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The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way
Readers will travel back in time to ancient Babylonia, Egypt, and Greece. They will meet the world's first astronomers, mathematicians, and physicists and explore the lives and ideas of such famous people as Pythagoras, Archimedes, Brahmagupta, al-Khwarizmi, Fibonacci, Ptolemy, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas. Hakim will introduce them to Aristotle—one of the greatest philosophers of all time—whose scientific ideas dominated much of the world for eighteen centuries.
In the three-book The Story of Science series, master storyteller Joy Hakim narrates the evolution of scientific thought from ancient times to the present. With lively, character-driven narrative, Hakim spotlights the achievements of some of the world's greatest scientists and encourages a similiar spirit of inquiry in readers. The books include hundreds of color photographs, charts, maps, and diagrams; informative sidebars; suggestions for further reading; and excerpts from the writings of great scientists.
In the three-book The Story of Science series, master storyteller Joy Hakim narrates the evolution of scientific thought from ancient times to the present. With lively, character-driven narrative, Hakim spotlights the achievements of some of the world's greatest scientists and encourages a similiar spirit of inquiry in readers. The books include hundreds of color photographs, charts, maps, and diagrams; informative sidebars; suggestions for further reading; and excerpts from the writings of great scientists.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2004
106 people are currently reading
624 people want to read
About the author
Joy Hakim
140 books80 followersI've just updated A HISTORY OF US to include some new stories, especially those on people who haven't had their full story told, like Native Americans and African Americans. I've been astounded by some of what I've learned, I think you will be too.
My husband and I live most of the year in Colorado. I grew up in Rutland, Vermont and graduated from Rutland High School. I earned a bachelor's degree in government at Smith College, a master's degree in education from Goucher College, as well as an honorary doctorate from Goucher.
I've been a teacher: in Syracuse, New York; Omaha, Nebraska; and Virginia Beach, Virginia. And I've taught in elementary school, middle school, high school, and in a community college.
I've also been a newspaper woman: a general reporter, a business reporter, and an associate editor and editorial writer at Norfolk's Virginian-Pilot.
We have three children and five grandchildren.
from: http://www.joyhakim.com/biography.html
My husband and I live most of the year in Colorado. I grew up in Rutland, Vermont and graduated from Rutland High School. I earned a bachelor's degree in government at Smith College, a master's degree in education from Goucher College, as well as an honorary doctorate from Goucher.
I've been a teacher: in Syracuse, New York; Omaha, Nebraska; and Virginia Beach, Virginia. And I've taught in elementary school, middle school, high school, and in a community college.
I've also been a newspaper woman: a general reporter, a business reporter, and an associate editor and editorial writer at Norfolk's Virginian-Pilot.
We have three children and five grandchildren.
from: http://www.joyhakim.com/biography.html
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
June 9, 2015
Could have been a "Worth my time" (4 stars) save the subtle and not-so-subtle anti-Christian elements, the more frustrating because the book is in a textbook format targeted at a high-school audience..
Hakim spends (rightly so) most of the book talking about the Greek philosophers and their contributions to the philosophy of science. The contributions of the Greek philosophers are foundational pillars of Western civilization, but they were the mere pinnacles of a society where the great majority of the population lived mean and desperate lives, about which nothing is said.
However, says Hakim, when the Christians arrived, "since most ordinary people were illiterate, they had to believe what others told them"--apparently a symptom of the Dark Ages which the Christians brought with them. But Hakim never talked about "ordinary people" in the Greek and Roman eras, who were also mostly illiterate and "had to" believe what others told them, and Hakim certainly does not show any statistics of the relative literacy rates before and during the Dark Ages.
Says Hakim: "Question asking just for the sake of learning--the Greeks' great gift to all of us--began to seem pointless." But that attitude of questioning is a gift to US from the Greeks THROUGH the prism of Western civilization, founded in part on the Greek philosophers and in part on Christian ideas of the individual worth of man and the mind to "reason out" salvation. It was not a gift to "all of them"--both the great mass of Greek and later "barbarian" or Christian populations living during the Greco-Roman and Dark Ages.
In fact, it is more accurate to say that Christianity is the portal through which the world came to discover the great Greek philosophers, without which they would have been and would even today remain largely unknown and forgotten in a truly Dark Age.
Hakim also misstates Christian theology by saying "Baptism, to a Christian, is the washing away of sins." Neither Jesus nor any other New Testament writer ever makes that claim. She also claims that Christians believed in the "Flat Earth" theory because "the Bible's stories seemed to make it [round Earth] an impossibility." However, she neglects to point out that nearly everyone at the time, Christian and non-Christian, literate or illiterate, believed in the flat earth. Her statement blatantly ignores several scripture references which point to a round earth:
--Job 26:7 explains that the earth is suspended in space, the obvious comparison being with the spherical sun and moon.
--A literal translation of Job 26:10 is "He described a circle upon the face of the waters, until the day and night come to an end."
--A spherical earth is also described in Isaiah 40:21-22 - "the circle of the earth."
But whatever they believed, Hakim places the blame for the Dark Ages squarely on the shoulders of Christians: "Rome had permitted Christianity since 313, and many of the barbarians were now Christians." Every dog in this fight was a Christian, so it must be their fault!
After all this, however, the book is still worthwhile reading because it does stir one to consider the roots of culture, learning, art, and religion that Western civilization is based on, and makes one want to study more. For that, if nothing else, this book is worth reading.
Hakim spends (rightly so) most of the book talking about the Greek philosophers and their contributions to the philosophy of science. The contributions of the Greek philosophers are foundational pillars of Western civilization, but they were the mere pinnacles of a society where the great majority of the population lived mean and desperate lives, about which nothing is said.
However, says Hakim, when the Christians arrived, "since most ordinary people were illiterate, they had to believe what others told them"--apparently a symptom of the Dark Ages which the Christians brought with them. But Hakim never talked about "ordinary people" in the Greek and Roman eras, who were also mostly illiterate and "had to" believe what others told them, and Hakim certainly does not show any statistics of the relative literacy rates before and during the Dark Ages.
Says Hakim: "Question asking just for the sake of learning--the Greeks' great gift to all of us--began to seem pointless." But that attitude of questioning is a gift to US from the Greeks THROUGH the prism of Western civilization, founded in part on the Greek philosophers and in part on Christian ideas of the individual worth of man and the mind to "reason out" salvation. It was not a gift to "all of them"--both the great mass of Greek and later "barbarian" or Christian populations living during the Greco-Roman and Dark Ages.
In fact, it is more accurate to say that Christianity is the portal through which the world came to discover the great Greek philosophers, without which they would have been and would even today remain largely unknown and forgotten in a truly Dark Age.
Hakim also misstates Christian theology by saying "Baptism, to a Christian, is the washing away of sins." Neither Jesus nor any other New Testament writer ever makes that claim. She also claims that Christians believed in the "Flat Earth" theory because "the Bible's stories seemed to make it [round Earth] an impossibility." However, she neglects to point out that nearly everyone at the time, Christian and non-Christian, literate or illiterate, believed in the flat earth. Her statement blatantly ignores several scripture references which point to a round earth:
--Job 26:7 explains that the earth is suspended in space, the obvious comparison being with the spherical sun and moon.
--A literal translation of Job 26:10 is "He described a circle upon the face of the waters, until the day and night come to an end."
--A spherical earth is also described in Isaiah 40:21-22 - "the circle of the earth."
But whatever they believed, Hakim places the blame for the Dark Ages squarely on the shoulders of Christians: "Rome had permitted Christianity since 313, and many of the barbarians were now Christians." Every dog in this fight was a Christian, so it must be their fault!
After all this, however, the book is still worthwhile reading because it does stir one to consider the roots of culture, learning, art, and religion that Western civilization is based on, and makes one want to study more. For that, if nothing else, this book is worth reading.
October 15, 2008
I liked this book, I did. The concept is one I support: kids (everyone, really) should have a deeper understanding of the history of science and its impact on the world. Hakim did a good job of writing about people, which makeds for a narrative style that is more accessible. She also did a fantastic job of describing what science is - and active process based on experimenting and testing hypotheses - and how wrong answers can end up being helpful. What I didn't like was the format. The book felt like an elementary school textbook, with all of the extra information surrounding the text that interrupts and distracts students trying to read. I can't tell you how many times I got near the end of a page and had a little debate with myself about whether I was going to stop in the middle of a sentence in order to read all the blurbs, or turn the page and finish the sentence only to then turn the page back. This may seem minor, but when you are a struggling reader, or easily distracted . . . it can be a problem.
Also - enough with the religion already. The last couple/few chapters made me gag a bit: 'can we find a way to let reason and faith coexist?' Please. A bunch of the god stuff toward the end could have been removed and left behind a stronger text; it wasn't there because it was necesary. On the other hand, though this was very much a European history, Hakim did a good job of including examples from cultures world wide, and of rationalizing her focus. All in all, a solid means of intriducing people to science through the ages.
Also - enough with the religion already. The last couple/few chapters made me gag a bit: 'can we find a way to let reason and faith coexist?' Please. A bunch of the god stuff toward the end could have been removed and left behind a stronger text; it wasn't there because it was necesary. On the other hand, though this was very much a European history, Hakim did a good job of including examples from cultures world wide, and of rationalizing her focus. All in all, a solid means of intriducing people to science through the ages.
August 16, 2013
Absolutely fantastic. I've read the history series by Joy Hakim, but either because I had to read them or because I couldn't remember a word of what I'd read, I didn't like that series so much as this one.
It's fascinating how Hakim manages to weave a story of all these people and their discoveries. If science fascinated me as much as it's starting to, I'd probably dump everything else I'm doing to read the recommended reading, and Plato, and Plutarch, and so on and so forth.
I can't recommend it enough. No matter your age, you should read this book at least once.
It's fascinating how Hakim manages to weave a story of all these people and their discoveries. If science fascinated me as much as it's starting to, I'd probably dump everything else I'm doing to read the recommended reading, and Plato, and Plutarch, and so on and so forth.
I can't recommend it enough. No matter your age, you should read this book at least once.
Read
November 9, 2022DNF
I'm going to get back to this book at some point, it's not bad, I'm just not in the mood to read non-fiction right now.
I'm going to get back to this book at some point, it's not bad, I'm just not in the mood to read non-fiction right now.
October 12, 2021
Dain gives this volume 4 stars, because learning the actual origins and history of science made it much more interesting than he previously thought. I agree! It's fascinating to see the foundations laid over time (lots and lots of time) of humanity's journey through discovery.
Hakim's relatable writing style made this book more of a living volume, and much less of a textbook. With lots of illustrations, sidebars, and quotes from the greatest thinkers, it stayed interesting more often than not.
Excited to pick up the next volume!
Hakim's relatable writing style made this book more of a living volume, and much less of a textbook. With lots of illustrations, sidebars, and quotes from the greatest thinkers, it stayed interesting more often than not.
Excited to pick up the next volume!
January 2, 2015
This series is an absolute favorite at my house. My two kids & I started reading these together when they were in elementary school (I knew some stuff would need to be re-read at an older age to get the full benefit of), and my oldest is still enjoying them in middle school. They could easily be beneficial for high school and college age students. I would have enjoyed them on my own, a middle-aged adult, without having kids to read them with. This is the mark of a great "story teller," in the age-old sense, that can touch what engages people from the youngest to the oldest.
If you have a "classical" or "unschooling" approach to learning in your home, or look for "living books," if you like the interdisciplinary approach of "big history," you will likely enjoy this series and the way it integrates many disciplines into an engaging and rich text, strong on narrative and story. It does not unnaturally break art, literature, history, science and math away from each other, but uses them all to illuminate each other, and us.
As religious bent is often a question of parents picking out books to use with their kids, I will say that my home comes from a secular viewpoint with a great respect and appreciation for religious traditions as an integral part of the human experience and many individuals' lives, and we found the tone of ths book very palatable. In my former days as a devout believer, I think I would have found the book generally respectful and positive, but may have wanted to tweak the view-point to be more flattering of historical Christian religious belief when talking about historical clashes with a scientific view of the world. Nothing so bad that I couldn't "fix it" with a conversation with my kids, if I was of that mind. I would have found plenty of worth in the books, and nothing overly offensive. Amazingly, I think I could safely recommend this book to both my devout religious and atheist friends, to read with their kids.
If you have a "classical" or "unschooling" approach to learning in your home, or look for "living books," if you like the interdisciplinary approach of "big history," you will likely enjoy this series and the way it integrates many disciplines into an engaging and rich text, strong on narrative and story. It does not unnaturally break art, literature, history, science and math away from each other, but uses them all to illuminate each other, and us.
As religious bent is often a question of parents picking out books to use with their kids, I will say that my home comes from a secular viewpoint with a great respect and appreciation for religious traditions as an integral part of the human experience and many individuals' lives, and we found the tone of ths book very palatable. In my former days as a devout believer, I think I would have found the book generally respectful and positive, but may have wanted to tweak the view-point to be more flattering of historical Christian religious belief when talking about historical clashes with a scientific view of the world. Nothing so bad that I couldn't "fix it" with a conversation with my kids, if I was of that mind. I would have found plenty of worth in the books, and nothing overly offensive. Amazingly, I think I could safely recommend this book to both my devout religious and atheist friends, to read with their kids.
November 11, 2013
Love this series! I highly recommend it for junior high and up. It is a wonderful way to look at history from the scientific angle. And a great way to learn about science by progressing with the people who figured things out! My friend who teaches college physics has a copy of this series for her students, and encourages them to read it for further understanding and mastery of their practical applications of science.
A way to bring science as a story about people and the times they lived! Inspiring.
A way to bring science as a story about people and the times they lived! Inspiring.
June 21, 2012
This book (volume 1 in a series) covers in depth the scientific contributions of Aristotle, Euclid, Archimedes, Bacon, Aquinas, Ptolemy, al-Mamun, al-Khwarizmi and others up to 1500 AD. It includes lots of pictures and is written for young people. The book matches up with the material covered in chapter 1 of the Apologia Science book Exploring Creation with General Science.
August 17, 2013
A wonderful story, finally I understood who these people were and what they were doing and in what time they lived, and why should I remember their accomplishments. And it is not only about the western discoveries, but also Chinese, Arab and so forth.
Currently reading
November 24, 2012Trying to decide if I can build a science curriculum from this series
December 11, 2020
Absolutely OUTSTANDING book! I loved Joy’s History of US series, but I think I may actually love this series even more! I dig science, and reading about the history of science has really been fascinating!
Joy has a very relaxed and interesting way of teaching history. Part lesson, part storytelling, 100% engaging!
I read this aloud to my 15yr old son as part of the Build Your Library curriculum lessons we are using...and he is not a history buff. But he DOES love science nearly as much as I do. And he enjoyed this book quite a bit as well. And that is saying a lot to get him interested in a history book!
The way she talked about life in ancient times, prior to discoveries that we just take as normal now...just really made me think! Blew my mind to imagine! Like... life before the discovery of zero! Whaaaat? Math with Roman numerals? Crazy!
I HIGHLY recommend this book! So good! Can’t wait to start the next!
Joy has a very relaxed and interesting way of teaching history. Part lesson, part storytelling, 100% engaging!
I read this aloud to my 15yr old son as part of the Build Your Library curriculum lessons we are using...and he is not a history buff. But he DOES love science nearly as much as I do. And he enjoyed this book quite a bit as well. And that is saying a lot to get him interested in a history book!
The way she talked about life in ancient times, prior to discoveries that we just take as normal now...just really made me think! Blew my mind to imagine! Like... life before the discovery of zero! Whaaaat? Math with Roman numerals? Crazy!
I HIGHLY recommend this book! So good! Can’t wait to start the next!
September 11, 2018
This book is fantastic! It is comprehensive and detailed. There is so much good information here. It's listed as for juvenile/middle-grade readers. I think many adults would benefit from reading it. I learned a lot, and I don't consider myself a total ignoramus when it comes to science and history. To be fair, there's plenty in here that I already knew; in fact, the vast majority. But the little details are fascinating, and I think the presentation is wonderful and the information is accurate. It took me a month to get through it, but it was worth it. I look forward to the next in the series.
February 12, 2024
A wonderful overview of early science. Full of engaging stories and connections forged the modern reader. This is a fantastic book to read with elementary to high school students together (as we did!)
December 3, 2019
This book was hard to read in the sense I would read it and then a day later forget everything I read.
Although the layout of the pictures and side notes are nice the writing itself is kind of confusing. She usually starts talking about a person at the beginning of the chapter and then goes down a rabbit hole and then goes back to the person I thought we had moved from and then another rabbit hole.
I get that she's trying to put yourself in the peoples shoes by explaining so much about the lanscapes and lifestyle but sometimes that can be so overwhelming that it overtakes the main purpose of teaching how science developed over the years.
Also, I didn't even read chapter 29 because my curriculum said it wasn't based off fact. I knew it was about aliens so I didn't even try.
Although the layout of the pictures and side notes are nice the writing itself is kind of confusing. She usually starts talking about a person at the beginning of the chapter and then goes down a rabbit hole and then goes back to the person I thought we had moved from and then another rabbit hole.
I get that she's trying to put yourself in the peoples shoes by explaining so much about the lanscapes and lifestyle but sometimes that can be so overwhelming that it overtakes the main purpose of teaching how science developed over the years.
Also, I didn't even read chapter 29 because my curriculum said it wasn't based off fact. I knew it was about aliens so I didn't even try.
November 8, 2019
This book was a textbook for my homeschool. It was okay, and it did have SOME facts that interested me, but overall it just wasn't that great. The blocks of info around the main text was sort of distracting, sometimes saying things that I didn't feel were entirely relevant. Hakim's writing style didn't engage me at all, but I knew I couldn't complain because it could have been a lot worse. Some "facts" felt super speculative to me, and I was like "How on earth does she know this???". Which brings me to Chapter 29.
My curriculum skipped this chapter due to "speculative and untested information" but I could read it if I wanted to, and I did because I was sort of interested and I felt I could say I read the book if I skipped a whole chapter. So I read it and was completely confused. After ALL of that information on Thales, Archimedes, Aristotle, and all the rest, suddenly this chapter starts off by being like " These Aliens on this planet called Thule are struggling to figure out how to travel in space, but they figure it out and find Earth and watch and make reports on "Humans", but we can't see them because they're hiding by a black hole (?????)."
Seriously. That is in essence what it said. And it was sort of written from the perspective of the "Thulians" or whatever. It literally sounded like a 15 year old boys' (who is a fan of Doctor Who, no doubt) attempt at a science fiction story. And Hakim gives no conclusion about this or anything to say where on earth she found this information- trust me, I looked. It totally left me feeling like I shouldn't believe a word she wrote at all.
Well, other than that chapter it was pretty good. But I'm still not sure about reading the next books in this series. But I have to, so until then.....
My curriculum skipped this chapter due to "speculative and untested information" but I could read it if I wanted to, and I did because I was sort of interested and I felt I could say I read the book if I skipped a whole chapter. So I read it and was completely confused. After ALL of that information on Thales, Archimedes, Aristotle, and all the rest, suddenly this chapter starts off by being like " These Aliens on this planet called Thule are struggling to figure out how to travel in space, but they figure it out and find Earth and watch and make reports on "Humans", but we can't see them because they're hiding by a black hole (?????)."
Seriously. That is in essence what it said. And it was sort of written from the perspective of the "Thulians" or whatever. It literally sounded like a 15 year old boys' (who is a fan of Doctor Who, no doubt) attempt at a science fiction story. And Hakim gives no conclusion about this or anything to say where on earth she found this information- trust me, I looked. It totally left me feeling like I shouldn't believe a word she wrote at all.
Well, other than that chapter it was pretty good. But I'm still not sure about reading the next books in this series. But I have to, so until then.....
September 10, 2017
Good stories. I should finish it.
September 7, 2008
Let me start by saying, we LOVED The History of US series. It was written in an amazingly engaging way, so that when my boys got to high school, they entered LOVING history, but once they began their correspondence program with the standard history texts found in public school classrooms and realized how the rest of the world learns history, they were sorely disappointed.
Having said that, The Story of Science had a different flavor to me. It was truly informative and well written, but not at all what we were expecting. It didn't have the same flow. We liked it, but didn't LOVE it.
There may be some available somewhere, but I would like to see some activity guides along with it.
Having said that, The Story of Science had a different flavor to me. It was truly informative and well written, but not at all what we were expecting. It didn't have the same flow. We liked it, but didn't LOVE it.
There may be some available somewhere, but I would like to see some activity guides along with it.
March 16, 2011
Although this book was written for elementary and middle school students I learned a lot from reading it. I knew very little about the ancient history of math and science. The story is fascinating. I was amazed by how much ancient thinkers were able to understand about the world and the universe with such rudimentary technology. The amount of knowledge lost throughout various time periods was so tragic. I had hoped that it would read more like a narrative but it is structured like a text book. However, I hope to adapt some of the chapters into stories to tell to my children.
June 23, 2015
It has been years since I have read any sort of science nonfiction book, and I am glad I chose this one to re-introduce myself to the genre. It is written to a middle school level, and includes a TON of pictures, which makes the subject more engaging. Although it does not go too in depth with any particular topic, it is an overview from the Ancients up through the Middle Ages, I was able to jot down several tangents I want to pursue further. I will definitely read the other Joy Hakim Story of Science books. Overall, a great survey of how the ancients thought about and conducted science.
September 20, 2009
This book is a rare treasure in the history of science books written for children. I think every child should read it! Gifted children can read is as early as 6-7 years of age. It is a story of science throughout the history of mankind. Illustrations are perfect, language is academic and engaging at the same time. The best book for children about the history of science I ever saw. There are 3 books, this one is the first.
January 9, 2011
For my homeschooling friends looking for a good science book to read with your children, this one is my favorite. This book has fabulous photographs and illustrations, interesting text, and is well organized. History, math, science, philosophy, and art are all included. It can be used as a jumping off point for disicussions, and you can easily add math to go along with the concepts that are handled in the book. This is the first of three books. Recommend it highly for 11-15 year olds.
June 24, 2016
Another great work by Hakim except this time on science. Science concepts are explained in the context of studying the people behind the inventions and discoveries. It is the history of science. It is interesting and fascinating. A wonderful way to learn science and make it personal by putting faces to the facts.
June 25, 2025
The Story of Science: Aristotle Leads the Way (Hardcover)
by Joy Hakim
Listing and describing in child friendly terms all the history of science starting with the Greeks and Aristotle, explaining the math, scientific break throughs and history that affected science.
by Joy Hakim
Listing and describing in child friendly terms all the history of science starting with the Greeks and Aristotle, explaining the math, scientific break throughs and history that affected science.
December 18, 2012
A great, but very information dense, read. If you're at all interested in science & how we know what we know, this book is well worth reading. You might find you need to take it in small doses though, or all the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, etc. start to blend. Still, fascinating!!!
Want to read
April 10, 2013This is a pretty amazing book! I'm loving it... BUT it will have to wait for a few more years... its too meaty and dense for Luke at this stage....
We'll choose another living science book for our morning basket time....
We'll choose another living science book for our morning basket time....
June 22, 2015
I love Joy Hakim's Story of US series. This series follows in the same vein, providing a thorough coverage of the history of science from ancient times to the present, coupled with an engagingly conversational and lighthearted narrative.
March 10, 2008
See "Newton at the Center"
June 20, 2008
I like the book, It's good, I guess.
August 29, 2008
reading for Newton's Universe
didn't finish, but got a good taste. love Hakim's style.
didn't finish, but got a good taste. love Hakim's style.
Want to read
December 15, 2008Smithsonian Book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews