Selections here show the extraordinary breadth of Orsted's interests, which range through a long and prolific career from the study of plant alkaloids and the compression of fluids to the nature of light and the "natural science" of beauty. The writings are taken from scientific papers, Orsted's correspondence, and reports of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters. The book will not only draw long-overdue attention to Orsted's own work but will also shed new light on the nature of scientific study in the nineteenth century.