This is the fascinating story of Benjamin Silliman, the birth of true science in America, and its rise to worldwide prominence. When a fiery meteor crash in 1807 lit up the early morning sky in Weston, Connecticut, it did more than startle a few farmers. It sparked the curiosity of Benjamin Silliman, a young chemistry professor at nearby Yale College. His rigorous investigation started a chain of events that brought the once low-standing of American science to international prominence. It also embroiled Silliman in politics, pitting him against no less an adversary than President Thomas Jefferson. Based on a wealth of original sources, and interviews with acknowledged experts, this superbly written and engaging narrative, filled with fascinating historical detail tells the remarkable story of Benjamin Silliman - arguably America's first bona fide scientist.
