Scientific Revolution: A Very Short Introduction 1st Edition

by Lawrence M. Principe (Author)

71 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0199567416

ISBN-10: 0199567417

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The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries witnessed such fervent investigations of the natural world that the period has been called the "Scientific Revolution." New ideas and discoveries not only redefined what human beings believed, knew, and could do, but also forced them to redefine
themselves with respect to the strange new worlds revealed by ships and scalpels, telescopes and microscopes, experimentation and contemplation. Explanatory systems were made, discarded, and remade by some of the best-known names in the entire history of science--Copernicus, Galileo, Newton--and by
many others less recognized but no less important. In this Very Short Introduction Lawrence M. Principe explores the exciting developments in the sciences of the stars (astronomy, astrology, and cosmology), the sciences of earth (geography, geology, hydraulics, pneumatics), the sciences of matter
and motion (alchemy, chemistry, kinematics, physics), the sciences of life (medicine, anatomy, biology, zoology), and much more. The story is told from the perspective of the historical characters themselves, emphasizing their background, context, reasoning, and motivations, and dispelling well-worn
myths about the history of science.

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very short introducations, introductions, comprehensive

very short introductions, VSI, key features, concise, exper authors, analysis, grow your knowledge

Very Short Introductions, reviews, praise

About the Author

Lawrence M. Principe is Drew Professor of the Humanities, in the Department of the History of Science and Technology, Johns Hopkins University.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 1st edition (May 19, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 168 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199567417
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199567416
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.9 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.5 x 4.4 x 6.8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #158,371 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #501 in History (Books)
- #829 in History & Philosophy of Science (Books)
- #1,436 in Science & Mathematics

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IleftmyheartinTennessee

love the very short introductions

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2020

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Lawrence M. Principe writes that "both continuity and change, innovation and tradition characterize early modern natural philosophy." The revolution in science was also a continuation of the Aristotle and others being the first true breakthroughs. Where did it begin? Why Ancient Greece of course. But this book is about the Middle Ages and its "innovations." The revolution was the formation of chemistry and astronomy and anatomy and physiology. Yet the old would not fall so quickly until it was revised into pseudoscientific theological concepts such as a watch maker or a trinity with the sun included. Secularism was not yet seen as the enlightened project yet. Science was a part of the natural theological world and not against it. Not what would later become the poison of mechanical creationism that evolution is. But chemistry was not yet breaking down medicines like modern pharmacology and still enjoyed the botanical as medicinal with flowers and herbs used for treating illnesses and indigenous adoption of remedies.

2 people found this helpful

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Keith W. Oschman

Excellent book--Recommended for everyone interested in science

Reviewed in the United States on January 6, 2012

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Taking it chapter by chapter:

Chapter One: New worlds and old worlds;
the Renaissance, the university, the importance of printing (including the new ability to reproduce images and diagrams--very important to science), voyages of discovery, and changes in Christianity

Chapter Two: the connected world;
This chapter was the most interesting to me, since it helped me understand what these pioneer scientists were thinking, what they meant by "natural magic" (NOT Harry Potter!), why they studied nature at all (keeping in mind that far older and sophisticated civilizations such as India and China did very little study of nature), and their religious motives.

Principe bravely corrects some popular mythology about the relationship of science and religion. "The notion that scientific study, modern or otherwise, requires an atheistic...viewpoint is a 20th century myth...Many people today acquiesce in the widespread myth, devised in the late 19th century, of an epic battle between `scientists" and `religionists'....this `conflict' model has been rejected by every modern historian of science; it does not portray the historical situation." (pp. 36-37)

Chapter Three: the superlunar world;
How the early scientists moved from Ptolemy to Copernicus, from astrology to astronomy, and the historical Galileo without all the mythology. "There is no episode in the history of science more subject to mythologizing and misunderstanding than `Galileo and the Church.' (p. 61)

Chapter Four: the microcosm and the living world;
Medicine and biology

Chapter Six: building a world of science;
Technology and science societies

Principe manages to pack a lot of concepts in just 135 pages, but he is quite readable, making difficult concepts easier to understand (unlike all too many professors that I have had that boosted their egos by making the material harder to understand). Far from a dull and dry history, Principe makes the science pioneers come alive without sacrificing historical accuracy, and left this reader with a far better understanding of how science is done.

I found particularity interesting why theses pioneers thought--quite logically it turns out based on what they then knew--that things like alchemy and astrology made good sense; these were not wild, stupid, or superstitious people.

All in all, Principe's book is an excellent and readable introduction to the history of the beginnings of modern science.

17 people found this helpful

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David MilliernTop Contributor: Chess

A Unique Historical Introduction to the Subject

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2012

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This book on the Scientific Revolution is exactly what is great about the Oxford Press's "Very Short Introduction" series. What I mean is that it is so incredibly unique in its approach to the subject matter that the book is worth owning and coming back to. When one encounters a book on the Scientific Revolution, he or she expects tons of the same old, trite "such and such" about Copernicus. Instead, Principe starts the reader off with a taste of what was going on before the often-erroneously-thought-to-be instantaneous event, and, in so doing, exhibits the numerous changes that were occurring in every pre-modern science, such as early medicine, alchemy, and so on. What Principe develops for the readership is an image of an evolving set of inquiries, and a contextual (first glance) understanding of the relevant methodologies and their changes. In effect, Principe constructs a panorama.

Be forewarned that this book is primarily historical in its approach, which is neither good nor bad in-itself, but I realize that many, such as myself, would be interested in this point, beforehand. All in all, this book serves as a great leaping-off point for those who are developing an interest in early modern history of science, and especially for those who seek to be well rounded, simply seeking a fabulous introduction to a sometimes complicated subject matter.

I universally recommend this book, as it may even interest many readers who are already familiar with this material, just because of how incredibly structured the book is and how enjoyable a read it is.

15 people found this helpful

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Thomas Bengtson

Background & Revolution

Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2011

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Principe claims that "Understanding the Scientific Revolution requires understanding first its background in the Middle Ages and Renaissance." This book is devoted to exactly that, with a large part of the book devoted to the views people had before the Scientific Revolution. Principe then notes how the Scientific Revolution changed those views, without getting overly specific about the scientific accomplishments themselves. (How could he in a book this short?) As Principe says, "It is easy to make the development of science too abstract and cerebral, and to forget that it is often drive by pressing and very practical concerns."
The target audience for this book probably doesn't include typical American high school students, although the brighter ones will certainly find it accessible. An average college undergraduate should manage alright with a bit of work and maybe some guidance. Very highly recommended!

12 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer

Not what it says on the tin!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 3, 2018

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This is not the story of the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century's exciting discoveries, as expected. It is more a general history of science from Aristotle onwards, and more about its philosophy than its achievements. It is full of long invented words and even longer sentences, so full of foggy academia. Inaccurate too, as epicyclic gears are attributed to Plato, whereas they were used by Archimedes in his Anti-Kythera mechanism some 400 years earlier!

Stephen

a distinguished, reasoned account

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 11, 2011

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The subject is the evolution of scientific thought and practice from about 1500 to 1700. A lot happened in that time, and what this book does so well, and in a short space, is to place it all in the intellectual tradition from which modern science developed. This is not a dry catalogue of new discoveries and biographies of those who made them; it is a reasoned account of where science started from, in particular its Aristotelian inheritance, and the advances that were made, often in the face of entrenched cultural attitudes involving religion, alchemy and what we might now call superstition. But the author is careful not to apply hindsight, and does not patronise his subjects. For someone so expert in the field to synthesise in this way is quite an achievement.

This is a distinguished little book. The writing is occasionally a bit turgid, and there are one or two typos, but it can be strongly recommended.

8 people found this helpful

Mark

A wonderfully enlightening book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 23, 2012

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If you have any interest in science, then this short little book should be in your collection. Professor Principe is an extremely knowledgable expert on the history of science and has a very easy-to-read style that is highly educational. His enthusiasm for the subject matter comes across exceptionally well and I found page after page of interesting background information to key scientific ideas. Science can be a bit dry sometimes when all you learn is theory and equations, this book helps to redress the balance by adding the human touch. I really can't praise it enough.

4 people found this helpful

Fulk Nerra

It does a fine job of taking you into the past so you ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 19, 2015

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Highest quality precis of the research. Worth the attention of anyone interested in how our world came to be revolutionised by science and technology. It does a fine job of taking you into the past so you can empathise with what is now a very alien mind set of the pre-scientific era.

Emily

... history of science Masters module - it provides an excellent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 22, 2018

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I used this for a history of science Masters module - it provides an excellent overview

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Scientific Revolution: A Very Short Introduction 1st Edition

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