The Age of Science: What Scientists Learned in the 20th Century by Gerard Piel

by Peter Bradford

Was it worth it? The 20th century saw unprecedented investment in scientific research and education, and Gerard Piel was on the beat for decades. The Age of Science is his summary of our learning up to Y2K, and few writers are better suited to the task. After all, this is the man who practically invented modern science journalism and revived Scientific American in the 1940s. The book covers physics, biology, earth science, and anthropology, with a strong emphasis on the physical sciences. There are some curious omissions--little is said about the electronics revolution and less about the computer revolution it spawned--but regarding fundamentals, The Age of Science is hard to beat. Some readers may feel a bit out of depth during the more arcane discussions, but a competent scientific dictionary should help immensely. The semi-calligraphic illustrations hit the mark more often than not, yielding a new milestone of scientific literacy. --Rob Lightner

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published October 1, 2001

Reviews

[Sam knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is an excellent compendium of scientific discoveries from the 20th century. the topics are many and varied, ranging from biology, sociology, paleontology, physics, astronomy and many more. the thing that impresses me the most is the fine level of detail and accuracy entailed within every page. when you start reading the part about the basic tenets of astronomy, or perhaps the philosophical debunking of quantum theory, expect to be briefed on the history and contemporary development of those things, with tidbits on the lives of the men who worked on them. I won't lie this is not an easy read, has a lot of names to remember, but still consider this to be a book worth reading.