Results tagged “stevenjohnson”

In Steven Johnson’s The Invention of Air: A Story of Science, Faith, Revolution, and the Birth of America, the “hot hand” in question is that of Joseph Priestley. Something of a forgotten man now (certainly in terms of his role in the American Revolution), Priestley could be considered the quintessential Enlightenment thinker, in much the same way that da Vinci is the embodiment of the “Renaissance man.” more ›

It's a new year, and things are starting off with a bicentennial bang. With all Baltimore's claims to Edgar Allen Poe, and all the other authors born in Boston, it's easy to forget that the spooky author was born right here. Boston College remembers, though, and is celebrating the bicentennial of Poe's birth with some special events coming up in two weeks. In the meantime, entertain yourself with a mix of gripping and entertaining book events in the next week. more ›