An eavesdropper might have found their discussions" ponderous or mystifying, but the four members of the 19th century Philosophical Breakfast Club were too fervent to care about their contemporaries' judgment. John Hershel, Charles Babbage, William Whewell, and Richard Jones shared a passion for scientific pursuit. Indeed it was Whewell who coined the word "scientist." And each of them fulfilled their promise: Hershel mapped the skies and helped invent photography; Babbage invented the modern computer; Jones shaped the science of economics; and Whewell founded crystallography, mathematical economics, and the science of tides.) A fascinating group biography; perfect reading for fans of books such as Holmes' The Age of Wonder.