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This book contains the diary he kept from 1939 until 1945, recording work in the laboratories and his own wider role in the planning and organisation of the scientific war effort, against the background of the progress of the war problems of members of his staff. A recurring theme is the development and production in the laboratories of more than 300,000 thermionic valves of 45 new types.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology is one of the world's leading professional societies for the engineering and technology community. The IET publishes more than 100 new titles every year; a rich mix of books, journals and magazines with a back catalogue of more than 350 books in 18 different subject areas including:

-Power & Energy
-Renewable Energy
-Radar, Sonar & Navigation
-Electromagnetics
-Electrical Measurement
-History of Technology
-Technology Management
... Read more

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Described as "a harmonious human multitude," Ben Franklin's life and careers were so varied and successful that he remains, even today, the epitome of the self-made man. Born into a humble tradesman's family, this adaptable genius rose to become an architect of the world's first democracy, a leading light in Enlightenment science, and a major creator of what has come to be known as the American character. Journalist, musician, politician, scientist, humorist, inventor, civic leader, printer, writer, publisher, businessman, founding father, philosopher—a genius in all fields and a bit of a magician in some.

Volume 3 begins in the year 1748, when Franklin was known in Pennsylvania as clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly and in the Middle Colonies as the printer and editor of Poor Richard's Almanac and the Pennsylvania Gazette, the best-known colonial publications. By the middle of 1757, where this volume leaves off, he had become famous in Pennsylvania as a public-spirited citizen and soldier in the conflicts of the Seven Years' War; well known throughout America as a writer, politician, and the most important theorist and patriot of the American empire; and renowned in the western world as a natural philosopher. This volume tells the story of that transformation.

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For many of us, the concerns of religion do not seem to count for much until later in life. We are too busy maturing both physically and mentally. As young adults, getting started with a career and at some point finding a life companion preoccupy us. It may be only when we are thirty or forty that we discover the importance of a spiritual link in our lives that can make a major difference in all that we set out to do.

So, although I began writing this as a rather long letter to my grandchildren, I realized when I had finished it that it might not have meaning for them for several more decades. With that in mind, I have tried to describe my own religious pilgrimage in terms that may be helpful to those of any age. And it is a pilgrimage. Although I am a student of Christian Science, my own vision, or understanding, of spiritual reality continues to evolve.

In the first two chapters I explain the important influence of my religious parents and the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson. Then, after the four sections dealing with concepts of God, Jesus, and something about the significance of the Hebrew Scriptures, I jump to modern times and another American philosopher, William James, who came at the end of the nineteenth century. James has been important to me for at least three reasons. First, like Emerson, his style is engaging. This is most easily recognized in The Varieties of Religious Experience. There is an old canard that claims James wrote philosophy like a novelist, while his brother Henry, the novelist, wrote novels like a philosopher. The Varieties tells of religious experience in terms of real people. Second, and more important, James recognized the validity of some forms of spiritual healing. At the very least, he recognized the ability of religious faith to revitalize lives. Finally, I am impressed by his regard for his own conviction and the courage to act on conviction.

This is what led me to include a chapter on the German theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Of course one could choose a myriad of individuals who have given their all, as he did, for their convictions. But my generation grew up during the Nazi period and World War II. Those years have formed the background to our entire adult lives to this day, and trying to understand how a civilized country like Ger-many was even partially seduced by Hitler has always intrigued me. So the story of Bonhoeffer finds its way into the otherwise very American approach to religion. He was a man, as I say, of whom James would have been proud.

The final four chapters all seemed necessary to me because of the times in which we live. Relating to other religions would not have been a serious topic for most people a century, or even two generations, ago. Today, instead of having come through a century that would make all the world the "Christian Century," as the magazine was called, we have entered a multipolar religious world. It is not the diabolical misuses to which some Muslims have put their own religion that concerns me here. Rather, there is a need for genuine appreciation for the faiths that have nurtured and continue to nurture the lives of millions of their adher-ents, as well as a need to think about how we relate this appreciation to our own religious beliefs and practice.

I address the issue of whether one can develop a spiritual life alone. There are huge differences among church congregations in the United States today. They range from megachurches with several thousand members to small groups of ten or fifteen. Even when we acknowledge the need to meet as people engaged on a similar journey, the ways in which we do that can be vastly different. Church needs to be mutually supportive, and at its best, it is. But it is also on occasion divisive or competitive, which is why there are individuals who prefer to get their church on television or not participate at all.

Finally, how can one progress in developing a sense of God's presence, which to me is what religio ... Read more

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The recent discovery of an archive full of personal documents of the philosopher and biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy, founder of the General System Theory, paved the way for a reconsideration of important elements concerning his life and thought. This updated biography of a thinker, who is equally often cited as misjudged, takes into consideration all of his publications, his correspondence, as well as the secondary sources devoted to him, and attempts to reveal his richness and complexity to a general reader. This biography thus aims at initiating and promoting a study that is both critical and appreciative of his oeuvre. It equally seeks to navigate between two all too common pitfalls found in connection with von Bertalanffy: hagiographic temptation and reductive judgements, which are often ideologically motivated. ... Read more

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Considered one of the greatest scientists in history, Gregor Mendel was the first person to map the characteristics of a living thing’s successive generations, thus forming the foundation of modern genetic science. In Gregor Mendel, distinguished novelist and biologist Simon Mawer outlines Mendel’s groundbreaking research and traces his intellectual legacy from his discoveries in the mid-19th century to the present.

In an engaging narrative enhanced by beautiful illustrations, Mawer details Mendel’s life and work, from his experimentation with garden peas through his subsequent findings about heredity and genetic traits. Mawer also highlights the scientific work built on Mendel’s breakthroughs, including the discovery of the DNA molecule by scientists Watson and Crick in the 1950s, the completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003, and the advances in genetics that continue today. ... Read more

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In How the Laser Happened, Nobel laureate Charles Townes provides a highly personal look at some of the leading events in twentieth-century physics. Townes was inventor of the maser, of which the laser is one example; an originator of spectroscopy using microwaves; and a pioneer in the study of gas clouds in galaxies and around stars. Throughout his career he has also been deeply engaged with issues outside of academic research. He worked on applied research projects for Bell Labs; served on the board of directors for General Motors; and devoted extensive effort to advising the government on science, policy, and defense. This memoir traces his multifaceted career from its beginnings on the family farm in South Carolina. Spanning decades of ground-breaking research, the book provides a hands-on description of how working scientists and inventors get their ideas. It also gives a behind-the-scenes look at the scientific community, showing how scientists respond to new ideas and how they approach a variety of issues, from priority and patents to the social and political implications of their work. In addition, Townes touches on the sociology of science, uncovering some of the traditions and values that are invisible to an outsider.A towering and energetic figure, Townes has explored or pioneered most of the roles available to the modern scientist. In addition to fundamental research, he was actively involved in the practical uses of the laser and in the court cases to defend the patent rights. He was a founding member of the Jasons, an influential group of scientists that independently advises the government on defense policy, and he played an active part in scientific decisions and policies from the Truman through the Reagan administration. This lively memoir, packed with first-hand accounts and historical anecdotes, is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the history of science and an inspiring example for students considering scientific careers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A great read!
This book describes the history of the laser and how it was invented (and how it was almost NOT invented). The author was ridiculed by the scientific authorities of the day for daring to suggest that such a device was possible, and for wasting time on its development.Thank goodness he forged ahead and ignored the advice (and threats) from the scientific "experts" of the day.A great read!

From a fellow Paladin
This relatively short book is filled with interesting stories, people andevents--not all of which are about physics or science. In fact, this is anenjoyable book for even the most determined liberal arts type who normallymight avoid reading about physics.In fact, Dr. Townes seems to approachscience and life with a "liberal arts" attitude: curious abouteverything and more than a little adventurous.He challenges readers tolook under all the rocks for the excitement and learning to be found there. Read it for enjoyment and edification (a rare combination these days). ... Read more

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The Wright Brothers: Beyond the First Flight is a biography of brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright who invented the first successful airplane and conducted the first heavier-than-air human flight in history. This publication discusses the life of the Wright brothers from their childhood to their attempts and successes at human flight. Discussed in this work are the more colorful aspects of their story including patent fights, and their troubles with establishing legitimacy. The Wright Brothers: Beyond the First Flight is a highly recommended publication for those who are interested in learning about the life and history of the Wright Brothers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

What Does a guy named Guy have to do with Global Warming? Actually, quite a lot.
"The Callendar Effect" is a fascinating work. Written by friend and colleague James Rodger Fleming, a professor at Colby College and a leading historian of atmospheric sciences and weather prediction, it tells the story of Guy Stewart Callendar. Callendarwas the most unassuming of scientific heroes. A noted British steam engineer, in 1938 he published the critical study, "The Artificial Production of Carbon Dioxide and Its Influence on Temperature," which laid out his earliest thoughts on the role of carbon dioxide in climate change.

Using his own weather measurements, as well as compilations from others, Callendar assembled considerable evidence to show an upward trend in temperatures for the first four decades of the twentieth century. When he compared that data with changes in glaciers, increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide coming with theIndustrial Revolution, and other readings, he reached the now scientific conventional wisdom that the use of fossil fuels caused a rise of the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere and that in turn was linked to increased radiation and a resultant rise in global temperatures. While an amateur, his work was pathbreaking, so much so that he has been credited with "The Callendar Effect" on how global warming results from CO2.

While most have never heard of Guy Callendar his importance in the history of climate research is secure. It is also represented variously depended on perspectives. Most scientists and historians of science, and certainly the author of this work is in this category, revere Callendar's work and his efforts to understand the workings of the physical environment. This book is a testament to his work and an attempt to rescue him from obscurity within the larger society. At the same time, skeptics of global warming point to Guy Callendar as one of the chief perpetrators of the "greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people," as Oklahoma arch-conservative senator John Inhofe called global warming in a July 2003 congressional speech. Several sites on the Internet condemn Callendar as an amateur who advocated the existence of the greenhouse effect but whose studies "have been discredited." Nevermind that his studies have been verified repeatedly. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Rare and Important Resource of Science and Scientists
This book, can be read from start to finish, but really, it is best as a well done resource of scientists. I would probably say that this may even be the most authoritative source on scientific biography, although the Encyclopedia Britannica, Oxford Dictionary, Asimov and others (I have not done an extensive search) have very well researched info on scientists and scientific discoveries. In addition there are the "timetables of science", Sarton's books, etc. However, there is, currently no major movie dedicated to science, or even to evolution...and that blows my mind...that is just shocking to me. On a hopeful note, the National Science Foundation contributed funding to the making of this concise edition. This book sells used for $25, and new for $160(damn!). The copy I have is marked "discard" by the Phoenix Arizona public library system (perhaps they have the online edition, otherwise I can't see why somebody would toss out a rare and important resource like this). This is the concise version of the massive 1981 16 volume scientist biographies. The biographical info, to me, is of less importance than the interpretation of science findings. For example, in the entry for Pupin, there is mostly biographical info. I'm glad I found this resource, and happy that it was produced. It's a valuable resource, and from the few articles I have read it seems to be very concise, tackling very abstract and corrupted science and what very well may be proven inaccurate or pseudoscience in the future, clearly and concisely.

Great Reference Book
This book is invaluable as a reference for me in writing college history of science lectures, and in reading historical works, as so much of the information that I need is right at my fingertips. While not as comprehensive as the complete edition, the biographies are substantial enough, and the historical range vast enough, so that this work stands as an excellent source for putting the individuals in science into perspective.

The Greatest Scientists, as Fragile as the Rest of Us
Even the most diligent search of the world literature on biography will typically reveal little information about the personality and delicate human traits of some of the greatest thinkers in history.This book stands essentially alone as a complete but manageable compendium of the people who throughout time advanced mankind through creative thought, perseverance, and determination.Perhaps its greatest strength is in the brief but insightful histories of each scientist's life experiences as ordinary human beings who sought personal fulfillment and happiness first in relationships, love, and family.It is fascinating and exciting to discover how much in common the average person shares with the human frailties and emotions of Newton, Edison or Oppenheimer.The extensive illustrations and photographs further enhance the sense that these individuals who we imagine as larger than life were very much like the rest of us at heart.Each of the many hundreds of entries is well written, concise, and tightly focused.The authors' efforts at keeping the biographies limited in length are successful, but unfortunately this restricts the extent of information one might wish to have available for the most significant scientists, or those whose lives included particularly fascinating details. There are some surprising exlcusions of biography, such as Stephen Hawking and Jane Goodall, but the book includes so many other biographies that it would not be fair to quibble. In summary, this is a wonderful book to have in one's home reference library, particularly with children at home. ... Read more

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Biographical profiles of 500 women around the world who have made significant contributions to the field of science, from antiquity to the present. ... Read more

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From Archimedes and Copernicus to Stephen Hawking and Stephen Jay Gould, this is the most authoritative and up-to-date biographical dictionary of scientists currently available. Featuring over 1,300 entries, spanning over 2,500 years, this book covers all areas of science, from physics and astronomy to medicine and ecology, including key figures in the fields of mathematics and technology. Offering clear explanations of the science itself as well as its historical significance, the Dictionary includes coverage of all Nobel Laureates in physics, chemistry, physiology, and medicine, in addition to a comprehensive index of topics, and extensive network of cross-references to related entries.

Compact, comprehensive, and crammed full of useful facts throughout, A Dictionary of Scientists will be an essential reference for scientists, students, and anyone with a general interest in science. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Dictionary of Scientists
For scientists of all ages this is a great book with concise
descriptions of 100's of scientists from the Greeks onwards. A brief description of their family background, when born and died is followed by all you need to know, about their main scientific endeavors. There are few obvious omissions
but I must bring to task the editors for not listing perhaps the greatest British chemist of the nineteenth century - Sir Joseph Wilson Swan (inventor of the electric light bulb; modern photographic paper and the production of polymeric fibres).

At this price you will not find a better quick reference book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Sort of an who is who of astrophysics
This book is very heavy on astronomy types.
The space program which is more resent is also represented.
It is meant as a reference with biographies
of people not always well known to the rest of the world like
Susan Jocelyn Bell Burnell
who earned her research director a Nobel Prize.
Or Mary Fairfax Sommerville who was a first in astrophysics for women.
Since my n-dimensional Euclidean geometry is by another Somerville,
that name caught my attention.
This is a good biographical reference book in astronomy.

Excellent resource.
In dictionary format this volume on Notable Scientists includes the thoroughness and accessibility Facts on File thrives on for presenting easy to research biographies of giants in the field.This volume is about those pioneers in space and astronomy that provided the core of knowledge that scientists are still accessing and using.There are familiar names, such as, Plato , Aristotle, Isaac Newton, Edmund Halley, Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking, "...known as the scientist who explains to the masses the laws that govern the universe."This volume is easy to reach for as an authorized site for a "quick biography" that includes personal information, contributions to the field of science, and a picture.Besides learning about the highlights of the scientists' career, the researcher will also find the obstacles and personal tragedies that often beset the lives of these men.Although few women are included, they are sometimes included in the text. Edward Charles Pickering employed women to be "observational astronomers" and help produce Henry Draper Catalogue, funded by the widow of Draper. ... Read more

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Biographies of Women Physical Scientists withaccomplanying labs, demos, and puzzles. ... Read more

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The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Virginia; Zanthoxylum clava-herculis; Biography ... Read more

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The tenth and youngest son of a poor Boston soapmaker, Benjamin Franklin would rise to become, in Thomas Jefferson's words, "the greatest man and ornament of his age." In this short, engaging biography, historian Edwin S. Gaustad offers a marvelous portrait of this towering colonial figure, illuminating Franklin's character and personality.
Here is truly one of the most extraordinary lives imaginable, a man who, with only two years of formal education, became a printer, publisher, postmaster, philosopher, world-class scientist and inventor, statesman, musician, and abolitionist. Gaustad presents a chronological account of all these accomplishments, delightfully spiced with quotations from Franklin's own extensive writings. The book describes how the hardworking Franklin became at age 24 the most successful printer in Pennsylvania and how by 42, with the help of Poor Richard's Almanack, he had amassed enough wealth to retire from business. We then follow Franklin's next brilliant career, as an inventor and scientist, examining his pioneering work on electricity and his inventions of the Franklin Stove, the lightning rod, and bifocals, as well as his mapping of the Gulf Stream, a major contribution to navigation. Lastly, the book covers Franklin's role as America's leading statesman, ranging from his years in England before the Revolutionary War to his time in France thereafter, highlighting his many contributions to the cause of liberty.Along the way, Gaustad sheds light on Franklin's personal life, including his troubled relationship with his illegitimate son William, who remained a Loyalist during the Revolution, and Franklin's thoughts on such topics as religion and morality.
Written by a leading authority on colonial America, this compact biography captures in a remarkably small space one of the most protean lives in our nation's history.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Everyone Should Read This Biography
Professor Gaustad has written another outstanding biography in the Lives and Legacies Series by Oxford University Press. I recommend highly his biographies of Roger Williams and Benjamin Franklin. While geared towards "young adult" readers, anyone interested in American history should read this book. Franklin was the prototypical American whose ideas and actions shaped so much of our republic's early development.

It is not a "kids" book. It combines first-rate scholarship in a concise (125 pages) format with clear, non-academic writing. This makes it accessible to readers of all levels and ages. It should be used in high school and under-graduate colleges and universities. While recent commendable biographies of Franklin by H.W. Brands, Edmund Morgan and Walter Issacson abound, this one is the best!

I hope that Professor Gaustad can contribute another work to the Lives and Legacies series. We need a new biography of William Penn. ... Read more

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The autobiography of one of the most outstanding Soviet astronomers of the 20th century, which tells of the decline of Soviet science during the Brezhnev years, provides details of the Soviet space programme and its work in radio astronomy, and features portraits of other scientists. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Insightful...
This out-of-print book is full of great stories by/about a little known soviet scientist whose work foreshadowed many of the ideas later popularized in the west.For example, a book by Shkolvsky was the launch-pad for Carl Sagan's career; "Intelligent Life in the Universe" was Shkolovsky's (translated by Sagan and with Sagan's annotations marked) but no royalties or fame ever came Shkolvsky's way and surprisingly enough this caused no (apparent) animosity between them. If you would enjoy a book by/about a better known scientist such as Sagan you will find this an excellent and enjoyable addition to your shelf! ... Read more

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Virtually unknown today, Alfred Russel Wallace was the co-discoverer of natural selection with Charles Darwin and an eminent scientist who stood out among his Victorian peers as a man of formidable mind and equally outsized personality. Now Michael Shermer rescues Wallace from the shadow of Darwin in this landmark biography. Here we see Wallace as perhaps the greatest naturalist of his age--spending years in remote jungles, collecting astounding quantities of specimens, writing thoughtfully and with bemused detachment at his reception in places where no white man had ever gone. Here, too, is his supple and forceful intelligence at work, grappling with such arcane problems as the bright coloration of caterpillars, or shaping his 1858 paper on natural selection that prompted Darwin to publish (with Wallace) the first paper outlining the theory of evolution. Shermer also shows that Wallace's self-trained intellect, while powerful, also embraced surprisingly naive ideas, such as his deep interest in the study of spiritual manifestations and seances. Shermer shows that the same iconoclastic outlook that led him to overturn scientific orthodoxy as he worked in relative isolation also led him to embrace irrational beliefs, and thus tarnish his reputation.As author of Why People Believe Weird Things and founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, Shermer is an authority on why people embrace the irrational. Now he turns his keen judgment and incisive analysis to Wallace's life and his contradictory beliefs, restoring a leading figure in the rise of modern science to his rightful place. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

"In Darwin's Shadow" aptly titled
Michael Shermer's attempt at analyzing the life and work of Wallace falls short on so many levels it's hard to know where to begin. One thing is sure, he has done more to darken the shadow than lift it from, arguably next to Darwin, Victorian England's greatest naturalist.

Shermer's attempt to identify Wallace as a "heretic personality" is vague and inconsistly applied. The claim that Wallace succumbed to scientism is so wide of the mark that once the astonishment of the claim wears off one is left wondering if Shermer ever really read Wallace!

This is simply the worst of an increasing number of Wallace biographies. Ill conceived and poorly argued, for those seeking to know this fascinating naturalist better almost any starting place would be better than here.My suggestion? Start with Wallace himself, MY LIFE: A Record of Events and Opinion.

Oxford University Press pricing!
Others have commented on the contents, so I will comment on production values.The book is nicely produced, with a generous supply of useful illustrations.BUT!Don't pay Oxford University Press's exorbitant price ($50 list), shop for a good used copy instead.When OUP first published this in 2002 it was $35 (list), so they've increased it by $15 in just 7 years.

I always feel sad when an author like Shermer has the availability of his book limited by a rapacious (or maybe just inefficient?) publisher like OUP.

Wallace matters, so this book matters
I felt I got a well-rounded view of Wallace as a person from this book. And I felt the treatment was fair, fairer than I expected from an arch-skeptic of and enemy of anything spiritual, Wallace's "weakness." Omitted, though, was adequate coverage of some of Wallace's strongest arguments against natural selection. As I understand it, Wallace said that the talents induced in us by civilization must have been built into our species at inception, but through not being useful prior to civilization should have been lost through disuse, here following Darwin's terminology. A good argument. Just as the author gets here the discussion shifts onto sexual selection and "the problem of incipient stages," as if the author's nerve failed. Otherwise I thought this a good "life."

Darwin forever under a cloud....
After reading a review in NY review of books of Shermer's book I snapped out of my previous opinion and decided to revise my previous review here. Distracted by the issues raised in A. Brackman's book, A Delicate Arrangement, 'rebutted' by Shermer, I wavered wrongly in my original view at what appears now as a clever whitewash of Darwin.
Putting Brackman's arguments to one side for the nonce, the plain fact of the matter is that Darwin was, and has been ever since, engineered by Big Science propaganda into the exclusive icon for the discovery of evolution. And is Shermer just the fellow for this displacement job on Wallace. Wallace confuses people because they think that Darwin on the descent of man is established science, when the reality is that an immense con job has always finessed the fact that science has no conclusive theory here, and Wallace honestly pointed it out. Period.
As to the rest of Shermer's arguments in his book, viz. on the 'science' of history, they are without merit and constitute another of the 'bilge and balderdash' necessary to cover up the fact that there is no science of history, also.
The whole Darwin field is addicted to a pack of lies and it seems all parties have lost the ability to distinguish truth from distortion. Reviewing the details of the Ternate affair, we seem to see the ambitious Darwin concerned to rescue his priority, after years of so doubting his theory he couldn't publish it, and getting his priority by rigging the priority list and rushing into print. We have spent over a century beholden to this farce. Time for a little skepticism.

In the shadow no longer
Alfred Russel Wallace seems to rate hardly more than a footnote in the history of the theory of evolution.Like most who have studied this subject, I knew of Wallace's mutual discovery of the theory and evidence in support of it. I knew too of Darwin's generous introduction of the man as a co-discoverer, and even of the theory that that introduction might have been more premeditated and less generous that it appears.In some of my reading I had even learned of Wallace's "defection" to spiritualism.However, where Darwin's life is everywhere paraphrased and his thoughts on the subject of evolution almost subject to canonization, Wallace's life and thoughts seemed just to have "fallen out" of the picture.Michael Shermer's book, In Darwin's Shadow, The Life and Science of Alfred Russel Wallace, provides a more detailed look at Wallace the man and scientist.It also looks at the subject of how history and biography reflects the psychology of their time-in some ways, he does so unintentionally.

In many ways A. R. Wallace, though not a formally educated man, was more of a research scientist than Darwin.He apparently plunged into the pursuit of regional studies with a vengeance for most of his youth, some twelve years abroad, studying natural subjects in their native habitat. Whether it was beetles in the tropics, indigenous people in their native and in their European dominated settings, the communities of animals characteristic of different regions in Southeast Asia, or the geology of various regions, etc, his studies were extensive and detailed.According to Shermer, he logged in over 20,000 miles on various collecting trips, and just on his Malay trip collected almost 125,000 specimens, over a thousand of which were new species (p. 14).

His reputation for openness and exposure to new experiences was amazing, especially for the day, and recognized even by those who did not necessarily agree with his opinions.His written output was prolific and varied, with topics ranging from ancient history, animal behavior, botany, ethics, history of science, linguistics, plurality of worlds, phrenology, spirtualism, taxonomy, womens rights, agricultural economics, literature and poetry, poor laws, and trade regulation (p. 15).Shermer indicates that even into old age Wallace wrote on a variety of subjects and had a life-time average output that ranks high, even when compared to modern writers like Gould, Sagan, and Ernst Mayr.

While I found Shermer's historical matrix model interesting, I felt that I learned more about how history and biography are created in our own time and what it says about us than I did about Wallace or his contemporaries.The matrix model seems to smack of psychobabble and Oprah "awarenesses" and introduces a lot of introspection into the possible effects of birth order, etc. on behavior.It tries to hard to get at the "whys?" of human behavior and motivation for which there is little proof for or against.It was only once the author got into the life and times of the man himself that I could more easily settle into Wallace's world.For one thing, I understood better what the flap about the man's delving into spiritualism was all about.I also learned where Wallace and Darwin differed, even from the beginning, in their own individual approach to evolution, and why Darwinian evolution is the model that gained the greatest respect and serves as the foundation of modern theories.

I think more than anything, the book introduces the reader to the fact that science is a communal thing, a human thing, and is subject to the vicissitudes of other human endeavors: chance, political and social prejudices, personalities and egos, readiness for new ideas, plain old mistakes, etc.I learned again that scientific discoveries occur in tandem, when the world is ready to receive them, that they're sort of "in the air."I learned that more than one person can come up with the same or similar idea, putting their own personal stamp on the concept, thereby forwarding human knowledge just a little bit more.I learned that scientists can be wrong or partly wrong about their topic and can be wrong or partly wrong about topics outside their expertise, and most importantly, that reputation should not be given total credence without proper thought.Because a person is famous does not mean that their opinions are any more valid than anyone else's.

An enlightening biography of an interesting man.While I think that Darwin's is the more carefully thought out and supported theory of evolution, I think that Wallace was the more interesting and happier person.I suspect it would have been more fun to have known him than to have known Darwin. ... Read more

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"It has been said that the primary function of schools is to impart enough facts to make children stop asking questions. Those with whom the schools do not succeed become scientists." So begins Knut Schmidt-Nielsen in his autobiography The Camel's Nose, a fascinating reflection on his life and more than forty years of studies and adventures in locations ranging from the Sahara Desert to the Arctic Circle.

One of the world's most prominent animal physiologists, Schmidt-Nielsen has throughout his career sought answers to seemingly simple questions: How can camels go for days without drinking? Do marine birds drink seawater? Why don't penguins' feet freeze? How do animals find food and water in the desert? By asking questions about the animals around us, we learn more about who we are, and the answers Schmidt-Nielsen discovered have not only helped us understand animals, but have provided us with insight into fundamental principles of life and survival.

In The Camel's Nose, Schmidt-Nielsen relates the story of his life and work, interweaving tales of his childhood in Scandinavia and his personal and professional struggles in the United States with first-hand accounts of field work in Africa, Australia, and around the globe. He recounts how he sought out peculiar problems of animal form and function and details his remarkable discoveries. He also provides a glimpse into the personal life of a world-renowned scientist, from the rewards and difficulties of growing up in a family of scientists to the challenges of his early career to the redeeming power of love later in life.

The Camel's Nose reveals a passionate curiosity-for seeking out and finding answers. The reader is fortunate to share in Schmidt-Nielsen's lifelong quest and to be given an inside look into the life of a scientist who has witnessed the better part of a century of breathtaking discovery and change. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An excellent description of a life of scientific adventure.
As an ecologist, I knew little of Prof. Schmidt- Nielsen's research.However, I was impressed by three aspects of his autobiography:

1. He showed that research in the field or the lab can be a real adventure.

2. His approach to research was a strongcombination of observation andhumane experiment- ation.

3. He is a scientist who can write clearly,with no reliance on jargon used only by scientists in hisprofession.

This is a book I recommend to scientists, budding scientists,and anyone curious about the wayscientists live and love!

Exceptionally gripping to the curious scientist in all of us
Schmidt-Nielsen's book, "The Camel's Nose..." is a history ofscience in the 20th C., a textbook on physiology, and a personal journal. From the first page I was as fascinated with his research subjects as hewas!It was refreshing to learn of a time when personal curiosity andprofessional work were not at odds with each other, but worked to createthe best possible research and a happy life.Schmidt-Nielsen believes thatscientific literature should not be convoluted, and his memoirs follow thisrule.I highly recommend this book to anyone who still has their childhoodcuriosity about how non-human animals work!A science degree is notnecessary to be totally enthralled by his work and life. ... Read more