A fresh look at this pioneering American innovator. Shampoo from peanuts? Wallpaper from clay? Ink from sweet potatoes? Discover Carver's imagination and inspiration in this one-of-a-kind biography. With imagination and intellect, George Washington Carver (1864-1934) developed hundreds of unexpected products from everyday plants. This book reveals what an exceptionally uncommon man Carver was: trailblasing scholar, innovative scientist, pioneering conservationist, and impassioned educator. This book follows his life from slave and orphan to his college days as the first African American to attend Iowa State College (where he later taught), and on to his life and work in the field of agriculture. Illustrated with historical artifacts and photographs, the book traces Carver's life, discoveries, and legacy.