An interesting exercise in scale, using the life of Joseph Priestly as an example of how biography, history, sociology and geogrphy, in various frames of reference, long-term and otherwise, offer different explanations for the achievements of Priestly, who was influential in science, politics and religious thought at the time of the American Revolution. The author also takes the occasion to make arguments about the utility and effects of various methods of increasing the efficiency of the flow of information -- Priestly's influence, he argues, has much to do with the effects of both coffeehouses, and coffee. It is a fun book -- a full-length essay, rather than a through detailed biography, and better for it.

http://bactra.org/weblog/algae-2009-0... ( )

Coffee as a motivating force in The Enlightenment? How can I not rave about this book? Never mind that Joseph Priestley was this amazing indivdual, amateur chemist making wildly important discoveries, theologian writing groundbreaking works on the "corruptions of Christianity" (hugely influential on one Thomas Jefferson), political theorist caught up in a couple revolutions in other countries while being targeted as a traitor in his own...all while being a Unitarian minister (and instrumental in the beginnings of Unitarianism in both Britain and the U.S.) Not bad... ( )

Coffee as a motivating force in The Enlightenment? How can I not rave about this book? Never mind that Joseph Priestley was this amazing indivdual, amateur chemist making wildly important discoveries, theologian writing groundbreaking works on the "corruptions of Christianity" (hugely influential on one Thomas Jefferson), political theorist caught up in a couple revolutions in other countries while being targeted as a traitor in his own...all while being a Unitarian minister (and instrumental in the beginnings of Unitarianism in both Britain and the U.S.) Not bad... ( )

Coffee as a motivating force in The Enlightenment? How can I not rave about this book? Never mind that Joseph Priestley was this amazing indivdual, amateur chemist making wildly important discoveries, theologian writing groundbreaking works on the "corruptions of Christianity" (hugely influential on one Thomas Jefferson), political theorist caught up in a couple revolutions in other countries while being targeted as a traitor in his own...all while being a Unitarian minister (and instrumental in the beginnings of Unitarianism in both Britain and the U.S.) Not bad... ( )