Réaumur was born in La Rochelle, France, to a wealthy family. Although little is known about his early schooling, it probably involved almost no math or science. However, in 1703, Réaumur went to Paris and, through influential relatives, met the great mathematician Pierre Varignon (1654-1722), who agreed to become his teacher. The young man learned so rapidly that Varignon, startled and impressed, nominated him to the Academy of Science in an apprentice category. There his brilliance attracted even more attention and, in 1710, he was commissioned by Louis XIV (1638-1715) to compile a report on the various industries and professions of France--a kind of industrial encyclopedia.

The compilation took many years to complete and proved to be an enormous task. On the other hand, it also exposed the young scholar to a number of different industrial technologies, and he left his own mark on almost all...