false 451211 5 In the late 1700s, five gifted inventors and amateur scholars in Birmingham, England, came together for what one of them, Erasmus Darwin, called "a little philosophical laughing." They also helped kick-start the industrial revolution, as Jenny Uglow relates in the lively <I>The Lunar Men: Five Friends Whose Curiosity Changed the World</I>. Their "Lunar Society" included Joseph Priestley, the chemist who isolated oxygen; James Watt, the Scottish inventor of the steam engine; and Josiah Wedgwood, whose manufacture of pottery created the industrial model for the next century. Joined by other "toymakers" and scholarly tinkerers, they concocted schemes for building great canals and harnessing the power of electricity, coined words such as "hydrogen" and "iridescent," shared theories and bank accounts, fended off embezzlers and industrial spies, and forged a fine "democracy of knowledge." And they had a fine time doing so, proving that scholars need not be dullards or eccentrics asocial.<p> Uglow's spirited look at this group of remarkable "lunaticks" captures a critical, short-lived moment of early modern history. Readers who share their conviction that knowledge brings power will find this book a rewarding adventure. <I>--Gregory McNamee</I> 1844353 2002 The Lunar Men: Five Friends Whose Curiosity Changed the World total:49|5:11|4:21|3:12|2:4|1:1| 49 184 121 14 4 0 false false Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 01 02:26:44 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 01 02:27:19 -0800 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Jun 10 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon May 18 18:05:37 -0700 2009 Wed Jun 10 13:33:12 -0700 2009 The Lunar Men – Five Friends Whose Curiosity Changed the World, describes the lives and activities of a group (actually, more than five persons) of men in 18th century England who collaborated in pioneering scientific and technological innovation. Located in the ...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Feb 21 15:25:41 -0800 2009 Sat Feb 21 15:33:01 -0800 2009
In the late mid-late 18th century, science was still an open arena of thought and hypo...more...]]> 2 0 false false Tue Nov 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Wed Aug 01 16:38:05 -0700 2007 Wed Aug 01 16:42:07 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon May 07 21:10:45 -0700 2007 Mon May 07 21:15:27 -0700 2007 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Nov 08 09:33:50 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 08 09:35:03 -0800 2009 http://annhawkins.com - The Lunar Society ]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 01 09:22:49 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 24 16:40:14 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Thu Oct 23 19:15:52 -0700 2008 Thu Oct 23 19:18:22 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Mon May 18 03:58:03 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 16 15:50:38 -0700 2009 Mon May 18 03:58:03 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Oct 22 15:06:58 -0700 2007 Mon Oct 22 15:08:16 -0700 2007 0 0 false false Tue Mar 17 05:53:42 -0700 2009 Sat Nov 07 15:18:46 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Mon Jul 07 19:17:29 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 07 19:38:26 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Sun Sep 30 16:40:15 -0700 2007 Sat Jun 28 13:34:10 -0700 2008 Can't remember--remainder bookshop maybe?]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Dec 17 11:18:57 -0800 2008 Fri Jul 03 13:26:34 -0700 2009
It is quite stodgy though. But that is part of the charm because it is packed full of research.]]> 5 0 false false Sat Nov 07 12:09:57 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 07 12:09:57 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Fri Nov 06 13:16:43 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 06 13:16:43 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Tue Nov 03 16:22:15 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 03 16:22:28 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sun Oct 25 02:08:50 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 25 02:08:50 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Tue Oct 13 09:40:26 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 13 09:40:26 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Oct 06 04:56:59 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 06 05:03:49 -0700 2009