The Man Who Made Lists: Love, Death, Madness, and the Creation of Roget's Thesaurus (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780425225899)

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.

Author: Joshua Kendall
ISBN-10: 0425225895
ISBN-13: 9780425225899
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Language: English
Published: 03/03/2009
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.61lbs
Size: 8.22h x 5.48w x 0.72d