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The Editor in Chief: J. L. Heilbron |
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Containing 609 encyclopedic
articles written by more than 200 prominent scholars, The Oxford
Companion to the History of Modern Science presents an unparalleled history
of the field invaluable to anyone with an interest in the technology, ideas,
discoveries, and learned institutions that have shaped our world over the
past five centuries. Focusing on the period from the
Renaissance to the early twenty-first century, the articles cover all
disciplines (Biology, Alchemy, Behaviorism), historical periods (the
Scientific Revolution, World War II, the Cold War), concepts (Hypothesis,
Space and Time), and methodologies and philosophies (Observation and Experiment,
Darwinism). Coverage is international, tracing the spread of science form its
traditional centers and explaining how the prevailing knowledge of non
Western societies modified or contributed to the dominant global science as
it is currently understood. Revealing the interplay between
science and the wider culture, the Companion includes entries
on topics such as minority groups, art, religion, and science's practical
applications. One hundred biographies of the most iconic historic figures,
chosen for their contributions to science and the interest of their lives,
are also included. Above all, The Oxford Companion to the History of
Modern Science is a companion to world history: modern in
coverage, generous in breadth, and cosmopolitan in scope. The volume's utility is enhanced
by a thematic outline of the entire contents, a thorough system of
cross-referencing, and a detailed index that enables the reader to follow the
specific line of inquiry along various threads from multiple starting points.
Each essay has numerous suggestions for further reading, all of which favor
literature that is accessible to the general reader, and a bibliographical
essay provides a general overview of the scholarship in the field. Lastly, as
a contribution to the visual appeal of the Companion, over 100
black-and-white illustrations and an eight-page color section capture the eye
and spark the imagination. About the editor in chief J. l. Heilbron - professor of history & the
vice chancellor, emeritus and the university of California, Berkeley -
divides his time between Oxford, where he is senior research fellow at
Worcester College, and Yale, where he is a visiting professor of history. |
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