A Science Odyssey: 100 Years of Discovery (The Companion Book to the PBS Series) [Hardcover]

Charles Flowers (Author), Charles Kuralt (Introduction), Charles Osgood (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 17, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0688151965 | ISBN-13: 978-0688151966 | Edition: 1st

Flowers explores the sweeping changes that h ave revolutionised both our lives and our thinking in techno logy, physics, biology, astronomy, earth science, chemistry, paleoanthropology, public health and the behavioural scienc es in the 20th century. '

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This book's purpose is to serve as a companion to the PBS series of the same name, but since it was reviewed before the airing of the series this month, it is impossible to ascertain whether it fulfills its purpose. However, it can clearly stand on its own merits. Freelance writer Flowers discusses five major areas of discovery: physics and astronomy, technology, origins, medicine, and human behavior. In each area, he examines the major discoveries of the last 100 years by looking at the discovery, the scientists involved, and its effects on society. An introduction by Charles Osgood, host of the PBS series, is included, along with numerous illustrations. This highly recommended tome obviously belongs in all libraries as a solid history of science. If the PBS series is half as good as the book, the videos will be worth acquiring as well. (Index not seen.)?Wilfred Drew, SUNY at Morrisville Coll. Lib.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

This companion volume to an upcoming PBS series (to begin airing in January) offers a swiftly paced survey of many of the major scientific discoveries made over the past hundred years, including the evolution of modern physics and cosmology, the emergence of the revolutionary theory of plate tectonics, the development of airplanes, the exploration of space, and the long medical struggle to understand and control such ravaging diseases as polio, diabetes, and pellagra. This is certainly not fresh terrain, but Flowers offers particularly lucid and enthusiastic descriptions of the trial-and-error scientific process, and he sets his narrative of repeated failures leading up to extraordinary breakthroughs firmly within the larger frame of society and technological change, reminding the reader that science has always emerged out of a society and been shaped by that society's needs and expectations. A lively collection of vignettes. Those needing a detailed history, however, should certainly look elsewhere. (60 color, 90 b&w photos, not seen) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 316 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (December 17, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688151965
• ISBN-13: 978-0688151966
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,548,142 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging, January 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Science Odyssey: 100 Years of Discovery (The Companion Book to the PBS Series) (Hardcover)

A highly engaging chronicle of discovery. I once heard someone say that the interesting thing about science is that it was thought of by PEOPLE, and the author does a masterful job of communicating the excitement and personal intellectual challenge of science to the lay reader.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful experience reading this text, August 30, 2007

By 

Tanis "Tanis Yvonne Somerville" (Seahurst, Washington) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Science Odyssey: 100 Years of Discovery (The Companion Book to the PBS Series) (Hardcover)

The most sweeping and startling scientific changes in human history have occurred during the past one hundred years. From the first Wright Flyer to Mars landings, from penicillin to organ transplants, from the telegraph to the vast realm of cyberspace, this book is just that: a voyage of discovery that reveals mysteries of outer space and the natural world, as as human inventions and ideas scarcely imaginable to our grandparents. The text helps me understand and appreciate the accelerating impact of scientific knowledge today and into the next century.
In five chapters, Flowers shows that science is a human endeavor that can't be separated from its historical, cultural, and social contexts.
The book is filled with stories, personalities, and astonishing discoveries that continually redefine scientific frontiers.

Chapters:
*Mysteries of the Universe
*Bigger, faster, better
*More Ancient, less stable
*Matters of life and death (medicine)
*In search of ourselves (human behavior)

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good book followup on PBS show..., November 3, 2005

By 

K. L Sadler "Dr. Karen L. Sadler" (Freedom, Pa. USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Science Odyssey: 100 Years of Discovery (The Companion Book to the PBS Series) (Hardcover)

I found this in the library by accident, and now hopefully I can find the video and it is closed-captioned! Probably wishful thinking on my part, but I'll look.

The book and the science presented is interesting, both in the way it is presented and the pictures in the book. The author of the book actually presented a few of the physics theories in such a way, that it made more sense than the many physics books I have read. I also liked the information of the people, the time they lived in, why some thought a certain way, while others were more open-minded. That has not changed that much in a hundred years.

I just finished reading my grandmother's story of her life. She lived to be 97, and it was astonishing to me how much had changed. Then I think back over my life, and things like ATMS and computers at home that allow me ready access to information and books at any time of the day, and I realize the fast expansion of knowledge continues to outpace our ability to appreciate it.

The only problem I had with this book is the fact that it mentions and obviously uses a lot of other people's books and manuscripts, but there is no references or acknowledgements of their work. That's an awful big mistake for PBS to make. They acknowledge the photography and artwork, but they should have included the written works too.

Karen SAdler
Science Education and Bioethics