Bell, Madison Smartt Great Discoveries.

Great discoveries

Read by Arthur Morey

Antoine Lavoisier reinvented chemistry, overthrowing the long-established principles of alchemy and inventing an entirely new terminology, one still in use by chemists. Madison Smartt Bell's enthralling narrative reads like a race to the finish line, as the very circumstances that enabled Lavoisier to secure his reputation as the father of modern chemistry-a considerable fortune and social connections with the likes of Benjamin Franklin-also caused his glory to be cut short by the French Revolution. "A two-part thriller. The first describes Lavoisier's successful effort to win the race to explain how chemical processes work; the second, his pursuit by French revolutionaries." "Bell succeeds, not only in depicting the rigorousness of Lavoisier's method, but also in conveying a sense of his character." "Portrays a visionary who freed chemistry from its alchemical roots, helped establish the practice of systematic experimentation, and isolated and named oxygen…Writing with equal panache about scientific breakthroughs and social upheaval…Bell portrays Lavoisier and his gifted wife with admiration and empathy." "Full of suspense and intrigue set against a backdrop of war and revolution…the story of a well-intentioned and honorable man caught up in events beyond the comprehension of his formidable intellect…Bell uses his novelistic skills in the service of narrative and character to keep Lavoisier's story fresh."

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