author
Thomas M. (Thomas Matthew) St. John
b. 1865
A practical early science writer, he turned electricity and magnetism into hands-on experiments that curious readers could try for themselves. His books helped make new technology feel approachable at a time when electrical invention was transforming everyday life.
3 Audiobooks
The Study of Elementary Electricity and Magnetism by Experiment Containing Two Hundred Experiments Performed with Simple, Home-made Apparatus
by Thomas M. (Thomas Matthew) St. John
Things a Boy Should Know About Electricity Second Edition
by Thomas M. (Thomas Matthew) St. John
About the author
Writing around the turn of the 20th century, Thomas M. St. John was an American author and educator known for clear, experiment-based books on electricity, magnetism, motors, and wireless telegraphy. Library and digitized book records identify him as Thomas Matthew St. John, born in 1865.
His books were aimed especially at amateurs and young readers, and titles such as Things a Boy Should Know About Electricity, How Two Boys Made Their Own Electrical Apparatus, The Study of Elementary Electricity and Magnetism by Experiment, Study of Electric Motors by Experiment, and Wireless Telegraphy for Amateurs and Students show how strongly he favored learning by doing. Several of these works describe simple, home-made apparatus and step-by-step experiments rather than abstract theory alone.
The surviving editions also present him as "Met. E." and show his books being published from an address on West 51st Street in New York. Even where personal details are scarce, his work stands out for its patient, practical style and for opening the world of electrical science to beginners at a moment when it was new and exciting.