This book describes the science and times the Romantic age. The first wave of modern science, Newton, Descartes, Huygens, are gone. A second wave of institutionalized science begins and its power to explain and reveal the world captivates Europe. The book begins with the south sea explorer Joseph Banks and how he fostered British science through the Royal Society. We also see the German/British astronomer WIlliam Herschel (builder of the 40' telescope and discoverer of Uranus) and his brilliant sister Caroline. The age also sees the development of chemistry, led by generation of gases and its impact on ballooning, and how that changed the world view. The story of the brilliant chemist Humphrey Davy figures prominently as well. We also see the interactions with the Romantic poets, like Coleridge, Shelly, and Byron and how they viewed science and often used it in their work (Coleridge and Davy were close friends). All in all, this is a great read, and it is understandable how it got the NYT book review Best Book of the Year award. It is a real education and a treat to boot.