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The Invention of Air: A Story of Science, Faith, Revolution, and the Birth of America
The Invention of Air A Story of Science Faith Revolution and the Birth of America Author:Steven Johnson The Invention of Air is a book of world-changing ideas wrapped around a compelling narrative, a story of genius and violence and friendship in the midst of sweeping historical change that provokes us to recast our understanding of the Founding Fathers. — It is the story of Joseph Priestley--scientist and theologian, protégé o... more »f Benjamin Franklin, friend of Thomas Jefferson--an eighteenth-century radical thinker who played pivotal roles in the invention of ecosystem science, the discovery of oxygen, the founding of the Unitarian Church, and the intellectual development of the United States. And it is a story that only Steven Johnson, acclaimed juggler of disciplines and provocative ideas, can do justice to.
In the 1780s, Priestley had established himself in his native England as a brilliant scientist, a prominent minister, and an outspoken advocate of the American Revolution, who had sustained long correspondences with Franklin, Jefferson, and John Adams. Ultimately, his radicalism made his life politically uncomfortable, and he fled to the nascent United States. Here, he was able to build conceptual bridges linking the scientific, political, and religious impulses that governed his life. And through his close relationships with the Founding Fathers--Jefferson credited Priestley as the man who prevented him from abandoning Christianity--he exerted profound if little-known influence on the shape and course of our history.
As in his last bestselling work, The Ghost Map, Steven Johnson here uses a dramatic historical story to explore themes that have long engaged him: innovation and the way new ideas emerge and spread, and the environments that foster these breakthroughs. And as he did in Everything Bad Is Good for You, Johnson upsets some fundamental assumptions about the world we live in--namely, what it means when we invoke the Founding Fathers--and replaces them with a clear-eyed, eloquent assessment of where we stand today.« less
As so often happens the publishers put their own spin on advertising. I expected a mainly scientific book surrounding Joseph Priestley's discoveries and work in scientific endeavors. What I got was a general biography of Priestley with a little attention paid to his scientific endeavors. Mostly there were musings on his interaction in international politics and how he played on the field of the developement of the United States. It was a good read, just not what I wanted.
Brekke K. (sfvamp) - , reviewed The Invention of Air: A Story of Science, Faith, Revolution, and the Birth of America on + 108 more book reviews
I find this book rather frustrating. The author clearly loves Joseph Priestley and spends an inordinate amount of time dreaming up scenarios of the man making it to America, pontificating on how such a man could have had so many intellectual blessings in life, and even trying to make direct correlations between his research and modern technology and philosophy. Unfortunately the author spends so much time wandering about setting the scene and making romanticized connections that he ultimately fails to show us how Priestley is so great. In comparing him to the greats like Benjamin Franklin and even Newton, Priestley comes across as a bit of a bungler. He was a man of his times, an intellectual yes, but so many of the discoveries that Johnson attributes to him were accidental and often misinterpreted. There are small tidbits of interesting information scattered throughout a bunch of pretty ramblings that I found myself not caring anymore about the subject matter. This book could have been condensed into a fabulous and noteworthy article or novella and it would have had more impact. I guess it boils down to that I feel like the author is trying too hard to put Priestley on the same pedestal as the founding fathers and the comparisons only serve to lesson Priestley's accomplishments. Priestley might have been a big man in the 18th century but now his most notable contributions are antiquated and what remains is anecdotal. After reading this book, I will primarily remember him as the guy that popularized the story of Benjamin Franklin and his electrical kite and that he developed soda water as an attempt to counteract scurvy for the navy.
Don B. reviewed The Invention of Air: A Story of Science, Faith, Revolution, and the Birth of America on
Johnson is a great storyteller who has tackled the challenge of conveying how multiple levels of interaction in history and science converge to create the world as we know it. Invention of Air is a delightful example of this feat.
William B. (Acknud) reviewed The Invention of Air: A Story of Science, Faith, Revolution, and the Birth of America on + 82 more book reviews 
