Angelic Music: The Story of Ben Franklin's Glass Armonica

“Fascinating, insightful, and, best of all, great fun…with spirited charm, Mead weaves history, music, science, and medicine into the story” (The Washington Post) of Ben Franklin’s favorite invention: the glass armonica.

Benjamin Franklin is renowned for his landmark inventions, including bifocals, the Franklin stove, and the lightning rod. Yet his own favorite invention—the one he said gave him the “greatest personal satisfaction”—is unknown to the general public. The glass armonica, the fi...