Synopses & Reviews
The story of science is the story of people--some really interesting people--who continuously question the world around them. In the first book of her three part Story of Science Joy Hakim invites readers of all ages to meet the forebearers of modern science and share in their exciting discoveries in astronomy, math, and physics. She begins with the fascinating story of the groundbreaking thinkers of ancient Greece, including Thales, Pythagoras, Archimedes, and especially Aristotle, perhaps the greatest thinker of all time. She writes about Ptolemy, once considered the most reliable astronomer in the world, and how during the Dark Ages, Arab and Chinese thinkers preserved and advanced the achievements of the ancients. Hakim's clear and lively writing about such important medieval thinkers as Thomas Aquinas and Roger Bacon draws Book One to a close with the bold science and scientists of the Renaissance, who rebelled against the strict religious controls that had been imposed for centuries on scientific inquiry.
Synopsis
Readers will travel back in time to ancient Babylonia, Egypt, and Greece. They will meet the world's first astronomers, mathematicians, and physicists and explore the lives and ideas of such famous people as Pythagoras, Archimedes, Brahmagupta, al-Khwarizmi, Fibonacci, Ptolemy, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas. Hakim will introduce them to Aristotle—one of the greatest philosophers of all time—whose scientific ideas dominated much of the world for eighteen centuries.
In the three-book The Story of Science series, master storyteller Joy Hakim narrates the evolution of scientific thought from ancient times to the present. With lively, character-driven narrative, Hakim spotlights the achievements of some of the world's greatest scientists and encourages a similiar spirit of inquiry in readers. The books include hundreds of color photographs, charts, maps, and diagrams; informative sidebars; suggestions for further reading; and excerpts from the writings of great scientists.
About the Author
Author of the prize-winning series A History of US, Joy Hakim is the recipient of the James Michener Award in Writing and the Gold and Silver Parents' Choice Awards in Writing.