In the tradition of The Professor and the Madman, a “brisk and vivid”( Los Angeles Times) account of an obsessive scholar.
Polymath, eccentric, and synonym aficionado, Peter Mark Roget had a host of female admirers, was one of the first to test the effects of laughing gas, invented the slide rule, and narrowly escaped jail in Napoleon’s France. But Roget is best known for making lists.
After the tragic turmoil of his early life (both his mother and sister were institutionalized), Roget longed for order in his chaotic world. At the age of eight, he began his quest to put everything in its rightful place, one word at a time. This is the fascinating story of a driven man and a brilliant scholar-and the legacy he has left for generations.
About The Man Who Made Lists
In the tradition of The Professor and the Madman, a “brisk and vivid”( Los Angeles Times) account of an obsessive scholar.
Polymath, eccentric, and synonym aficionado, Peter Mark Roget had a host of female admirers, was one of the first to test the effects of laughing gas, invented the slide rule, and narrowly escaped jail in Napoleon’s France. But Roget is best known for making lists.
After the tragic turmoil of his early life (both his mother and sister were institutionalized), Roget longed for order in his chaotic world. At the age of eight, he began his quest to put everything in its rightful place, one word at a time. This is the fascinating story of a driven man and a brilliant scholar-and the legacy he has left for generations.
Joshua Kendall is a language enthusiast and an award-winning freelance journalist whose work has appeared in such publications as the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, and Psychology Today. His books include The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster’s Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture, First… More about Joshua Kendall
About Joshua Kendall
Joshua Kendall is a language enthusiast and an award-winning freelance journalist whose work has appeared in such publications as the Boston Globe, the Wall Street Journal, and Psychology Today. His books include The Forgotten Founding Father: Noah Webster’s Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture, First… More about Joshua Kendall
