Mesmerized
How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France
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3.3 • 3 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
“Together, Rockliff and Bruno make the scientific method seem exciting, and kids interested in science and history will likely be, well, mesmerized.” — Booklist (starred review) When American inventor Benjamin Franklin arrives in Paris, he is upstaged by a compelling and enigmatic figure: Dr. Mesmer. In elaborately staged shows, Mesmer has Parisians believing he can control a magic force that changes the taste of water, cures illness, and controls thoughts! Can Ben Franklin’s approach of observing, hypothesizing, and testing get to the bottom of Mesmer’s tricks? A rip-roaring, lavishly illustrated peek into a fascinating moment in history shows the development of the scientific method — and reveals the amazing power of the human mind.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Rockliff (Me and Momma and Big John) sashays into the scientific and political world of the late 18th century with a playful narrative that explains the origin of the word "mesmerized" as it details Benjamin Franklin's role in debunking a miracle cure of the day. Dr. Franz Mesmer's secretive "medicine" is taking Paris by storm: "When he stared into his patients' eyes and waved wand, things happened. Women swooned. Men sobbed. Children fell down in fits." In a gesture of indebtedness to King Louis XVI, Franklin demystifies Mesmer's techniques using the scientific method, revealing that the man's "cures" reside in the patients' heads. Bruno's realistic, digitally colored illustrations contrast Franklin's unadorned American sensibilities with the fancier stylings of pre-French Revolution Paris (embellishments include curlicues, bold and flowery typefaces, and optical illusions on the endpapers). A lengthier retelling of the story is included, along with descriptions (printed on old-fashioned medicine bottles) of the placebo effect and how a "blind" scientific study works. A stylish and humorous exploration of the scientific method and the mysteries of the human mind. Ages 6 9.
