Man Masters Nature: Twenty-Five Centuries of Science

Those who feel a lacuna in their knowledge of the history of science will find this book a treasure trove, an overview of great scientific minds from Ptolemy to James Watson and Francis Crick written in a style that can be followed by a reader of intelligence who pays close attention. The contributors (mostly British) are impressive: Geoffrey Lloyd, professor of ancient philosophy and science at Cambridge, writing on Aristotle; Alfred Rupert Hall, professor of the history of science and technology at Imperial College, on Newton; Donald Cardwell, emeritus professor of science and technology at the University of Manchester, on James Watt. As British science historian Porter notes in his introduction, Western science teaches students to be critical and objective, and to look for unity and comprehensiveness. (February)