'Deserves to be as popular with non-specialists as with those who have a science background...I can think of sixth-formers I would offer it to, and I know of an eighty-year-old (non-specialist) who would not let me finish my copy in peace' - Elspeth Crawford, Physics Education 'Cantor...achieves a level of insight into Farday's life which far surpasses all other biographies. It will form the basis on which future studies of all aspects of Faraday's life and work will have to be built' - Frank A.J.James, British Journal for the History of Science 'A sympathetic and accessible treatment of Faraday's life and work' - David Gooding, Physics World 'For those who want to know more about one of the UK's greatest figures, it is essential reading' - A.R.Butler, Chemistry in Britain 'Excellent Biography' - John Kerr, Scientific and Medical Network Newsletter This book locates Faraday and his science in the context of the Sandemanians. We gain both a new interpretation of one of the most important scientists of the nineteenth century and a fascinating insight into the relation between science and religion.

Michael Faraday (1791-1867), the son of a blacksmith, described his education as "little more than the rudiments of reading, writing, and arithmetic at a common day-school." Yet from such basics, he became one of the most prolific and wide-ranging experimental scientists who ever lived. As a bookbinder's apprentice with a voracious appetite for learning, he read every book he got his hands on. In 1812 he attended a series of chemistry lectures by Sir Humphry Davy at London's prestigious Royal Institution. He took copious and careful notes, and, in the hopes of landing a scientific job, bound them and sent them to the lecturer. Davy was impressed enough to hire the 21-year-old as a laboratory assistant.In his first decade at the Institution, Faraday discovered benzene, isobutylene, and two chlorides of carbon. But despite these and other accomplishments in chemistry, he is chiefly remembered for his work in physics. In 1831 he proved that magnetism could generate an electric current, thereby establishing the field of electromagnetism and leading to the invention of the dynamo. In addition to his extraordinary scientific activities, Faraday was a leader in his church, whose faith and wish to serve guided him throughout his career. An engaging public speaker, he gave popular lectures on scientific subjects, and helped found a tradition of scientific education for children and laypeople that continues to this day.Oxford Portraits in Science is an ongoing series of scientific biographies for young adults. Written by top scholars and writers, each biography examines the personality of its subject as well as the thought process leading to his or her discoveries. These illustrated biographies combine accessible technical information with compelling personal stories to portray the scientists whose work has shaped our understanding of the natural world.

'Deserves to be as popular with non-specialists as with those who have a science background...I can think of sixth-formers I would offer it to, and I know of an eighty-year-old (non-specialist) who would not let me finish my copy in peace' - Elspeth Crawford, Physics Education 'Cantor...achieves a level of insight into Farday's life which far surpasses all other biographies. It will form the basis on which future studies of all aspects of Faraday's life and work will have to be built' - Frank A.J.James, British Journal for the History of Science 'A sympathetic and accessible treatment of Faraday's life and work' - David Gooding, Physics World 'For those who want to know more about one of the UK's greatest figures, it is essential reading' - A.R.Butler, Chemistry in Britain 'Excellent Biography' - John Kerr, Scientific and Medical Network Newsletter This book locates Faraday and his science in the context of the Sandemanians. We gain both a new interpretation of one of the most important scientists of the nineteenth century and a fascinating insight into the relation between science and religion.

Presents the life of Michael Faraday, the discoverer of the fundamental laws of electricity, recounting his rise from a humble background to his eventual position as one of the leading scientists of his time.

This short biography aims to show, in non-technical language, how one major scientist lived and worked. It marks the bicentenary of Faraday's birth.

The Life and Letters of Faraday By Dr. Bence Jones [Volume 1]