The Scientists: A History of Science Told Through the Lives of Its Greatest Inventors

I so enjoyed In Search of Schrödinger's Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality I wanted to read more from the author. I find this one to be two books in one, with only the first rising to the level of In Search of Schrödinger's Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality.

The first one lives up to the subtitle by detailing the personal and business lives of scientists as expressed in their time and place. This paints a picture of the Scientific Revolution start basically with the Copernican Revolution (initiated in 1543) and to be complete in the "grand synthesis" of Isaac Newton's 1687 Principia. and involving the progress of science inspired the creation of scientific societies such as the Royal Society, and Galileo who championed Copernicus and show more developed the science of motion. During this time it reads like science is fitfully freed from the clutches of a resistant religious establishment and battling the deluded outlook of human specialism: perfect heavens, immutable earth, centrality in the cosmos, etc.

The second half focuses on biology (DNA), radiation, and physics onto quantum physics. Here the lives of the scientists recedes into the background during a breathless recounting of advances. It feels rushed and I think it would have been better to focus on the 16th to 18th centuries and leave it there. show less

Gribbin, John. The Scientists: A History of Science Told through the Lives of Its Greatest Inventors. Random House, 2004.
John Gribbin is a man of many parts. Trained in astrophysics under Fred Hoyle, Gribbin is almost as prolific a writer as Isaac Asimov. Most of his work has been science writing, but he has also done novels, children’s books, and biographies. He and a colleague wrongly predicted that the position of the planets would cause an earthquake in the San Andreas Fault in the 1980s, but they both disavowed their work early, Gribbin calling it “too clever by half.” The Scientists is a readable history of science from Copernicus to black holes and string theory. Unsurprisingly, it is heavy on astrophysics, but it also show more deals with chemistry, geology, and evolution. The major figures are shown to be men with diverse, fully rounded personalities. He argues that Robert Hooke deserves more credit than he gets and Newton perhaps less. He points out instances where seminal thinkers were ignored because someone else published first. In general, he says, the progress of science has been evolutionary in its development, not revolutionary. If you like works by Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson, you will probably like The Scientists as well. 4 stars. show less

Overview books are tricky, and most fail. Many things have happened, y'know? And a book that includes a great deal of them often turns into...well, into a list of things that have happened. This is why all textbooks suck.

So one has to pick and choose, and the choice necessarily creates a perspective. You've picked up these select threads, which leaves you inevitably with that picture. And the trick in writing a good overview book is to end up with a picture that's interesting, compelling, and most of all, coherent.

I only read 100 pages of Gribbin's book and then set it down, because I have this complicated reading schedule and it called for these 100 pages and then something else. I'll come back to the rest later, when it arrives on my show more mental syllabus. But so far, I think Gribbin is picking the right threads. I like the line he draws from William Gilbert, of whom I'd never heard, to Galileo. It was neat; I liked learning about Gilbert, and I liked his take on Galileo. He's fussy about who he chooses to mention, and how much, and in relation to whom else, and it's working for me.

I look forward to getting back to this. I even have hopes of bumping it up to five stars when it's all over. show less

Excellent history of science told through the life of scientists. Gribbin has just the right touch of snark, and his own training as a scientist gives him a unique perspective.

Interesting book, but owing to personal preferences, I found the sections on modern physics, astronomy and chemistry to be quite dry. Well-written though, and worth reading if only to discover how fun scientists used to be in the old days. Some of them would probably be in prison in modern times instead of making crucial discoveries.

A comprehensive march through the key scientific advances from the 15th century to date, told through the lens of the individual scientists involved. Gribbin claims to 'tease out what makes a scientist tick' but really the coverage is so broad that there are only biographical notes and occasional items of colour about each individual. But this doesn't detract from what is a great book, and an easy to read rendering of scientific advances placed in the context of their times. Read July 2009.

A bit of a slog in same areas, but fascinating in others. Very uneven in quality. Probably intended for a UK audience.