Revolutionizing the Sciences: European Knowledge and Its Ambitions, 1500-1700 - Second Edition

By Peter Dear

Book Overview

From Copernicus, who put the earth in orbit around the sun, to Isaac Newton, who gave the world universal gravitation, the Scientific Revolution of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries transformed the way Europeans understood their world. In this book, Peter Dear offers an accessible introduction to the origins of modern science for students and general readers. This second edition further explores the practice and influence of alchemy, the social standing of early scientists, and the role of medicine and medical practitioners. Provides a comprehensive overview of principal themes and topics Discusses central figures, including Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, and Newton, and describes the world in which they lived--and the new world they helped create Features a rich variety of illustrations, a glossary of terms, and a list of further reading

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0691142068
• ISBN13: 9780691142067
• Release Date: July 2009
• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

very good for purpose

This book is quite short for the topic. However, its purpose is to familiarize one with the scientific revolution. It does a good job pointing out the system of thought prior to the Scientific Revolution and how it evolved up to Newton. The book is perfect for an upper division course on the scientific revolution. However, due to the concise nature of the book, it should be used as a general background to the era or movement--which it is for the course I am taking. Dear spent some time addressing most key figures during the era, and produced a good starting text for those who do not have any background on the topic. It is well written and easily read. I would suggest this text to all history majors, and also to those who are interested in the scientific revolution.