The Rise of Experimental Biology: An Illustrated History [Hardcover]

Peter L. Lutz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2002

Peter Lutz, PhD, brilliantly traverses the major milestones along the evolutionary path of biomedicine from earliest recorded times to the dawn of the 20th century. With an engaging narrative that will have you turning "just one more page" well into the night, this book revealingly demonstrates just how the modern scientific method has been shaped by the past. Along the way the reader is treated to some delightfully obscure anecdotes and a treasure trove of rich illustrations that chronicle the tortuous history of biomedical developments, ranging from the bizarre and amusing to the downright macabre. The reader will also be introduced to the major ideas shaping contemporary physiology and the social context of its development, and also gain an understanding of how advances in biological science have occasionally been improperly used to satisfy momentary social or political needs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Foreword by Robert Boutilier, PhD, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK "This is a book that will entertain as well as inform a broad audience, from natural philosophers to experimental biologists to medical scientists...[It] is a celebration of the intellectual evolution of the science of physiology and medicine as well as being a socially conscious reminder of our privileged place in nature. I commend it to you." -Bob Boutilier, PhD, Cambridge University "a highly readable and attractive book that is both informative and entertaining. . .In relatively short, pithy, and generously-illustrated chapters, Lutz tells the story of biological discovery from the prehistoric cave painters and their intriguing and naturalistic portrayals of their prey animals, on through the major contributions by the Mesopotamians, the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Arab world, and the European periods from the Middle Ages, to the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and into the modern era. His account makes clear that the growth of biological knowledge was by no means a smooth progression, but rather a highly erratic one that advanced rapidly at certain times and then stagnated or regressed as societies favored orthodoxy or mysticism over curiosity and rationality. The book does an excellent job in tracing the development of ideas, and introducing us to the remarkable individuals who were the scientific giants of their times. An appropriate addition on the office bookshelf or for the home library, it is a volume that can be savored in small chapter-sized bites or devoured by an avid reader in a single sitting. Some may simply wish to leaf through and enjoy the illustrations. However it is read, it is a most valuable contribution and both an accessible and timely introduction to the history of biology."-Journal for Experimental BiologyR>

From the Back Cover

For more than three thousand years our physiological and medical knowledge has developed from the simple reading of entrails to the computerized decoding of the human genome. In The Rise of Experimental Biology: An Illustrated History, Peter Lutz, PhD, brilliantly traverses the major milestones along the evolutionary path of biomedicine from earliest recorded times to the dawn of the 20th century. With an engaging narrative that will have you turning "just one more page" well into the night, this book revealingly demonstrates just how the modern scientific method has been shaped by the past. Along the way the reader is treated to some delightfully entertaining anecdotes and a treasure trove of illustrations that chronicle the tortuous history of biomedical developments, ranging from the bizarre and amusing to the downright macabre. The reader will also be introduced to the major ideas shaping contemporary experimental biology, as well as their social context, and also learn how advances in their understanding have occasionally been improperly used to satisfy momentary social or political needs. Accessibly written and richly pictorial, The Rise of Experimental Biology: An Illustrated History will entertain as well as inform a broad audience of not only experimental biologists, medical scientists, and natural philosophers, but also everyone interested in history and medicine today.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Humana Press; 1st edition (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0896038351
• ISBN-13: 978-0896038356
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,865,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exploring what shaped our sciences, November 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rise of Experimental Biology: An Illustrated History (Hardcover)

It was a pleasure to find such great breadth and depth in The Rise of Experimental Biology: An Illustrated History by Peter L. Lutz. The work takes the reader from prehistory and the first hints of descriptive biology, through the various schools of thought and inquiry that still shape many of our ideas today. Lutz's approach and explanations guide the novice through centuries of prevailing ideas, each of which had its own consequences to both progress in science and culture. Lutz describes clearly and cleverly how the history of science, and particularly experimental biology have been colored by the religious environments of different times, fears, limited education, language, politics, the power of individuals, and in some cases luck. His syntheses are truly fascinating and will appeal to the layman with an interest in history of thought to professional scientists and philosophers. This book is a first rate piece of work and a delight to read.

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!!!!, August 13, 2002

By 

Billy Thompson (Miami, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rise of Experimental Biology: An Illustrated History (Hardcover)

The Rise of Experimental Biology: An Illustrated History, is an entertaining and fascinating read for both scientist and nonscientist alike. In this richly illustrated book, Peter Lutz PhD, eloquently and humorously traverses the development of modern experimental physiology and medicine. Starting with the use of mythological and magical explanation for natural phenomena, the reader is taken through the triumphs, failures, and down right bizarre experiments and reasoning which has laid the foundation for the medical breakthroughs occurring today.