Making Modern Science, Second Edition - 2nd Edition by Peter J Bowler & Iwan Rhys Morus (Paperback)

About the Book

"Making Modern Science: A Historical Survey is a top selling coursebook designed for entry-level college classes in the history of science and as a single-volume introduction for the general reader. Exploring both the history of science and its influence on modern thought, this general survey chronicles all major developments in scientific thinking, from the revolutionary ideas of the seventeenth century to contemporary issues in genetics, physics, and more. First published fifteen years ago, this revised edition is not only updated to reflect the latest scholarship, it also contains two entirely new chapters: on computing, and empire"--

Book Synopsis

In this new edition of the top-selling coursebook, seasoned historians Peter J. Bowler and Iwan Rhys Morus expand on their authoritative survey of how the development of science has shaped our world. Exploring both the history of science and its influence on modern thought, the authors chronicle the major developments in scientific thinking, from the revolutionary ideas of the seventeenth century to contemporary issues in genetics, physics, and more.

Thoroughly revised and expanded, the second edition draws on the latest research and scholarship. It also contains two entirely new chapters: one that explores the impact of computing on the development of science, and another that shows how the West used science and technology as tools for geopolitical expansion. Designed for entry-level college courses and as a single-volume introduction for the general reader, Making Modern Science presents the history of science not as a series of names and dates, but as an interconnected and complex web of relationships joining science and society.

Review Quotes

"The breadth of knowledge represented here is remarkable. There is nothing on (or off) the market that equals what Bowler and Morus have accomplished."--Richard Burkhardt, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

"A real landmark. Finally, two first-rate academic historians--one a specialist in biological and earth sciences, one in physical sciences--both firmly committed to sociological, contextual approaches, offer an overview of their discipline for the beginning student."-- "Times Higher Education"

"An accessible, well-written book, with many nuanced and fascinating stories of individual sciences and the communities of science. . . . An ambitious and successful introduction to the history of science."-- "International Studies in the Philosophy of Science"

"An impressively comprehensive, clear, and accessible survey of the history of science since the Scientific Revolution that tells students not only what they should know, but also how and how not to think about the history of science."-- "Annals of Science"

"Attractively illustrated and easy to use, the book explains difficult scientific and philosophical issues in brief and often surprisingly clear terms. . . . The field of history of science has been calling out for a book just like this one."-- "Science"

About the Author

Peter J. Bowler is professor emeritus of the history of science at Queen's University Belfast. He has written many books, including Darwin Deleted: Imagining a World Without Darwin, also published by the University of Chicago Press, and A History of the Future: Prophets of Progress from H. G. Wells to Isaac Asimov. Iwan Rhys Morus is professor in the Department of History and Welsh History at Aberystwyth University in Wales. His most recent books include The Oxford Illustrated History of Science and Nikola Tesla and the Electrical Future.