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El país de los sueños perdidos: Historia de la ciencia en España
En esta obra monumental, largamente necesitada, el profesor y miembro de la Real Academia Española José Manuel Sánchez Ron analiza, e interpreta, la historia de la ciencia que se hizo en España desde el siglo vii, cuando Isidoro de Sevilla escribió sus Etimologías, hasta la promulgación de la denominada "Ley de la Ciencia" en 1986.
A lo largo de los siglos, no han faltado españoles capaces de apreciar el valor de la ciencia, entendida como un sueño al que merece la pena dedicarse, por su valor intrínseco, como el mejor instrumento de que disponemos para entender todo lo que nos rodea, pero también por su innegable utilidad para facilitarnos la vida. Esta es la historia de todas esas personas -y de las instituciones en que trabajaron-, que, condicionadas por la situación política, económica, militar o social del país, se dedicaron a la ciencia y vivieron momentos de esperanza pero también de frustración, al comprobar que sus sueños se habían perdido, que despertaban en un país que no era el que ellos habían deseado. Escrito con una prosa admirable, El país de los sueños perdidos nos habla del ayer, pero también de un mañana que los españoles deberían esforzarse en construir.
A lo largo de los siglos, no han faltado españoles capaces de apreciar el valor de la ciencia, entendida como un sueño al que merece la pena dedicarse, por su valor intrínseco, como el mejor instrumento de que disponemos para entender todo lo que nos rodea, pero también por su innegable utilidad para facilitarnos la vida. Esta es la historia de todas esas personas -y de las instituciones en que trabajaron-, que, condicionadas por la situación política, económica, militar o social del país, se dedicaron a la ciencia y vivieron momentos de esperanza pero también de frustración, al comprobar que sus sueños se habían perdido, que despertaban en un país que no era el que ellos habían deseado. Escrito con una prosa admirable, El país de los sueños perdidos nos habla del ayer, pero también de un mañana que los españoles deberían esforzarse en construir.
1152 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 26, 2024
What first drew me to this book (besides its attractive cover) was the seeming absurdity of its premise. The history of science in Spain? That was like writing a history of Yorkshire pudding in Italy—possible, I suppose, but not what the country is exactly known for. The historian would have a hard time filling up 1,000 pages on that subject, or so I thought. Thus I prepared myself to be surprised at the overlooked glories of Spanish science.
This was a mistake. A great many passages and pages of this volume are spent in bemoaning the dearth of science in Spain: the lack of institutional support, equipment, training, and financial resources, which has historically put Spain behind its European peers in the field of science. Insofar as Sánchez Ron has an explanation for this, it is that Spain was a latecomer to both the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution—though why this should be, he does not really try to answer.
In any case, whatever Spain has lacked, the country has still been the birthplace of many notable scientists. The greatest of all was, undoubtedly, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, the father of neuroscience, and the first Spaniard to win a Nobel Prize in science. But he was far from alone. In the 18th century, Jorge Juan y Santacilia helped to confirm that the Earth is not a perfect sphere; and his contemporary Antonio de Ulloa published some of the first descriptions of platinum. José Echegaray was a polymath of almost absurd dimensions, being a mathematician, scientist, and politician, in addition to a Nobel Prize winning dramatist. And Leonardo Torres y Quevedo was an innovative engineer, whose work spanned from dirigibles to chess machines.
It is clear enough, then, that Spain had as rich a pool of talent as any other country. As Sánchez Ron concludes, what the country has historically lacked are institutions to foster this talent—a state of affairs which, thankfully, has changed quite a bit in this century.
When you read a book with 1,000 pages in small font, you are going to learn a thing or two, and I certainly have. However, I must say that I was ultimately disappointed. Partly this is my fault, as El país de los sueños perdidos is far more academic than I expected it to be (given its romantic title).
Sánchez Ron is a member of the Real Academia Española; and as befitting such an august body, his prose is elegant and polished. That being said, he does not make much of an attempt to interest his readers. In other histories of science that I have read, the historian strove to give an idea of the science as well as the scientists—some explanation of why a person’s work was so important. Sánchez Ron hardly touches on the actual science, being far more interested in academic and institutional details, such as the number of publications or laboratories, the specific academic titles and posts held where and when, and so on—in other word, things which are of scant interest to anyone but a member of the field. Almost completely lacking is the excitement of discovery that, in my mind, is so integral to the history of science.
Another tiresome feature of this book is the number of quotations. Rather than telling the story mainly in his own words, Sánchez Ron opted to quote heavily from his source materials. In some chapters, almost half of the text is not his own, but an extended citation. Sánchez Ron defends this choice in the prologue (my translation):
This sounds noble and justifiable enough in theory. In practice, many of the quotations are of memorandums, decrees, laws, and letters, often written in a stilted and bureaucratic style. I think the book would have much improved had Sánchez Ron been more selective in his quotations, rather than including document after document in the main text of the book.
One cannot be overly critical, however, as this is undeniably a book of painstaking scholarship, written with scrupulous care, offering an overview of a subject that has often been overlooked. Doubtless, many students and scholars will find a great deal of value in El país de los sueños perdidos. But for even an interested layperson, it is a taxing read.
This was a mistake. A great many passages and pages of this volume are spent in bemoaning the dearth of science in Spain: the lack of institutional support, equipment, training, and financial resources, which has historically put Spain behind its European peers in the field of science. Insofar as Sánchez Ron has an explanation for this, it is that Spain was a latecomer to both the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution—though why this should be, he does not really try to answer.
In any case, whatever Spain has lacked, the country has still been the birthplace of many notable scientists. The greatest of all was, undoubtedly, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, the father of neuroscience, and the first Spaniard to win a Nobel Prize in science. But he was far from alone. In the 18th century, Jorge Juan y Santacilia helped to confirm that the Earth is not a perfect sphere; and his contemporary Antonio de Ulloa published some of the first descriptions of platinum. José Echegaray was a polymath of almost absurd dimensions, being a mathematician, scientist, and politician, in addition to a Nobel Prize winning dramatist. And Leonardo Torres y Quevedo was an innovative engineer, whose work spanned from dirigibles to chess machines.
It is clear enough, then, that Spain had as rich a pool of talent as any other country. As Sánchez Ron concludes, what the country has historically lacked are institutions to foster this talent—a state of affairs which, thankfully, has changed quite a bit in this century.
When you read a book with 1,000 pages in small font, you are going to learn a thing or two, and I certainly have. However, I must say that I was ultimately disappointed. Partly this is my fault, as El país de los sueños perdidos is far more academic than I expected it to be (given its romantic title).
Sánchez Ron is a member of the Real Academia Española; and as befitting such an august body, his prose is elegant and polished. That being said, he does not make much of an attempt to interest his readers. In other histories of science that I have read, the historian strove to give an idea of the science as well as the scientists—some explanation of why a person’s work was so important. Sánchez Ron hardly touches on the actual science, being far more interested in academic and institutional details, such as the number of publications or laboratories, the specific academic titles and posts held where and when, and so on—in other word, things which are of scant interest to anyone but a member of the field. Almost completely lacking is the excitement of discovery that, in my mind, is so integral to the history of science.
Another tiresome feature of this book is the number of quotations. Rather than telling the story mainly in his own words, Sánchez Ron opted to quote heavily from his source materials. In some chapters, almost half of the text is not his own, but an extended citation. Sánchez Ron defends this choice in the prologue (my translation):
Perhaps it will surprise—or annoy—some readers that, on occasion [it was more than occassional!], I have included long quotations. This was a conscious decision, motivated by my desire to recover voices that are often lost, save for the memory offered by history—to give constancy to words, to writings, of some of the protagonists of my reconstruction.
This sounds noble and justifiable enough in theory. In practice, many of the quotations are of memorandums, decrees, laws, and letters, often written in a stilted and bureaucratic style. I think the book would have much improved had Sánchez Ron been more selective in his quotations, rather than including document after document in the main text of the book.
One cannot be overly critical, however, as this is undeniably a book of painstaking scholarship, written with scrupulous care, offering an overview of a subject that has often been overlooked. Doubtless, many students and scholars will find a great deal of value in El país de los sueños perdidos. But for even an interested layperson, it is a taxing read.
March 19, 2021
El libro es más académico que divulgativo, por lo que es, posiblemente más difícil de leer que otros pero, es muy interesante y me ha parecido muy necesario, más más este momento en el que nos estamos planteando tanto sobre como se hace la investigación en España.
October 30, 2023
Libro exquisito. Obra de referencia, sin duda, de la historia de la ciencia en España. Huye de la aridez, supuestamente "académica" , haciendo más cercano y accesible al lector su contenido mediante el recurso de dejar que los protagonistas hablen con su propia voz a través de su correspondencia o discursos originales.
Deja un poso de amargura al constatar la nefasta influencia de la política, a lo largo de los siglos, en el desarrollo científico de nuestro país. El capítulo de Guerra Civil y Exilio me resultó especialmente demoledor.
Lo recomiendo encarecidamente advirtiendo , eso sí, que por su extensión y profundidad exige una lectura pausada.
No se trata solo del problema de la ciencia en España, sino también, y acaso sobre todo, del problema de España. Más aún para el futuro, que es lo verdaderamente importante. El pasado, pasado está. Aprendamos de él.<\i>
Deja un poso de amargura al constatar la nefasta influencia de la política, a lo largo de los siglos, en el desarrollo científico de nuestro país. El capítulo de Guerra Civil y Exilio me resultó especialmente demoledor.
Lo recomiendo encarecidamente advirtiendo , eso sí, que por su extensión y profundidad exige una lectura pausada.
No se trata solo del problema de la ciencia en España, sino también, y acaso sobre todo, del problema de España. Más aún para el futuro, que es lo verdaderamente importante. El pasado, pasado está. Aprendamos de él.<\i>
September 15, 2022
El autor describe con magnífica pluma los personajes, sucesos y organismos que han sido protagonistas de los avances de la ciencia a lo largo de la historia. La obra proporciona información esencial para aumentar la cultura del lector y el conocimiento de la historia de la ciencia en España. Muy recomendable.
May 18, 2023
Una lectura muy sobrecargada que llega a entrar en materia de manera asintótica. Demasiadas
Referencias externas y corta/pega. Sólo lo recomendaría como lectura en el ámbito académico.
Referencias externas y corta/pega. Sólo lo recomendaría como lectura en el ámbito académico.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews