Oxford Dictionary of Scientific Quotations - Hardcover

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9780198584094: Oxford Dictionary of Scientific Quotations

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198584091 ISBN 13: 9780198584094

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2005

The original words announcing great scientific discoveries, from the first 'Eureka!' to the cloning of Dolly the sheep, can all be found in this fascinating new collection, a major addition to the world-famous 'Oxford Quotations' range. An essential reference tool, put together over 15 years with the assistance of a distinguished team of specialist advisers, it includes full author descriptions, exact sources, and a word-finding index for easy reference. Scholarly but accessible, it also presents the human face of science, as scientists reflect on achievements and failures in their own lives and those of others. Darwin not only describes natural selection, but carefully assesses the pros and cons of marriage, while James Clerk Maxwell constructs an electric but poetic Valentine as well as his 'demon'. From Archimedes to Einstein and beyond, the Oxford Dictionary of Scientific Quotations charts the progress of the great ideas of science.

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About the Author:

W. F. Bynum is Professor Emeritus of the history of medicine at the Wellcome Centre for the History of Medicine at University College London. He has edited many books, including (with Janet Browne and Roy Porter) The Macmillan Dictionary of the History of Science, and (with Roy Porter) Companion Encyclopedia of the History of Medicine and the author of Science and the Practice of Medicine in the Nineteenth Century. Roy Porter was until his retirement Professor of the Social History of Medicine at the Wellcome Centre for the History of Medicine at University College London. His most recent books include Madness: A Brief History and Flesh and the Age of Reason. He died in March 2002.

From Booklist:

Just as a photo may capture the essence of a person, a few words by ancient and modern scientists can capture their humor, insight, and erudition. For instance, here is a quote by Richard Feynman: "For those who want some proof that physicists are human, the proof is in the idiocy of all the different units which they use for measuring energy."

The quotations collected here are not only by scientists but by writers, politicians, and others with something to say about science. Arrangement is alphabetical by the author's last name and chronological within the author entries. Each entry includes the name of the person being quoted, his or her dates, a very brief biographical statement, and several quotes, with their sources. Although most quotes are attributed to the person, there are also a few quotes about a person. A keyword index cites an abbreviated form of the author's name and page and quote numbers (for example, DARW 156-6).

The editors have done a fine job compiling the quotations. There is little overlap with more general compendiums, such as the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations (6th ed., 2005); while that volume includes just 1 quote from nineteenth-century Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell, the Oxford Dictionary of Scientific Quotations offers more than 30. Oxford has another hit, one that will join the ranks of other successful quotation books. Recommended for public and academic libraries. Jack O'Gorman
Copyright � American Library Association. All rights reserved

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