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The Man Who Made the Future

Leo Baekeland

Michael Webster

$35.95   $30.59

Paperback

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English
Michael Webster
26 October 2025
Before the smartphone in your pocket, the television in your living room, or the dashboard of your car, there was one man and one material that changed everything.

Born a humble Belgian prodigy, Leo Hendrik Baekeland turned down a life of academia to pursue a daring American dream. After inventing and selling a revolutionary photographic paper, he risked his fortune and his reputation on a chaotic, unpredictable chemical reaction. His goal: to create a material that didn't exist in nature.

The result was Bakelite, the world's first true synthetic plastic.

This book is the definitive story of the ""Father of Plastics,"" a relentless innovator who not only created a material but also inaugurated an entire industrial age. From his early struggles in New York to his global triumphs, discover how Baekeland's genius for invention, his fierce entrepreneurial spirit, and his unwavering principles forged a legacy that continues to shape our world. Approx.170 pages, 32000 word count
By:  
Imprint:   Michael Webster
Dimensions:   Height: 216mm,  Width: 140mm,  Spine: 10mm
Weight:   204g
ISBN:   9798232844035
Pages:   170
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Born and raised in a small town on the east coast of Scotland, the author brings a unique and refreshing voice to his writing. A late-in-life diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome illuminated his lifelong journey, giving him a deeper understanding of the distinct way he sees the world. Describing himself as an optimist on a mission to entertain and inform, he aims to take the reader's imagination to its limits and deliver a truly unforgettable experience.

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