Science and Scientists

Science and Scientists
3 volumes
Pasadena, Calif. : Salem Press, 2006.
Call# Ref Q180.55 .D57 S29 2006

From Salem Press:

" Lucan's famous dictum that those standing on the shoulders of giants see more than the giants themselves applies to no human endeavor more thoroughly than to the "pure" sciences: astronomy, chemistry, biology, geology, mathematics, physics, and the many subdisciplines they have spawned.

The three volumes of Science and Scientists documents over 245 of the most important breakthroughs in the history of science, cross-referenced to link those that built on others. The scope is from ancient times to the present day. These essays are accompanied by sidebars that link scientists, experiments, and key concepts to virtually every milestone.

Scope and Coverage
Arranged alphabetically, essays featured in Science and Scientists address the most important breakthroughs in the sciences, ranging from Abstract Algebra to Quantum Mechanics, from the Big Bang to X-Ray Astronomy, from Antisepsis to Viruses.

Accompanying more than half the essays is a capsule biography of explanation of an important episode associated with the breakthrough. In addition, more than 60 diagrams and line drawings illustrate key concepts. Over 160 photographs provide further illustration. "Crossover" achievements such as the Personal Computer, the Internet, or Vaccination are included in these pages as having had as great an impact on the sciences as on everyday life. Core achievements in space, with an emphasis on space science, are included as well.

Organization and Format
Each essay opens with a brief definition of the topic and a summary of its significance, followed by a list of the central figures involved. The text of each essay follows, broken by informative subheads. Cross-references to other essays in these volumes follow, and each essay ends with a listing of core resources for "Further Reading." All essays were written by scholars of history or the sciences and are approximately 2,000 words (4-5 pages) each.

Finding Aids and Special Features
At the end of the third volume students and general readers will find a list of Nobel science laureates, a time line listing the essays in chronological order, a listing of websites, a list of the topics by category (or science sub-discipline), a personages index, and a comprehensive subject index. In addition to the 125 sidebars, more than 220 illustrations - both line drawings and photographs - round the set."