The Invention of Air by Steven Johnson
Steven Johnson places Joseph Priestley well in his time as well as in the intellectual development science (natural philosophy), faith (a founder of the Unitarian Church), and political theory (interactions with Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson) coming out of the Age of Enlightenment. His multi-disciplinary approach laid the groundwork for ecosystem theories in today's science even though his experiments were as an "amateur." Finally, the end of the story regarding how the Jeffereson-Priestley letters had such a profound influence on the later Adams-Jefferson infamous correspondence exchanges was fascinating.[Included in Cym's March 23 Book Review Party Wednesday - Thanks!]
Happy Reading! ;-)
Dr. Bill
http://stores.lulu.com/drbillshare
Came over from Cym Lowell's McLinky links for Book Review Party Wednesday.
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