subject matter).
It is organised into, electricity, nuclear reactions etc., and starts of with the section containing the title story, electricity. However, I felt that this was too large a section, and toward the end of it, I had become quite bored of hearing more and more about the mad things some people did with electricity before much was known about it.
By far the most interesting section was the middle one, on deception in psychology (and psychiatry), and I'd been aware of some of the bits in there before!
Overall, I think it was well-written, interesting to read and easy to follow, I just wish there had been a bit more variation in topic.
It is organised into, electricity, nuclear reactions etc., and starts of with the section containing the title story, electricity. However, I felt that this was too large a section, and toward the end of it, I had become quite bored of hearing more and more about the mad things some people did with electricity before much was known about it.
By far the most interesting section was the middle one, on deception in psychology (and psychiatry), and I'd been aware of some of the bits in there before!
Overall, I think it was well-written, interesting to read and easy to follow, I just wish there had been a bit more variation in topic.
December 18, 2012
A collection of mad, foolhardy and gross scientific advancements that have been made by scientists that are on the very edge of the scientific community.
Covers people who have eaten all manner of things, have poisoned themselves, have tried to tech chimp to become low IQ worker and pushed their own bodies to the limits of what they could do.
The chapter on electricity is fascinating, as this was an age of discovery. The psychology chapter has been covered in greater detail in other books, but fits well in here. Some of the things that scientists and the military industrial complex wanted to do with nuclear bombs is quiet scary. The final chapter is gross.
Covers people who have eaten all manner of things, have poisoned themselves, have tried to tech chimp to become low IQ worker and pushed their own bodies to the limits of what they could do.
The chapter on electricity is fascinating, as this was an age of discovery. The psychology chapter has been covered in greater detail in other books, but fits well in here. Some of the things that scientists and the military industrial complex wanted to do with nuclear bombs is quiet scary. The final chapter is gross.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews