The Ascent of Science

By Brian L. Silver

Book Overview

From the revolutionary discoveries of Galileo and Newton to the mind-bending theories of Einstein and Heisenberg, from plate tectonics to particle physics, from the origin of life to universal entropy, and from biology to cosmology, here is a sweeping, readable, and dynamic account of the whole of Western science. In the readable manner and method of Stephen Jay Gould and Carl Sagan, the late Brian L. Silver translates our most important, and often most obscure, scientific developments into a vernacular that is not only accessible and illuminating but also enjoyable. Silver makes his comprehensive case with much clarity and insight; he locates science as the apex of human reason, and reason as our best path to the truth. For all readers curious about--and especially those perhaps intimidated by--what Silver calls "the scientific campaign up to now" in his Preface, The Ascent of Science will be fresh, vivid, and fascinating reading.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195116992
• ISBN13: 9780195116991
• Release Date: February 1998
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 552 Pages
• Weight: 2.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 1.7" x 7.0"

Customer Reviews

A Treasure

This is a wonderful book. I have read it twice, and enjoyed it immensely each time. I am sure I will read it again. This book was written to explain the entire spectrum of science to the man in the street, but the author does it so well, and so cleverly, and in such a pleasing manner, that it can be enjoyed by readers with a scientific or engineering background who are already familiar with its central ideas.The originality of its explanations reveal an author with great insight into the workings of Nature. I know of no other book of this kind that is so well done. The charming and light-hearted manner of the writing is a further plus.This is a book you keep forever.

Much needed overview; often sparkling, and often succeeds !

This is a beautifully written, entertaining, and educational tour of the history of ideas of modern science. It seems to have been a serious attempt to provide a single relatively encyclopedic overview of the concepts central to our modern exploration of nature, in a cohesive intellectual framework, and thus tell "the story of science." In an ending chapter called "What the Devil Does It All Mean ?" the author remarks, "Most of the main concepts of modern science are familiar to the man in the street as the language of the Aztecs." In an age when it is becoming more important than ever to be making informed decisions about our most powerful tools and how they are to be used, scientific ignorance is surprisingly the rule, and attitudes toward science are in general rarely either balanced or informed. Silver addreses this book to the education of "HMS," his abbreviation throughout for "l'homme moyen sensuel," or "the sensual average man," the usual person-in-the-street, but with their hormones and passions intact. As Silver describes his intended audience, they are curious, but remember little or nothing of the math and science they learned in school. They are suspicious of jargon, are worried about the future of the planet, are more streetwise than the average scientist, and may enjoy a glass of single-malt whiskey at the end of the day.This is a truly excellent book introducing modern science, in a very gut-level way, in its dual role as both a compendium of cultural knowledge and a powerful philosophy of nature. Silver is a superb writer and covers a lot of relevant intellectual history in a very readable and entertaining way. As the Kirkus Review aptly put it, the author speaks with a confident air about most topics, but rarely seems arrogant. The result is a tone that most often leaves you feeling informed adn hungry for more rather than confused or intimidated.Some of the chapters, such as those on philosophy of science, fairly sparkle with simplicity and brilliance in making very complex ideas and their authors accessible for the general reader. Others, like the story of the eccentric musings of geneticist J.B.S. Haldane one day in his office, lend a certain air of reality to the theorists and their ideas to balance the usual reverence afforded them. The author is also generous with examples of the relevant views of cultural figures like the poets Alfred Tennyson and Matthew Arnold, and how they responded to the ideas in the theory of evolution and its implications for religion. The author concludes his section, "The Descent of Man" by saying, "We have evolved from the living world, and one of the gifts that Darwin gave us was to place us in that world, not as conquerors with spoils but as inheritors with responsibilities."This is a book that can help virtually any non-specialist appreciate what the deal is with science and why it is held with such reverence in most of the modern world. The major scientific ideas aren't merely

I can't imagine anyone doing better!

Mr. Silver's book is a history of the key discoveries in science. Filled with humor and humanity, it entertains as it educates. I'm not kidding about the humor - sometimes I laughed until it hurt!Who would I reccommend this book to? Well, everybody! A reader with a strong scientific background will find it a useful reference, full of names, dates, and figures. Readers who didn't pay that much attention in school will finish each chapter of the book by saying "so THAT'S how scientists know that!"From the fun footnotes about the little-known quirky habits of some famous scientists, to the easy to understand explanations of terminology, to the fair and equitable arguments about the ethics of applied science today, there's a real treasure of knowledge between the covers.Trust me, READ THIS BOOK.

An excellent review of science history to be enjoyed by all!

I have a personal interest in reading scientific historicals. The true gift of this book's author is his ability to package a great deal of information in each of his well designed chapters. Not only is the factual material easy to read, but the historical and biographical accents peppered thoroughout the book are an added bonus. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the legancy of western science. Those without formal scientific training should not shy away from this book, for there is an abundance of learning to be had by all through reading this wonderful text!