Book Review: Old Sparky: The Electric Chair and the History of the Death Penalty

   Throughout time, punishment for crimes has been a part of our world, in almost every culture. The death penalty came in many forms: public hanging, stoning, burning at the stake. Because of the seemingly gruesome and unnecessary cruelty of past methods, enter the electric chair and its promise of eliminating "cruel and unusual punishment". In Old Sparky, Galvin explores the detailed history of how the chair became part of our legal system, and discusses both the positive and negative implications it has on society's views of capital punishment. West Lafayette Public Library Director Nick Schenkel has a review.