The Ascent of Man [Paperback]

Jacob Bronowski (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0316109339 | ISBN-13: 978-0316109338 | Publication Date: August 1976

Lauded by critics and devoured by countless readers as a companion to the acclaimed PBS series, this work traces the development of science as an expression of the special gifts that characterize man and make him preeminent among animals. Bronowski's exciting, splendidly illustrated investigation offers a new perspective not just on science, but on civilization itself. Photographs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A great book... it taught me a huge amount about mixing history and science."
—Simon Singh --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

DR. JACOB BRONOWSKI was born in Poland in 1908 and died in 1974. His family settled in Britain and he was educated at Cambridge University. He was distinguished not only as a scientist but also as the author of books and broadcasts on the arts, and was an honorary Fellow of Jesus College, Cambridge. Dr. Bronowski lived and worked in America from 1964, as a Senior Fellow and Director of the Council for Biology in Human Affairs. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown & Co (P) (August 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316109339
• ISBN-13: 978-0316109338
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #156,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Evolution of knowledge, October 24, 2002

By 

Enrique Torres "Rico" (San Diegotitlan, Califas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Ascent of Man (Paperback)

One of my all time favorite books from college that is definitely a keeper and still relevent after all these years. If you read each chapter and view the corresponding video text it produce sa truly amazing insight into the development of mankinds knowledge. Similiar in style to "Connections" it is quite possibly more engrossing. The book is a fascinating journey , written in a style that illuminates the darkest and distant passages of time with lucidity and foresight. My personal favorite chapter(6) was The Starry Messenger which was eventually about(like knowledge Bronowski builds on the past) Galileo and his relationship with the Catholic Church as a result of his theories.I love this book and the understanding it gave me to subjects I felt less than interested in. This book has the power to make even the most abstract and esoteric theories interesting. A beautiful book that puts all the knowledge of the past into perspective in an entertaining manner that can lead a young mind into areas of interest they may never have persued. The book is also full of richly detailed photographs, full color prints and other visual aids that further explain the topic duscussed.I would recommened this book for any young student in high school or approaching college who is even remotely interested in the connections between science and the evolution of mankind. A great gift idea for that budding scientist or historian on your list.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding and Important Book, April 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ascent of Man (Paperback)

Jacob Bronowski was a genuine Renaissance man. This, his most famous book, looks at the history of science from the perspective of Bronowski's deep, humanist philosophy. Bronowski--along with C.P. Snow--saw art and science as two aspects of the same human enterprise: that of understanding the world and expressing that world in human terms. Here Bronowski shows those connections: why Mendeleev's periodic table was part of "the greatest collective work of art" in history--that is, physics; why the Watts Towers of Los Angeles are like the molecules in a copper wire. THE ASCENT OF MAN is a symphony for which SCIENCE AND HUMAN VALUES was merely a prelude. An outstanding, and vitally important book. "I am infinitely saddened," Bronowski writes, "to find myself suddenly surrounded in the West by a terrible loss of nerve." We must not turn our backs on science--we must finally discover it. One of those writers whose every page contains a brilliant idea, Bronowksi is well worth reading. See also SCIENCE AND HUMAN VALUES, THE IDENTITY OF MAN, THE VISIONARY EYE, and my favorite, A SENSE OF THE FUTURE.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On the human aspect and impact of the quest for knowledge, July 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ascent of Man (Paperback)

I grew in my teens watching, rerun after rerun, Jacob Bronowski's TV series "The Ascent of Man", from which I took my love for science; science as a very human activity, beautifully described by Mr Bronowski, and his words have well resisted the test of time as I read this book based on the series, and which I inevitably lend to anyone I know who have a thirst for the adventure of knowledge.