Louis Agassiz: Creator of American Science
*Starred Review* A budding nineteenth-century zoologist, Addison Verrill worshipfully regarded his Harvard mentor, Louis Agassiz, as “the great leader of the scientific world.” Aware of the low opinion scientists now hold of Agassiz, many twenty-first-century readers may find Verrill’s veneration for the Swiss-born naturalist inexplicable. With this compelling biography, Irmscher dispels the mystery, showing both how Agassiz established himself as America’s most prominent scientist and how he subsequently fell into professional ignominy. From a brisk yet detailed narrative, we learn of the intellectual gifts Agassiz deployed in explaining Ice Age glaciers, his theory finally overcoming Darwin’s doubts. We also learn of Agassiz’s indefatigable field research as a biologist and of his omnivorous commitment to collecting specimens for his Cambridge museum. But we soon realize how much Agassiz actually built his reputation on his prowess as a lecture-hall thespian and illustrator. Unfortunately, the talents that buoyed his popularity did not sustain his scientific credibility when he first attacked Darwin’s theory of evolution and then promulgated pseudoscientific theories of white racial superiority. Even his handling of personal relationships told against Agassiz, as his arrogant heedlessness alienated his first wife and then turned his most promising graduate student into an adversary. A masterful portrait illuminating the tangled human dynamics of science. --Bryce Christensen