The Invention of Air, Steven Johnson
The Invention of Air, Steven Johnson
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The Invention of Air

Author: Steven Johnson

Narrator: Mark Deakins

Unabridged: 6 hr 6 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 12/26/2008


Synopsis

Bestselling author Steven Johnson recounts—in dazzling, multidisciplinary fashion—the story of the brilliant man who embodied the relationship between science, religion, and politics for America’s Founding Fathers.

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 of 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.

About The Author

Steven Johnson is the author of many bestsellers, including The Invention of AirThe Ghost Map, and Everything Bad Is Good for You. He is the editor of the anthology The Innovator’s Cookbook and the founder of a variety of influential websites. Johnson also writes for TimeWiredThe New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He lives in Marin County, California, with his wife and three sons.Mark Deakins’ television appearances include Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Star Trek®: Voyager. His film credits include The Devil’s Advocate and Star Trek®: Insurrection. He is the writer, director, and producer of the short film The Smith Interviews.


Reviews

Goodreads review by David on June 27, 2009

Steven Johnson, author of the excellent "The Ghost Map", here takes on the life of Joseph Priestley. The best parts of this book are where he confines himself to the task at hand, and gives us details of that life. Priestley was a fascinating character, a brilliant chemist and one of the most influe......more

Goodreads review by Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship on August 04, 2022

This short book is partly a biography of Joseph Priestley, a prolific and divisive 18th century figure who made influential discoveries in science (including discovering that plants replace carbon dioxide with oxygen, though he didn’t put it in quite those terms), helped found the Unitarian church,......more

Goodreads review by Cherisa on July 19, 2022

An intersectional review of biography, cultural upheaval, technical progress, faith, friendship, politics, industry and leisure. Johnson weaves a tapestry from what might seem like disconnected threads into whole cloth. At a time when not one thing was changing but many, and people were faced with s......more

Goodreads review by Kara on August 07, 2011

The Invention of Air has a catchy title, but its subtitle better describes the book itself: A story of Science, Faith, Revolution, and the Birth of America. Steven Johnson uses Joseph Priestley as a touchstone for a much larger argument about the relationship among science, religion, and politics an......more

Goodreads review by Joel on January 06, 2020

Johnson is an interesting author. On the surface, he's straight-up science history, but he often takes extended detours into the philosophy of science and politics. Some people might find this unexpected, but I really like it because the questions that he grapples with are ones that I've also though......more