Joseph Priestley is perhaps best known in the UK for the discovery of oxygen, and ironically he was neither the first to discover this (Scheele), nor the person who understood that this was a new element and not just 'dephlogisticated air' (Lavoisier). This book gives a much rounder view of Priestley as an experimental scientist, communicator, political theorist and religious maverick. And the inventor of soda water!

To my mind, one of the most significant of Priestley's findings was the discovery that a plant could 'reinvigorate' air. He must have killed a lot of mice, investigating how long they could survive in a sealed container, and then discovering that if a plant was placed in a container in which a mouse had previously exhausted the air (and then died), after a couple of days a new mouse could survive quite happily for some time.

This book tells the story of Priestley's life, including his involvement in the early USA after he had made the UK too dangerous for him. But although Priestley is the main focus of the story, the book is also about how new scientific discoveries are made.

Very readable, recommended!