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You Are Here: Home > History Books > Thomas Jefferson > Item 124
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Jefferson and Science
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by Silvio A. Bedini and Donald Fleming
Sales Rank: 759705
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$16.95
At Amazon
on 11-27-2008.
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Features
Cover Type: Paperback with 136 pages
Published by: The University of North Carolina Press October 9, 2002
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 1882886194
ISBN 13 Number: 978-1882886197
Book Dimensions:
10.2 x 7 x 0.4 inches
Weighs: 13 ounces
Product Description
Though we most often think of Jefferson as president and statesman, he is also recognized, in the words of the late Dumas Malone, "as an American pioneer in numerous branches of science, notably paleontology, ethnology, geography, and botany." In this fascinating book, Silvio Bedini, the acknowledged authority on Jefferson's "supreme delight" in the sciences, explores his wide-ranging mathematical and scientific pursuits.
Taught surveying by his map-making father, Jefferson developed an interest in measurement and observation at an early age. He was captivated not only by the topography around him, but also by the stars and planets in the heavens above and by the minerals, fossils, artifacts, and plants in the soil below. Known internationally as a man of learning and as the long-serving president of the American Philosophical Society, Jefferson read widely, corresponded with other science enthusiasts worldwide, promoted scientific exploration--most notably, the Lewis and Clark expedition--and performed his own diverse experiments.
Painting a broad picture of Jefferson as scientist, this book offers a captivating new look at one of America's great Renaissance men.
About The Author
Historian Emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C, Silvio A. Bedini has written extensively on the history of science and technology. Well known for his classic Thomas Jefferson: Statesman of Science, he also organized the 1981 exhibition "Thomas Jefferson and Science" at the National Museum of American History.
Reader Reviews
Thomas Jefferson is a very revered and well known figure in American history. The book Jefferson and Science further this idea by elaborating on the side of Jefferson many readers will not be aware of. The style of writing and the authority with which the Smithsonian historian, Silvio Bedini, writes makes for a one-hundred seven page brief but enlightening exploration into Jefferson and his involvement and impact upon the sciences. Readability, verifiability, and a clear and concise style make this book an excellent choice though Bedini does lack some of the higher level connections found in other biographies. To summarize, Bedini talks in some of his short three to twelve page chapters about each of the areas of science (Surveying, Meteorology, Astronomy, Ethnology, Health and Medicine, Botany, Horology, and Agriculture) Jefferson made contributions or showed a keen interest in. The other chapters talk about a broad contribution or area of Jefferson' life that relate to science (The American Philosophical Society, Science in Europe, Notes on the State of Virginia, Health and Medicine, Exploration and Discovery, Invention, and The University of Virginia). Each of the chapters is relatively factual though Bedini is inclined to belabor a chapter with unnecessary amounts of specific details. Due to Jefferson's notoriety the author does not feel inclined to make a case for this by expounding upon Jefferson's many and varied accomplishments thereby saving the reader repetitious and boring details. Instead this presupposition allows Bedini to focus and give credit to Jefferson where many historians and typical people fail to appreciate Jefferson. Once a reader enters the book they will find that it is not quite like other biographies written about Thomas Jefferson. No birth date or death date will can be found and there is very little written specifically about his presidency or the Declaration of Independence. The primary emphasis of the book is the side of Thomas Jefferson relating to science, a side not often seen. Bedini conveys to readers each of the aspects of science Jefferson took an interest in. Many of the chapters are devoted solely to Jefferson's involvement in a particular field of science. This gives the book a highly organized and clear structure. However, while Bedini does an excellent job presenting the details of Jefferson's interest and involvement in science, he fails to give an adequate amount of abstraction to Jefferson's involvement in the sciences. For example, the introduction of the book should clearly explain what information will be conveyed and why this information is important. A lacking connection is found between Jefferson's interest in science and its importance. Presumably Jefferson's interest in science helps promote scientific advancement with posterity in mind. This connection is made quite obvious when Bedini speaks about Jefferson's role in the establishment of the University of Virginia; yet elsewhere it appears quite obfuscated. The lacking amount of abstraction thus leaves the reader at the end of the book full of facts but slightly bewildered with how to go about processing these facts. This is a crucial point and Bedini fails to make it. The information simply appears to be tightly clumped into many ultimately disjoint chapters. The author, it seems, wrote the book with a student audience in mind. In terms of readability this naturally places him into a disadvantageous spot. Often students are compelled to read a book, they are not given a choice. Therefore a student is more likely to put a book down and stop reading if they find it disinteresting simply because they were quite likely never interested from the beginning. By dividing the book into short readable chapters Bedini lifts much of the burden from a student's shoulders. He makes it easier for a student to actually read the entirety of the book. A student always either explicitly or implicitly appreciates this and the author enjoys the benefit of a larger audience. Bedini appears to have the impression Jefferson was important for not only promoting science but also for a vast number of specific contributions. The reader, at the end of this book, should feel in a likewise manner. Unfortunately, it is quite likely a reader will feel otherwise. This is due to the fact that while Bedini points out countless inventions and improvements Jefferson gave to science most appear to have had little impact. For example, Bedini dedicates several pages to a particular plowing moldboard that Jefferson invented. However, towards the end of the chapter the author notes "Although the moldboard received wide acknowledgement, it did not achieve the universal adoption that had been hoped for it because it was almost immediately supplanted by an all-iron plow developed in the same period." Thus, the reader will recognize that particular invention as having little impact and will wonder why the past few pages were dedicated to such a matter. This seems to be the general trend of Jefferson's inventions. This pattern promotes the appearance of Bedini having a bias towards Jefferson. Thus, the appearance of a bias naturally makes the information a little less reliable. Fortunately his information is primarily factual and verifiable thus leaving only small room for bias. Working further in Bedini's favor, with respect to a perceived bias, is brief section at the end of the book where Bedini provides balance to the book by criticizing some of Jefferson's scientific opinions and conclusions. However even this is done in an almost apologetic manner thus still leaving the reader with the notion that Bedini holds a slight bias towards Jefferson. Though Jefferson and Science fails to make key connections that fully convey and justify the author's feelings and opinions, it is nonetheless a book worthy of the casually interested or even ardent Jefferson enthusiast. The brevity, organization, and short chapter structure will allow the casually interested reader to continue reading. At the same time the ardent Jefferson enthusiast will appreciate the abundance of facts, sources, and the authority of the author. After reading this book a reader will find that they have been exposed to an unexpected but delightful side of Jefferson they would not have otherwise understood.
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Jefferson and Science
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Price: $16.95
Updated on 11-27-2008.
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