Description
Book SynopsisWilliam Hyde Wollaston made an astonishing number of discoveries in an astonishingly varied number of fields. This book features length study of Wollaston, his science, and the environment in which he thrived. It will help to reinstate Wollaston in the history of science and the pantheon of its great innovators.
Trade Review"Portraying the extraordinary polymath Wollaston both in detail and in the round, this elegantly written work is a major contribution to understanding early nineteenth-century British science. Usselman exhibits quiet mastery of the diverse fields in which Wollaston labored, fitting his subject into the science, the technology, and the political and economic life of his day. His work says much about themes of great current historical interest, including the relationships of science to artisanal crafts, invention, and enterprise. Pure Intelligence is both an intellectual tour de force and a pleasure to read." (Alan Rocke, Case Western Reserve University)
