To Light Such a Candle: Chapters in the History of Science and Technology [Hardcover]

Keith J. Laidler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 19, 1998

In To light such a candle, renowned chemist and science historian Keith Laidler examines the progress of science and technology over the centuries, tracing the often separate paths of these pursuits, showing how they have ultimately worked together to transform everyday life. Faraday's pure research on electricity, for example, had immense technological implications, while Maxwell's theory of electromagnetic radiation led directly to the discovery of radio transmission, something of which Maxwell himself had no conception. Conversely, the early steam engines were by no means science-based, but they led directly to the science of thermodynamics, one of the most fundamental branches of pure science. Illuminated by many fascinating stories from the history of science, this book provides a powerful argument for the relevance of pure research, and gives the general reader and scientist alike an idea of the nature and importance of the links between science and technology.

Editorial Reviews

Review

`The format of the book is attractive, and its argument provides a fairly accessible ... introductory exposition of topics in the history of science. But given the fairly technical level of the text, it is likely to appeal to scientists rather than to the nonscientists whose confusion about the relationship between science and technology the author has sought to clarify.' Nature

About the Author

Keith Laidler is Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at the University of Ottawa. He is the author of the award-winning The World of Physical Chemistry (OUP, 1993).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (February 19, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198500564
• ISBN-13: 978-0198500568
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,422,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.