Customer Reviews (3)

I liked it.
Informative. Worth reading. Well-written. Fictionalized perhaps, but based on true events. Third person accounts are sometimes better than biographies because it takes out the personal bias and often looks at events with greater perspective.

No Value
I never would have purchased this book if I had known that the first sentence of the Authors' Note states that "This book is a fictionalized account of actual events".There are also NO pictures in the book.

Ended too soon
It was very informative, a behind the scenes look at the people who were involved with the Dionne family.But, it skipped around a lot and ended way too soon.

It was so much more straight-forward than the somewhat angry book the girls wrote about themselves. ... Read more

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Papers from a conference held in Jerusalem, October 1990, present a fresh look at Maimonides' contributions in light ofnewly discovered sources and the relevance of his work to modern medicine, science, and philosophy. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or. ... Read more

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Sir Roderick Murchison's life and work is investigated in this study as a bargain struck between science and the forces of imperialism in mid-Victorian Britain. It illuminates the broader, and still present, intimacy between science and government.More than any contemporary, Murchison (1792-1871) emerged as the eminent Victorian who "sold" science to the Imperial government, on the grounds of utility as much as prestige. By the end of his life the map of the world and its powers looked very different; and throughout this world there were two dozen "discoveries" named after Murchison himself.A giant of the imperial age, Murchison's career was tied intimately to the expansion of the political, economic and scientific realm of the British Empire.He was a founding father of geological science and geographical exploration, president of the Royal Geographical Society and Director-General of the Geological Survey.His identification of the Silurian system in geology--and subsequent prediction of the location of economic riches--is as notable as his patronage of David Livingstone and other figures of Victorian exploration. ... Read more

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The first bureaucrat of science
According to one school of thought, historical studies should elucidate the great unfolding meaning and message of events. For others history merely consists of one damn thing after another. Robert Stafford appears to lean towards the second view and fortunately Murchison (1792-1871) was involved in enough important things to make his life story valuable. It would be even more valuable and interesting if the author had deployed a better theory than Gramski's doctrine of hegemony for the final summary. The lack of a robust theoretical framework prevents the book from delivering on the dustjacket promise to illuminate the broader intimacy between science and government.

In his youth Murchison might well have been voted the least likely of his contemporaries to succeed in the life of the mind. At school he was a dreadful student and he turned to a military career. This helped to prepared him for his ultimate vocation because at military college he studied topographical appraisal and draughtsmanship, two of the vital skills for geological fieldwork. He served in the Spanish campaign against Napoleon but the end of hostilities in 1815 destroyed his hopes for military glory. Relegated to a backwater in Ireland he diverted himself with riding, hunting, drinking bouts and visits to London where he paraded as a dandy. He also attended lectures by Sir Humphrey Davy at the Royal Institute for Science.

This unlikely combination of activities won him the hand in marriage of a cultured lady, Charlotte Hugonin, only daughter of a wealthy general. She encouraged him to develop more refined interests in the course of a prolonged Continental tour. He undertook prodigious walking expeditions and showed a keen eye for country and a willingness to describe it in detail. Back in England he reverted to fox hunting on his country estate until the problem of debt and a partridge shooting expedition with Sir Humphrey Davy inspired him to turn to Science.

The couple moved to a rented house in London until the death of Charlotte's father some years later enabled them to occupy a mansion in Belgrave Square. This, at page 15 (circa 1842) is the last mention of wife, family, or social life in the book. The strangest feature of this biography is the complete absence of any sense of the subject as a flesh and blood man (or a person) living a life among people.

Fifteen years of intensive fieldwork mapping the Silurian sediments in Wales provided the foundation for his scientific reputation. After his early and important contribution, he did not appear to shift his opinion on any matter of theoretical interest. During that time he established close social and working relationships with all the major geologists in Europe. He also began his pursuit of power and influence in the scientific societies, initially the Geological Society where he became the Foreign Secretary in 1828. For many years he was on the council of the Royal Society, also he was a trustee of the British Museum and an active office bearer in practically any other society or club that could advance his interests. If the suitable organisation did not exists he created it. He was a founding member of the Athanaeum Club, the Royal Geographical Society and the British Association for the Advancement of Science. These societies played a major role in directing scientific work, at a time when government involvement did not go far beyond naval mapping and some surveying for strategic materials during times of war.

The book outlines his tireless efforts through committees, patronage, political connections and publicity to expand and co-ordinate worldwide efforts in exploration and data collection. No continent was untouched by his efforts, and those of his friends and disciples in the field. As a testament to his influence, Australia alone contains five Mount Murchisons and two Murchison Rivers, while New Zealand has four mountains and a glacier named after him.

His efforts called for amazing stamina and organising ability, also the time that was made available by minimal domestic responsibilities and a supportive wife. He was not a radical but his support for free trade and its corollary, peace, put him at odds with the government in some military adventures, notably the Crimean War. He also encouraged the full participation and recognition of women in the scientific societies, generously acknowledging the efforts of Jane Franklin in Tasmania and other female pioneers. ... Read more

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Jerrold Zacharias (1905-1986) was a physicist well placed by historical circumstances to take a central part in the development of American science, science policy, and science education. In a clear, nontechnical account, Jack Goldstein tells the story of this entrepreneurial American scientist who played an essential part in experiments important to the development of quantum mechanics, who later became an advisor to the government during much of the cold war period, and whose leadership in educational reform resulted in the restructuring of the entire American high school science curriculum.Zacharias lived at a time when an individual with imagination and courage could make a difference, whether at the forefront of science or in matters of public policy. He believed that every citizen, even those with modest scientific sophistication and knowledge, could learn to think like a scientist. Now, at a time when the issues of science education and science literacy are again of compelling national interest, his ideas merit close attention.

Goldstein describes Zacharias's coming of scientific age in the early 1930s, as a member of I.I. Rabi's group at Columbia, and examines the leading role he played during World War II at MIT's Radiation Laboratory and at the Manhattan Project. From about 1955 on, Goldstein observes, Zacharias made significant contributions to science education in physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics at the primary, secondary, and college levels. As a result of his initiatives, science and mathematics curriculum development flourished in a number of third-world countries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

one thing yall need to make it all better!!!
this is not about the book above... i didnt not buy it but i need information from it so................listen up !!on this site you need to have a place where you can find a book andthen the person can look in it to FIND information. some people dont wantto buy the damn book ok.i need some information for a report and i haveto buy the damn book to get information.... I DONT THINK SO...... i am verydisapointed with this... but anyway this is all i have to say for rightnow.....so youneed to do this..dont be mad for this letter i amjust telling you what i think.. you know peoples opinion..... bye!!oh yea and i am 14 years old ... Read more

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By the time of his death in 1878, Joseph Henry was America's most eminent physical scientist. His achievements in the study of electricity, magnetism, and telegraphy earned him a 30-year tenure as the first secretary of the Smithsonian. This biography illuminates not only the character of 19th-century scientific exploration but also the place of science in American culture. 12 illustrations . ... Read more

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Jpseph Henry from a child's point of view
Joseph Henry is a good book, but has small print and is very long.I wouldn't suggest it to other children. ... Read more

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Any reasonably educated person knows what is said about Galileo, but not what Galileo himself actually said.This has allowed a variety of different interpretations to be put upon his stands as a scientist and as a man, in particular from within the Catholic world, where a sense of guilt for his dramatic destiny has never been completely erased.Let him speak, then so that he can bring to everybody's attention, in particular the young, his message of reason, of intellectual honesty, of free thinking.A message that more than ever, is of great relevance in the rampant irrationality of the new millennium.The selection of writings offered here is preferred by a blunt self-portrait, which is of course a "forgery" - however, one that is based entirely on extracts from Galileo's writings and private letters, though he would never have dared, nor been allowed to write it himself. The anthology touches upon the themes dearest to Galileo and a lively commentary, from both the scientific and the literary-historical viewpoints, should help make the extracts accessible.The reader will be able to appreciate the work and the writing-style of a very great scientist and author and will probably also be surprised to find with the aid of a test with answers provided, just how many of the misconceptions about the "workings of the world" that were rife prior to Galileo, still survive today among the common beliefs of even well-educated, non scientific people. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A new valid conribution for the understanding of Galileo'genius
This is the English translation of the Italian book "Parola di Galileo" written by Andrea Frova, professor of General Physics at the University of Rome "La Sapienza" and MariapieraMarenzana, an author of essays on a wide range of cultural topics. In the never ending flow of studies on Galileo as the father of modern science and the victim of the Church's narrow traditionalism,this work does not pretend to give a new contribution on the plan of strict scholarly research.Rather, its aim is to give in an anthological form to the reader, especially the young one, "an overview of Galileo's all-embracing interests and extremely wide spectrum of achievements". A rich variety of texts is offered in twenty two chapters, all of which (except the last one) deal with central topics to be found in Galileo's major works, from Mechanics to Optics, Materials and Astronomy. Each text is preceded by introductory notes, with cultural and historical references aimed also at following the development of Galileo's unwanted clash with the Church theologians. At the end of each chapter there is a mathematical commentary for those interested in seeing Galileo's reasoning translated into present-day mathematical formalism. The final chapter 22 deals with Galileo's trial and abjuration, and concludes with a sharp criticism of the Church recent attempt at "rehabilitating" him. I think this book is a very welcome and valuable contribution to a better understanding of the greatness of Galileo achievements (as well as of his failures) especially for the English speaking reader to whom the authors have provided a very rich and stimulating documentary information.No doubt, it will be well appreciated by teachers and students of high school and of introductory university courses on science and science history, as well as by the cultivated public at large.
Annibale Fantoli, University of Victoria, Canada.

Getting to know Galileo
Way back in December 1635 Galilei wrote this biting statement: "How wretched is this present climate of ours, in which there reigns a fixed resolution to exterminate all novelty, especially in the sciences, as if all knowledge had already been acquired". Frova and Marenzana do well to remind us of this statement in the opening to their very fine book. For, in the authors' view, the book is aimed primarily at young people - and these, in school and everyday life, all too often have to witness the obduracy with which science is being consigned to the catalogue of ills and misfortunes.

It is not easy to list all the merits of the book. However, let me immediately single out the delightful "Posthumous self-portrait of Galileo Galilei, philosopher", which Frova and Marenzana have written using perfectly plausible seventeenth-century Italian language - the flavor of which can also be savored in the English translation - and the sixth chapter, in which the typically Galilean connection drawn between physics and music is explored.

But taken as a whole, the book, in my opinion, is valuable as a reasoned, explanatory guide to Galileo, centered on excerpts from his original writings. It is well known that the great scientist was a highly gifted writer, and his literary talent played a role of no little importance in his unfortunate battle with the more conservative side of the Roman Church. And also with those intellectuals whom he used to define "filosofi in libris", that is to say, second-rate thinkers who preferred scholarly old books to experiments and mathematical argumentation.

The huge body of Galilean studies was lacking in a clear, readable book, among whose pages one could find selected and properly commented-upon passages of the scientific and philosophical prose of the author of the Dialogue. This gap has now been filled. And another gap has been filled, too - that concerning opinions on the so-called "rehabilitation" of Galileo. Frova and Marenzana make us reflect on the fact that the real problem was not so much that Galileo needed rehabilitating - if anything it was his persecutors who needed rehabilitating.

And this, among other things, to avoid everything being reduced to the level of a mere propaganda exercise, aimed at accepting from science only what it is absolutely impossible to confute, while rejecting "the concept of a mutable truth" and "the use of reasoning in human life in general". Two issues, these, which were at the very core of the Galilean enterprise, and which should, today, be nourishing a correct and lay education of young people.

Enrico Bellone

Professor of History of Science, University of Milan

Director of "Le Scienze" (Italian edition of "Scientific American")

Scientific precision, historical accuracy, clarity
Andrea Frova and Mariapiera Marenzana's Thus Spoke Galileo has three main virtues that will recommend the work to a great many readers: its scientific precision, its historical accuracy, and its desire for clarity. The authors' presentation and discussion of Galileo's texts highlight the enduring importance of his achievements but also the reasons for his errors (and, indeed, how intelligent these errors were). Moreover, by presenting questions on everyday phenomena and problems that illustrate the fundamental principles of physics in a series of stimulating and enjoyable asides to the reader, the authors leave us in no doubt that Galileo remains a great master even today, with an astonishing ability to explain and clarify ideas, that our immediate responses to the questions, about movement or velocity for instance, may even be pre-Galilean, and that the common sense of educated adults today may turn out to be childishly Aristotelian. Problems of astronomy, kinematics, dynamics and methodology are linked to everyday situations that highlight the core elements of the difficulties. The numerous drawings, figures and photographs used to illustrate these problems present the solutions soundly and elegantly. What is more, the wide-ranging commentaries and explanations are surprisingly accessible: even many of the notes on mathematical physicsat the end of each chapter, written for more expert readers, are stimulating and informative. Above all, the book manages to convey Galileo's enormous intellectual curiosity and the intense pleasure he took in learning - attributes that the authors clearly admire and share. Today, as in Galileo's times, we must continue to fight against manipulation. At a time when public voices show such disdain for our intellect, we should welcome Frova and Marenzana's defence of rational thinking and intellectual honesty.

Hearing and understanding Galileo Speaking
Everyone knows that Galileo Galilei was one of the founders of modern science and that he was persecuted by the Catholic Church. However, very few people have read his writings. This book offers a broad selection of his original texts, presented in such a way as to awaken readers' curiosity and to provide them with the tools needed to place the writings in their historical context.

The book opens with an imaginary self-portrait: a "collage" of letters and other documents of the time, in which Galileo speaks vividly about his life and his clash with the Church, culminating in his dramatic abjuration. The personality that emerges is rich in lights and shades, a blunt but also flexible character, who is aware that abjuration represents only a temporary defeat for ideas which, in the long run, will be triumphant.

In each of the chapters which follow, one major Galilean theme is examined: after an introduction covering the relevant knowledge of thetime (concerning the chapter's theme), highlights from the original texts are presented, based on the well-known English translations by Stillman Drake and other experts. Historical comments bring out the impact of Galileo's ideas upon the evolution of science, and simple mathematical notes deal with the topic in modern scientific terms.

The reader will discover that Galileo draws amply from his predecessors: for instance, the famous piece on inertia and relativity on board a moving ship is taken from Giordano Bruno and the wonderful mental experiment on the fall of bodies derives from Giovanni Battista Benedetti. However, Galileo shows an extraordinary ability for bringing together diverse observations and reasoning within a single coherent framework, and for getting the most out of available technologies by building scientific instruments of paramount importance.

This valuable and quite unique book shows in a direct manner the great many interests of Galileo in the domains of science and culture, his prodigious curiosity and his exceptional ability as a science popularizer. The reader will be forced to reflect upon the importance of the interdisciplinary approach, which today, unfortunately, is overwhelmed by hyper-specialization. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sheer brilliance
This book has been a long time coming. But it is here at last, and what more fitting time than the presidency of Barack Obama. There are too many lost souls, the omitted ones, the ignored ones, that have been forsaken by history. Goffe and Goffe do excellent research in excavating the important history of a black Briton who made groundbreaking contributions to medicine. The world just simply does not have enough Alan Goffes. I thoroughly enjoyed the straightforward writing, layout, and presentation of the book. Alan Goffe is an excellent role model for youngsters, especially those faced with discrimination from an early age. Frankly, as far as I'm concerned "Between Two Worlds: The Story of Black British Scientist Alan Goffe" is a staple that belongs on everyone's bookshelves. I doff my hat to the mother-daughter duo, Goffe and Goffe, and patiently await their next project. ... Read more

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Profiles approximately 250 black Americans who have made contributions to the sciences, including inventors, researchers, award winners, and educators. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Bueno!
THe book is good (I wish Ben Carson was in it though)...seller sent the book super fast! ... Read more

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This book is a unique `collective biography' of women scholars in the `hard' sciences at the University of Madras.As an ethnographic case study, it combines a comprehensive description of the lives and careers of individual women who struggle in a male-dominated workplace that marginalizes them with an analysis of the structures and organizational features that serve to maintain them in that peripheral position. ... Read more

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Unknown if there is any corroboration for this book
Passages from this book are quite often cited to demonstrate that Einstein had some degree of "faith", and that he believed that Jesus was an actual historical figure.However, there seems to be very little information and evidence to back up the claims made by this book.Considering its subject matter is indeed controversial and the book is out of print, I would consider its source and legitimacy dubious at best.

There are better documented sources of information on Einstein's thoughts on religion.Most recently, a letter was sold at auction in London:

Albert Einstein described belief in God as "childish superstition" and said Jews were not the chosen people, in a letter to be sold in London the week of May 12, 2008.

The father of relativity, whose previously known views on religion have been more ambivalent and fuelled much discussion, made the comments in response to a philosopher in 1954.

As a Jew himself, Einstein said he had a great affinity with Jewish people but said they "have no different quality for me than all other people".

"The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless pretty childish.

"No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this," he wrote in the letter written on January 3, 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind, cited by The Guardian newspaper.

The German-language letter is being sold Thursday by Bloomsbury Auctions in Mayfair after being in a private collection for more than 50 years, said the auction house's managing director Rupert Powell.

In it, the renowned scientist, who declined an invitation to become Israel's second president, rejected the idea that the Jews are God's chosen people.

"For me the Jewish religion like all others is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions," he said.

"And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong and with whose mentality I have a deep affinity have no different quality for me than all other people."

And he added: "As far as my experience goes, they are no better than other human groups, although they are protected from the worst cancers by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot see anything 'chosen' about them."

Previously the great scientist's comments on religion -- such as "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind" -- have been the subject of much debate, used notably to back up arguments in favour of faith.
Powell said the letter being sold this week gave a clear reflection of Einstein's real thoughts on the subject. "He's fairly unequivocal as to what he's saying. There's no beating about the bush."

A Beautiful and Enlightening Book
Albert Einstein has become almost a symbol for the concept of human intelligence.But what I admire most about Einstein wasn't so much his intelligence but his wisdom.In Einstein's God, Robert Goldman displays that wisdom in a manner that those of us of lesser intelligence can understand.

Einstein's God is nothing less than the God of Spinoza, the 17th century Dutch Jew who was excommunicated by the Amsterdam rabbinate for his heretical views.Goldman fully acknowledges Einstein's love of, and indebtedness to, Spinoza.But Goldman also explains how Einstein was able to extend Spinoza's concepts through his own theory of relativity, which unifies the notions of "space" and "time" into a single "spacetime" continuum.Readers with an interest in exploring the concept of immortality should find Goldman's discussion fascinating on that point.

I was saddened to see that nine years after this wonderful little book was published, nobody had reviewed it on Amazon.com.I can only blame that on the reality that Einstein's spirituality has failed to capture the public's imagination. What a shame.In an era where people become best selling authors by claiming to have "conversations" with God, we are neglecting our true geniuses who pursued God with the greatest of humility.

Descartes taught us that since we think, we must exist.But Einstein taught us that since we can contemplate the ultimate, the eternal, the infinite -- and since our own thoughts will never even approach that standard -- who are we to doubt its existence?And who are we to say that the word "God" shouldn't be used to describe such ultimacy?

Indeed, maybe the modern scientist doesn't "need" God.But no lesser a scientist than Einstein realized that we might still "want" God just the same. ... Read more

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Over 1000 concise biographies of the great men and women of science - their life histories, greatest discoveries, and their legacies today. As well as being a reference tool, the book is also a readable history of the development of science. ... Read more

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This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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