Grand Duke, Wizard and Bohemian

Leo Baekeland invented the world's first completely synthetic material—plastic. In his “Grand Duke, Wizard and Bohemian: A Biographical Profile of Leo H. Baekeland”, author Carl B. Kaufmann captures the essence of those rare breed of innovators who stay a step ahead of competitors, see more clearly what the times demand, what the current state of technology permits, and what the market would reward. With a science and engineering background, Kaufmann has a unique perspective on Baekeland’s thinking and tinkering. Grand Duke, Wizard and Bohemian covers Baekeland’s early years in Belgium and his personal and public life as an American. Having married into the Baekeland family with exclusive access to diaries and laboratory books, along with personal interviews with family members, Kaufmann had the unique opportunity to explore Baekeland’s mind by focusing on the conceptual steps, technical explorations, and business dealings that led to Baekeland’s inventions, while firmly placing these undertakings into the context of Baekeland’s daily life. This is the story of one of the unsung heroes, an immigrant's success in America that gave form and shape to our modern world.