The Invention of Air

Joseph Priestley discovered carbon dioxide, breathable air, invented carbonated water, was a best friend of Benjamin Franklin and instrumental in the founding of the Unitarian movement. Nonetheless, despite living in Benjamin-Franklin-opolis (AKA Philadelphia), I had never heard of him.

Johnson's biography is fascinating - a true examination of the life, beliefs, political allegations, science and religion of Priestley. In addition, there is another book nestled above the level of the biography: a book primarily about the process of science. Johnson explores how the process of science has evolved since Priestley's time, the factors that were instrumental in setting Priestley up for success, the model of the paradigm and the development of ecosystems as a model of thought.

I absolutely loved this book! Johnson is an excellent author who's prose is engaging and easy to read. He brought to life for me a important historical figure,Joseph Priestly, who had incredible influence on the founding father's - particularly Franklin, Adams, and my hero, Jefferson.

Johnson, using Priestly's story as his vehicle, make a compelling argument concerning the often-denied inter-connectedness of science, theology, and politics.

Interesting read. The book is somewhat split in half. Half of it tries to use the life of the protagonist as a way to explore the triggers of a “run” of innovations, while the final portion focus, in a much more fragmented and less thorough way on his relationship to questions of faith, politics, and the US. It felt a little hurried and stretched in the second half and too much time was spent on trying to laud Priestley's important role, rather than dig deeper into some of the encounters and issues involved.