"In 2002 the world commemorated the 250th anniversary of the invention of the lightning rod. In 2006 the tricentenary of the birth of its inventor, Benjamin Franklin, was celebrated. In spite of this attention, the development and adoption of the lightning rod remain poorly understood, perhaps because it is so deeply embedded in our culture that we overlook it. Playing with Fire reveals the complex histories of the lightning rod in a multidisciplinary and multifaceted manner. To reflect of the development of the 'Franklin rod' is to understand how science and technology have entered our world and changed it in profound ways."--Publisher's description.