Synopses & Reviews
On Giants Shoulders Explore the greatest minds in the history of science with some of the top scientific thinkers of today.
- Archimedes
- Galileo Galilei
- Sir Isaac Newton
- Antoine Lavoisier
- Michael Faraday
- Charles Darwin
- Jules Henri Poincaré
- Sigmund Freud
- Marie Curie
- Albert Einstein
- Francis Crick
- James Watson
The story of science is the greatest adventure of the human mind over the last 2,500 years, as scientists have progressively advanced humankinds understanding and control of the universe. Yet for many, the scientific theories that underpin the modern world can be hard to grasp. On Giants Shoulders elucidates the milestones in the history of science, focusing on twelve individuals and their extraordinary breakthroughs. From a laymans perspective, acclaimed journalist and author Melvyn Bragg discusses the life, work, and legacy of these remarkable people with leading scientists and historians in each field, including Stephen Jay Gould, Richard Dawkins, Roger Penrose, Martin Rees, Oliver Sacks, John Gribbin, and Paul Davies. Ranging from the foundation of hydrostatics in the third century B.C. to the discovery of DNAs structure in our own time, this is an accessible, thought-provoking, and fascinating account of the seminal discoveries of the past and their originators. The book also illuminates the issues with which scientists are wrestling today, poised on their forerunners shoulders to carry scientific inquiry into the next millennium. "This is an enchanting book, because it is a book produced by a clever man listening intently
Science is not, in truth, a daunting alien territory. But characteristically it seems to want to tell us the answers dogmatically, before we are sure what questions we would like to ask. On Giants Shoulders asks just those kind of questions." Lisa Jardine, The Times (London) "Nobody in the media has worked harder than Melvyn Bragg to promote science as a culture and scientists as creators. In a sea of indifference to the educational and cultural nature of science, he seems to be the only person with perception." Professor Sir Harry Kroto The Sunday Times (London)
Synopsis
On Giants' Shoulders elucidates the milestones in the history of science, focusing on twelve of the greatest minds and their extraordinary breakthroughs. From Galileo and Newton to Darwin, Freud, and Einstein, author Melvyn Bragg explores the life, work, and legacy of these remarkable people in conversations with today's leading scientists and historians, including Stephen Jay Gould, Richard Dawkins, Roger Penrose, Martin Rees, Oliver Sacks, John Gribbon, and Paul Davies. Ranging from the foundation of hydrostatics in the third century B.C. to the discovery of DNA's structure in our own time, this is an accessible and thought-provoking roundtable on the seminal scientific discoveries of the past 2,500 years.
Synopsis
Explore the twelve greatest minds in the history of science with some of todays top scientific thinkers Ranging from the foundation of hydrostatics in the third century b.c. to the discovery of DNAs structure in our own time, On Giants Shoulders is an accessible and thought-provoking round table on the seminal discoveries of science and the originators behind them.
"Well-known English journalist Melvyn Bragg presents stimulating portraits . . . [and] well-rounded evaluations of each pioneers life and influence."Publishers Weekly "What makes this book work so well is that Bragg is a fine journalist applying his skills as an outsider to blow away the pretensions and reveal some of the mechanics and motivations of what is still a remarkably closed world." New Scientist "Each life is pored over in a brief but brilliant intellectual postmortem with the help of prominent contemporary scientists. . . . Here are the paranoia, the blind alleys of research, the rivalry, and many collisions of intellectual heavyweights. . . . On Giants Shoulders holds delights for both scientist and lay person."KEVIN OSULLIVAN, Irish Times "What makes the result special is Braggs unusual relationship to his subject. His gentle probing and the selection of material address exactly the questions about science and scientists that interest outsiders."JOHN GRIBBIN, The Independent "This is an enchanting book, because it is a book produced by a clever man listening intently. . . . Science is not, in truth, a daunting alien territory. But characteristically, it seems to want to tell us the answers dogmatically, before we are sure what questions we would like to ask. On Giants Shoulders asks just those kinds of questions."LISA JARDINE, The Times (London)
About the Author
MELVYN BRAGG is an acclaimed journalist and author in England, host of the popular television interview show the South Bank Show, and of the BBC radio show Start the Week. He is the author of seventeen novels and five works of nonfiction, including biographies of Richard Burton and Laurence Olivier.
Table of Contents
Archimedes (C. 287 BC-212 BC) (L. Jardine,
et al.).
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) (M. Biagioli, et al.).
Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) (J. Gribbin, et al.).
Antoine Lavoisier (1743-1794) (P. Atkins, et al.).
Michael Faraday (1791-1867) (G. Cantor, et al.).
Charles Darwin (1809-1882) (J. Browne, et al.).
Jules Henri Poincar? (1854-1912) (J. Green, et al.).
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) (S. Greenfield, et al.).
Marie Curie (1867-1934) (F. Balibar, et al.).
Albert Einstein (1879-1955) (J. Burnell, et al.).
Francis Crick (1916-) and James Watson (1928-) (J. Watson, et al.).
Where Are We Now? (I. Aleksander, et al.).
Further Reading.
Acknowledgments.