Starting a New Book

I finally finished the book I was reading (the first spinoff novel from the tv series 24; was really lame), and now will be starting Dies the Fire, by S.M. Stirling. Seems to take place in the present day, after some sort of magical event happens and electricity and gunpowder simply stop working.

I've always wondered how long it would take for society to collapse from something as simple as an extended lack of electricity. We'll see what Mr. Stirling thinks.