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The invention of air : a story of science, faith, revolution, and the birth of America
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The invention of air : a story of science, faith, revolution, and the birth of America

by Steven Johnson

This biography explores the life of 18th-century polymath Joseph Priestley, who discovered oxygen and pioneered ecosystem science. It examines his radical contributions to theology and politics, and his intellectual influence on the American Founding Fathers.

Accession 12029 ISBN 9781594488528 Publisher Riverhead Books
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TAGS
Curated Derived
Biography Faith History Ideas Political Science Professions Religion Revolution Science
CONNECTIONS
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State
on_shelf
True
position_updated_at
2026-06-01 16:35
orientation
vertical
Details

Physical

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Hard Back
dimensions
none captured
spine_text
none captured

Metadata

Book form
LOCATION HISTORY
M:N3:10 3 Current vertical
1 week, 3 days ago
Book Location
Updated 4 days, 20 hours ago
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Last synced 2026-05-21 00:55 (2 weeks, 2 days ago)

Identity

name→ title
The invention of air : a story of science, faith, revolution, and the birth of America
vernon_id
16153
accession_no→ accession_number
12029
vernon_slug
the-invention-of-air-a-story-of-science-faith-revolution-and-the-birth-of-america-steven-johnson

Drives Pulse state

curr_loc_status→ on_shelf
On Shelf
location_name
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location_reason
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isbn_issn→ isbn (when valid)
9781594488528

Descriptive

production_date
2008
object_type
Books/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication
object_status
Accessioned
brief_description
"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, protege 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."--BOOK JACKET.

Subjects & people

authors→ author (initial fill only)
Steven Johnson
tags→ tags
Science, Religions, History, Physical sciences, Christianity, Biography, Science -- History, Chemistry, Scientists, Professions, Occupations, Founding Fathers of the United States, Statesmen -- United States, Church history
subject_people
J. B. Priestley (English, b.1894, d.1984)
subject_objects
—

Cover image

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18748

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