This book tells the story of radio as technology and as a part of culture. Radio grew from a clumsy, temperamental form of wireless telegraph to a system that is so ubiquitous and easy to use that users now think of it not as technology but as part of the fabric of human existence. This book charts the growth of the technology of radio, starting with the history of electricity, and moving through the invention of vacuum tubes, the heterodyne, FM, transistors, and microchips. But the history of radio is not just wires and electricity, and this book also tells the story of strange characters, deep thinkers, visionary mystics, hyperactive minds, ambitious souls, power hungry demagogues, and utopian humanists, all of whom strove to make radio into what they thought it should be. In addition, "Radio: The Life Story of a Technology" looks at the technology as a cultural phenomenon, including the corporate aspects and history of the business of radio. Part of the "Greenwood Technographies" series, this book is ideal for student coursework. It is up-to-date and covers the history of radio from early experiments to contemporary satellite radio.