The Invention of air : : a Story of Science, Faith, Revolution, and the Birth of America

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Call Number: Adult Book / Nonfiction / Biography / Science & Technology / Priestley, Joseph
On Shelf At: Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Biography / Science & Technology / Priestley, Joseph	4-week checkout	On Shelf

Recounts the story of Joseph Priestley--scientist and theologian, protege of Benjamin Franklin--an 18th-century radical thinker who played pivotal roles in the invention of ecosystem science, the founding of the Unitarian Church, and the intellectual development of the U.S.

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Fantastic submitted by andy101 on July 2, 2012, 1:23pm This is a great read. Steven Johnson not only tells the life story of Joseph Priestley, but he also ties Priestley's life to several broader themes, such as the American revolution and even the biological history of the world. Even though Priestley is most widely known for his discovery of oxygen, I was surprised to learn that he accomplished much more in his life than just that one discovery; in fact, as the front cover suggests, he contributed to a vast variety of fields. This book is well-written and extremely interesting.

Steven Johnson's style is unique and eye-opening. He tends to look at people and events in terms of the big picture; he also attempts to connect what's happening in the book to larger and broader themes about how the world works. While this style is very fresh and attention-grabbing, it wears off and becomes a bit boring after a while. For me, about halfway through the book was when I began to find Johnson's style a bit tedious; it seemed to me that connecting everything to larger themes was taking Johnson off on random tangents that did not enhance the reading. Still, the book was fantastic, and I learned a lot of things that I did not expect.

Fantastic Book submitted by johnnyringo on July 5, 2013, 8:45am Fantastic book about Joseph Priestley