Famous, fascinating Benjamin Franklin-he would be neither without his accomplishments in science. In this authoritative intellectual biography of Americas most brilliant and cosmopolitan Founding Father, Joyce Chaplin considers Franklins scientific work as a career in its own right as well as the basis of his political thought. The famous kite and other experiments with electricity were only part of Franklins accomplishments. He charted the Gulf Stream, made important observations in meteorology, and used the burgeoning science of political arithmetic to make unprecedented statements about Americas power. Even as he stepped onto the world stage as an illustrious statesman and diplomat in the years leading up to the American Revolution, his fascination with nature was unrelenting.