
Scientifica Historica
How the world's great science books chart the history of knowledge
Brian Clegg(Author)
Ivy Press
Published on 1. October 2019
Book
Hardback
272 pages
978-1-78240-878-9 (ISBN)
Description
Scientifica Historica is an illustrated, accessible review of those books that marked the development of science from ancient civilizations to the new millennium.
The book is divided into five eras and explores the leading scientific pioneers, discoveries and books within them:
Ancient World - looks at the beginnings of language, plus the first ever scientific documents produced and translated
Renaissance in Print - explores the effects of the invention of the printing press and the exploration of the seas and skies
Modern Classical - surveys the nineteenth century and the development of science as a profession
Post-Classical - dissects the twentieth century and the introduction of relativity, quantum theory and genetics
The Next Generation - reviews the period from 1980 to the modern day, showing how science has become accessible to the general public
Plus an introduction to the history and development of writing and books in general, and a list of the 150 greatest science books published.
From carvings and scrolls to glossy bound tomes, this book beautifully illustrates the evolution of scientific communication to the world. By recounting the history of science via its key works - those books written by the keenest minds our world has known - this book reflects the physical results of brilliant thought manifested in titles that literally changed the course of knowledge.
The book is divided into five eras and explores the leading scientific pioneers, discoveries and books within them:
Ancient World - looks at the beginnings of language, plus the first ever scientific documents produced and translated
Renaissance in Print - explores the effects of the invention of the printing press and the exploration of the seas and skies
Modern Classical - surveys the nineteenth century and the development of science as a profession
Post-Classical - dissects the twentieth century and the introduction of relativity, quantum theory and genetics
The Next Generation - reviews the period from 1980 to the modern day, showing how science has become accessible to the general public
Plus an introduction to the history and development of writing and books in general, and a list of the 150 greatest science books published.
From carvings and scrolls to glossy bound tomes, this book beautifully illustrates the evolution of scientific communication to the world. By recounting the history of science via its key works - those books written by the keenest minds our world has known - this book reflects the physical results of brilliant thought manifested in titles that literally changed the course of knowledge.
Reviews / Votes
"This book is simply visually brilliant." * RightReading.com *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Quarto Publishing PLC
Illustrations
320 color photos
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 196 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-78240-878-9 (9781782408789)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
10/2019
Ivy Press
€34.49
Available for download
Person
Brian Clegg read Natural Sciences, focusing on experimental physics, at Cambridge University. After developing hi-tech solutions for British Airways, he formed a creative consultancy advising clients ranging from the BBC to the Met Office. He has written for numerous publications including Nature, the Times, the Wall Street Journal, and has lectured at Oxford and Cambridge universities and the Royal Institution. He is editor of the book review site www.popularscience.co.uk, and his publications include A Brief History of Infinity and How to Build a Time Machine.
Content
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 6
1 ANCIENT WORLD
LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS 22
2 RENAISSANCE IN PRINT
THE REVOLUTION IN BOOKS 74
3 MODERN CLASSICAL
VICTORIAN STABILITY 140
4 POST-CLASSICAL
THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN 192
5 THE NEXT GENERATION
TRANSFORMING UNDERSTANDING 230
BIBLIOGRAPHY 258
INDEX 266
PICTURE CREDITS 270
ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 272
INTRODUCTION 6
1 ANCIENT WORLD
LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS 22
2 RENAISSANCE IN PRINT
THE REVOLUTION IN BOOKS 74
3 MODERN CLASSICAL
VICTORIAN STABILITY 140
4 POST-CLASSICAL
THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN 192
5 THE NEXT GENERATION
TRANSFORMING UNDERSTANDING 230
BIBLIOGRAPHY 258
INDEX 266
PICTURE CREDITS 270
ABOUT THE AUTHOR/ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 272