This original biography of Benjamin Franklin considers all his work in the sciences. During the rise & fall of the first Brit. Empire, science became central to public culture & Franklin¿s achieve. as a natural philosopher played a central role in his rise in politics. Having demonstrated that he could master nature, Franklin showed that he was suited to solve problems in the human realm. But his experiments with electricity were only part of Franklin¿s accomplishments. He charted the Gulf Stream, made important observ. in meteorology, & used the science of ¿political arith.

¿ to make statements about America¿s power. Even as he stepped onto the world stage as a diplomat in the years leading up to the Amer. Revol., his fascination with nature was unrelenting. Illus.