The Story of Western Science: From the Writings of Aristotle to the Big Bang Theory

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars | 176 ratings

Price: 21.83

Last update: 06-17-2024


Top reviews from the United States

Ed Evans
5.0 out of 5 stars An important book for learning and reinforcing science history --
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2023
I recommend this book to those interested in the history of science and the philosophy of science. I have the audible and e-text version of this book. I listen to the audible version while walking and reinforce my audio learning using the e-text.
Steven Shuken
4.0 out of 5 stars Amazing must-read book but missing some stuff
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2023
For what the material is, this is a 10/10 book. Concise, fascinating, and important. However I would have liked a section on chemistry, computer science, statistical mechanics, or medicine.
Jon Satko
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent history of science
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2019
I am a college physics/astronomy professor who is interested in philosophy and history of science. I enjoy this book because it gives concise histories of key writings in scientific literature. I highly recommend it for all science students.
Debora Gau
5.0 out of 5 stars Scientists you need to know...!
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2018
I wish Susan Wise Bauer had been one of my college professors! One can only benefit greatly from her writing and dedication to helping promote understanding, education, and wisdom, and helping her readers to remember who we are and why. This book was definitely a welcome addition to my bookshelves. I first experienced her writing in three huge history books: The History of the Ancient World, The History of the Medieval World, and The History of the Renaissance World, vast compediums of knowlage and many facts and personages overlooked unfortunately by today's educators in many cases. These three books, along with The Story of Western Science, should be "must" reading for the student of history, science, and the mind of humanity. I am currently hoping she addresses the history of the Reformation World next....!
Kevin Briggs
5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and well researched
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2019
Fun and informative. Guaranteed to appeal to the your inner science geek. Bit of a dry read if you’re looking for entertainment but great for those who want to learn about the history scientific study. Also provides some interesting trivia about the origins of the various branches of “modern” scientific study began.
aka jaz
4.0 out of 5 stars I miss Isaac Asimov, Susan rocks tho
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2022
A great historical account of the advancement of science and the great men and women who made it all happen. I still miss the way Isaac Asimov did it. He would have been appalled by the flip dismissal of the law of conservation of mass energy ( not that the author did). I especially like the way she arranged by discipline e.g. geology and astronomy. Astronomy was my first love but i eventually obtained a degree in Geology and Chemistry. It was fascinating how the different disciplines complemented each other.
Chrysalis
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a fantastic introduction to the people and the books that have ...
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2015
This is a fantastic introduction to the people and the books that have created the modern world. Each chapter does a great job setting the context and introducing the major primary sources of the scientific canon. Just reading the chapters is an education in the history of science and ideas. An excellent resource for teens and adults who want to understand the context of science as it has been practiced for the past 2000 years.
Timothy Haugh
3.0 out of 5 stars Not as Interesting as I Thought It Would Be
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2015
To be honest, when I picked this book up, I thought I would like it more.

Essentially, this book is a summary of other books. This book is a selection of what Ms. Bauer considers to be the most important books in the history of science. I can’t really quibble much with her choices. Any book that hits Newton’s Principia and Darwin’s On the Origin of Species has already covered the most important bases. After that, everything’s gravy seasoned to taste. Perhaps it is the lack of conflict that was part of my disappointment.

Anyway, the fact that I finished it is a testament to the fact that it’s easy to read. And the books she’s chosen give her a chance to cover science across the spectrum: biology, chemistry, geology, physics, etc. So, it’s a nice summary. Still, I can do without the constant references to her website. And it’s really all about reading the original texts, isn’t it?

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