James Prescott Joule is credited with the fundamental discovery that opened a new paradigm of the nature of heat which allowed many new discoveries and inventions. A rather unassuming man in appearance, he had difficulty for a long time in convincing his contemporaries of the importance of his discovery. However, once he received the endorsement of an accepted scientist William Thomson (Lord Kelvin), he received nearly immediate acclaim. Though he continued his work throughout his life, all of the discoveries for which he is now famous were accomplished before he was 34 years old. One truly noteworthy condition of Joule's career was that he was self-reliant in his education and his research. He was self-educated and, coming from a wealthy family, he funded his own research. This condition as respectable as it was, proved to be a great hindrance. The scientific community would not believe that Joule could discover...