This unabridged republication is based on a series of six lectures Faraday delivered to young students at London's Royal Institution in 1860-61, in which he professed that all governing laws of the universe come into play during the time a candle burns. The book covers all properties of a burning candle including the chemical components, function of weight and atmosphere, the wick, capillary attraction, carbon content in oxygen and living bodies, and properties of carbonic acid. The book's historical and scientific significance may appeal to a wide audience interested in science. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR