Medieval Science

Science & Discovery

by Jack Sanders, Edwin Newman (Narrator)

Many believe the "Middle Ages" lacked progress, yet during this time algebra was developed, and Islamic scholars preserved and extended Greek thought (which otherwise was lost). Metallurgy (and its speculative counterpart, alchemy) led to a deeper understanding of materials. These advances set the stage for the Renaissance--and a scientific revolution.

The Science and Discovery series recreates one of history's most successful journeys--four thousand years of scientific efforts to better understand and control the physical world. Science has often challenged and upset conventional wisdom or accepted practices; this is a story of vested interests and independent thinkers, experiments and theories, change and progress. Aristotle, Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Einstein, and many others are featured.

Genres: Science, History, Audiobook

3 pages, Audio CD

First published March 1, 1993

Reviews

[Alex Shrugged · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just loved the perspective this audiobook gave on the importance of alchemy. It was a serious science, using what was known of the properties of matter at the time. No doubt in a thousand years our progeny will look back on our own scientific assumptions and laugh... knock on wood, eh? :-)

I'd listen to this audiobook again.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best aspect of this audiobook was hearing Edwin Newman's narration. Haven't heard his voice in decades. Unfortunately, a major downside was the decision to use readers with phony accents voice quotations from scientists from other cultures. Major mistake. The science history was breezy and superficial, but it did provide a clear sequence of discoveries and inventions that migrated around the world. If you've read any science history, skip this.

[Ross Owen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is exactly what it says in the title - a brief overview of the history of philosophy and early scientific thinking in medieval europe, roughly from 500 - 1000 AD. Nothing in depth, but it provides a nice timeline of important developments that an interested person can look into more.

[Brannigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read/listen. Historical timeline of scientific discovery during the Middle Ages. The main focus is in Asia and Arabia. At the end they talk a little bit about Europe.

[RA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very nice, concise historical overview of science & discovery during the "darkness" of the medieval era.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook. It may have been better to read because following all of the names and places and dates was a bit hard to follow. It was a good, fairly brief, summation of the dark ages and how and where science did take place, and how it was blocked by the Church, along with being fostered in foreign lands. The scientific heyday in Islam figured largely, and it is a good thing the Muslim world preserved and furthered science when Europe was caught in religious fundamentalism. Now, of course, we are seeing another fundamentalism that is hostile to science in much of the Western world.

[Jessica Trapp]

Medieval History Research.

[Danyel Lawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and practically useful.