John Gribbin, Ph.D., trained as an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge before becoming a full-time science writer. His books include the highly acclaimed In Search of Schrödinger's Cat, The First Chimpanzee, In Search of the Big Bang, In the Beginning, In Search of the Edge of Time, In Search of the Double Helix, The Stuff of the Universe (with Martin Rees), Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science, and Einstein: A Life in Science (with Michael White). He lives in East Sussex with his wife and two sons.
Readers with any interest in the creation, development, and acceptance of the scientific method will get caught up in the excitement Gribbin (Science: A History) brings to this chronicle of modern science's beginnings. The author devotes a chapter each to the lives of the five titular scientists-William Gilbert, Francis Bacon, William Harvey, Christopher Wren, and Isaac Newton-plus several others who lived between the 1500s and the early 1700s. Besides clearly and evenly discussing each man's originality, brilliance, contributions, and flaws, Gribbin also provides biographical information to help readers see the whole person, not just the scientist, as well as historical information. The individuals are linked through the years by friendships, rivalries, science, and politics. The chapters address how some of these men laid the groundwork for the creation of the Royal Society and how others brought the society into existence, kept it alive, and helped it flourish. Trained as an astrophysicist, Gribbin has the rare gift for translating scientific experiments, concepts, and theory into clearly understood sentences with total enjoyment. Required for history of science collections and highly recommended for all other collections.-Michael D. Cramer, Schwarz BioSciences, RTP, NC Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
In his latest book, astrophysicist and veteran science writer Gribbin (In Search of Schr?dinger's Cat) sweeps away the dust of historical distance to offer a detailed look into the lives and obsessions of the men at the heart of the scientific revolution and the birth of the Royal Society: "the right people, in the right place, at the right time." Italy, says Gribbin, would have birthed the scientific revolution, building on Galileo's efforts, but for the stifling interference of the Catholic Church. Meanwhile William Gilbert was studying magnetism in England and advocating the use of hands-on methods-experimentation-countering the rigid, traditional Aristotelian view that pure thought was enough to understand the workings of the universe. The value of testing hypotheses through experimentation was reinforced by Francis Bacon and created a new generation of thinkers, led by Christopher Wren and Robert Boyle, who created the Royal Society. At first the society was financially dependent on wealthy amateur scientists, but soon Robert Hooke's experiments in physics and chemistry made the society justly famous. Isaac Newton "completed the task of turning a somewhat dilettante gentleman's talking shop into a truly learned society." Gribbin is an ideal and entertaining narrator for this lively story of intellectual discovery and brotherhood. Illus. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
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