Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Are there enough changes to the 4th Edition that I should buy it if I already have the 3rd edition? A: The physics of electricity haven't changed but what is changing is the types of loads we're using in live event production, tools, and techniques. I've reorganized the book and made fairly substantial changes in the 4th Edition, including in depth exploration of battery energy storage systems (BESS) and battery chemistry. I've also expanded the practical application in the last few chapters including how to circuit a lighting plot and design a power distribution system. But I'll let you decide whether or not to update your library. Here are the main changes from the 3rd edition to the 4th Edition.

Chapter 9: Power Generators has been expanded to include more information about power ratings, fuel consumption, and efficiency.
One of the biggest changes in the 4th edition is that Chapter 10: Battery Power has been greatly expanded to include battery chemistry, which is a very important safety topic, the redox (reduction and oxidation) process, battery management systems (BMS), inverters, powering large stages with a BESS, and environmental considerations.
Sprinkled throughout the new edition are updates that reflect changes in codes and regulations and changes in equipment. GFCIs, for example, used to be required in the United States by the National Electrical Code, but now they are optional because of changes in the UL specification and new requirements for the design of GFCIs.
Another significant change in lighting equipment has to do the light sources and power supplies. As LEDs continue to dominate the industry, arc lamps with magnetic ballast power supplies are a thing of the past, and so are power factor correction capacitors. Newer switch-mode power supplies are mostly power factor corrected in a different manner, and that’s changing the power distribution landscape.
I have also added a lot more practical information about designing and circuiting a lighting rig, and that’s based on my experience working on shows. I have intentionally made myself available as an electrician for all types of gigs, including television, music festivals, theatre, and corporate events. The last two chapters reflect a lot of what I’ve learned about pulling off an event smoothly.
I also leaned a little bit on artificial intelligence (AI) to check my work, and in particular to check my math on the quiz questions at the end of each chapter. In previous editions, there might have been an error or two, but thanks to the print-on-demand nature of this book, subsequent printings were corrected. No longer should that have to be done. The practice problems are designed to help you better understand the material, and they have been updated as well.
In all, there is probably about 40% new material compared to the 3rd edition, and the organization of the book has been overhauled, tweaked, and designed to flow more smoothly from one topic to the next.
This edition represents about three years of squeezing in time on planes, hotel rooms, and my home in between training events, working on gigs, and trying to have a life. Enjoy.