What do you think?
Rate this book
On the Art and Craft of Doing Science
A scientist’s personal reflections on how to harness creativity and curiosity to generate new ideas and discover the unexpected
Like any creative endeavor, science can be a messy and chaotic affair. On the Art and Craft of Doing Science shares the creative process of an innovative and accomplished scientist, taking readers behind the scenes of some of his most pioneering investigations and explaining why the practice of science, far from being an orderly exercise in pure logic, is a form of creative expression like any other art.
Kenneth Catania begins by discussing how ideas set the stage for scientific breakthroughs and goes on to describe ways to approach experimental design. He sheds light on the importance of art in making discoveries and demonstrates how to find and tell a compelling story about a scientific result while accurately communicating its findings. What role does failure play in science? Is it possible to fail better? How do you define success? Catania provides insights to these and other questions, along the way sharing the lessons he’s learned from diverse figures ranging from science philosopher Thomas Kuhn to novelist Stephen King.
Blending illuminating historical examples with insights from Catania’s own groundbreaking research in biology and neuroscience, On the Art and Craft of Doing Science draws parallels with art and writing to reveal the creative side to the practice of good science.
Like any creative endeavor, science can be a messy and chaotic affair. On the Art and Craft of Doing Science shares the creative process of an innovative and accomplished scientist, taking readers behind the scenes of some of his most pioneering investigations and explaining why the practice of science, far from being an orderly exercise in pure logic, is a form of creative expression like any other art.
Kenneth Catania begins by discussing how ideas set the stage for scientific breakthroughs and goes on to describe ways to approach experimental design. He sheds light on the importance of art in making discoveries and demonstrates how to find and tell a compelling story about a scientific result while accurately communicating its findings. What role does failure play in science? Is it possible to fail better? How do you define success? Catania provides insights to these and other questions, along the way sharing the lessons he’s learned from diverse figures ranging from science philosopher Thomas Kuhn to novelist Stephen King.
Blending illuminating historical examples with insights from Catania’s own groundbreaking research in biology and neuroscience, On the Art and Craft of Doing Science draws parallels with art and writing to reveal the creative side to the practice of good science.
- GenresScience
224 pages, Hardcover
Published February 18, 2025
7 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 3, 2025
It looks as though I am the first reviewer on Goodreads. What an honor.
I don't remember how I found this book, perhaps someone I follow put it on their "want to read list".
I think a title that would more reflect what I derived from the read would be "Letters to Budding Scientists".
The author describes his path through science. The successes, the failures (bravo, someone admits not everything worked as planned), and the evolution of experiments. What I derived as the main theme was that the original hypothesis is most likely to change as data comes from early experiments. Indeed the genius is coming up with the hypothesis, not the rigorous proof. This genius is not unlike other arts where imagination and deep dives into novel frontiers is important. The book uses quotes from Steven King on the art of writing, and adapting.
I suspect the author drank a bit of his own elixir while writing as the tone of the book changed from the original premise. This would have been 5 stars, but the ideas are not new, and many others have discussed each of the topics... many, many times.
My favorite quote
"It is easy to fill a lab with equipment, but there is no ideas store"
I don't remember how I found this book, perhaps someone I follow put it on their "want to read list".
I think a title that would more reflect what I derived from the read would be "Letters to Budding Scientists".
The author describes his path through science. The successes, the failures (bravo, someone admits not everything worked as planned), and the evolution of experiments. What I derived as the main theme was that the original hypothesis is most likely to change as data comes from early experiments. Indeed the genius is coming up with the hypothesis, not the rigorous proof. This genius is not unlike other arts where imagination and deep dives into novel frontiers is important. The book uses quotes from Steven King on the art of writing, and adapting.
I suspect the author drank a bit of his own elixir while writing as the tone of the book changed from the original premise. This would have been 5 stars, but the ideas are not new, and many others have discussed each of the topics... many, many times.
My favorite quote
"It is easy to fill a lab with equipment, but there is no ideas store"
June 13, 2025
What a delight!
There’s a common misconception that science is rigid and uncreative, making it the opposite of an art. Catania dispels this myth in just 183 pages.
Readers wondering where the fun is in science will find this book both accessible and enlightening, as the writing is simple and free of jargon. (And there are QR codes that link to videos of the author’s own experiments!)
Readers who, like me, spend their days writing and conducting experiments, may gain even more from this book. Catania clearly loves what he does, and he’s inspired me to look for the same excitement in my day-to-day work. (Plus, the last two chapters make it especially valuable for scientists early in their careers.)
So whether you work in science or not, this is a highly entertaining and worthwhile read. I’ve already ordered Catania’s previous book!
There’s a common misconception that science is rigid and uncreative, making it the opposite of an art. Catania dispels this myth in just 183 pages.
Readers wondering where the fun is in science will find this book both accessible and enlightening, as the writing is simple and free of jargon. (And there are QR codes that link to videos of the author’s own experiments!)
Readers who, like me, spend their days writing and conducting experiments, may gain even more from this book. Catania clearly loves what he does, and he’s inspired me to look for the same excitement in my day-to-day work. (Plus, the last two chapters make it especially valuable for scientists early in their careers.)
So whether you work in science or not, this is a highly entertaining and worthwhile read. I’ve already ordered Catania’s previous book!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews