Great Feuds in Science: Ten of the Liveliest Disputes Ever

by Hal Hellman

Hall Hellman tells the lively stories of ten of the most outrageous and intriguing disputes from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. Bringing the cataclysmic clash of ideas and personalities to colorful life, Hellman explores both the science and the spirit of the times. Along the way, he reveals that scientific feuds are fueled not only by the purest of intellectual disagreements, but also by intransigence, ambition, jealousy, politics, faith, and the irresistible human urge to be right.
Unusual insight into the development of science . . . I was excited by this book and enthusiastically recommend it to general as well as scientific audiences. - American Scientist
Hellman has assembled a series of entertaining tales… many fine examples of heady invective without parallel in our time. -Nature
An entertaining and informative account of the unusual personalities and sometimes bitter rivalries of some of the world's greatest scientific minds. -Publishers Weekly
A fascinating new book which details some of the most famous disputes of the ages. -Courier Mail
Dry science history turns into entertaining reading without sacrificing historical accuracy. -The Christchurch Press

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, History, History Of Science, Popular Science, Philosophy, Psychology

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Stewart Tame · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the idea of this book, but the execution was a bit lacking. As the title promises, this book covers ten famous disputes from the history of science, from the persecution of Galileo to the recent allegations of Margaret Mead having been hoaxed. While the disputes themselves may have been lively, this book is not. Everything is presented very matter-of-factly. Part of that may be that, for at least most of them, the debate is long over, and what was once controversial is now all but trivial. It's worth keeping in mind that there were eminently intelligent people on both sides of all of these disputes, and it's mainly because we now have additional information that was simply not available to them at the time that we are able to see clearly that they were wrong. Hellman has done his research, and the book is rich in detail. It's a bit lacking in drama, but the subject matter is interesting enough to overcome that.

[Rokhyiah Rahman · Rating 2 out of 5]

its kinda difficult to like a book when you disagree with the author on some rather large issue ie the theory of evolution vs creation (for me). I was expecting to see the issue being unravel by the author in a rather unbias fashion, but i didnt think that was the case with this one. however, it may probably be worth reading; it is certainly amusing and interesting to know real the person behind the big names in science such as Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Galileo Galilei, etc. They are certainly human being with their own idiosyncracies, and their own personal problems. It was more amusing to note that sometimes, the validity of a scientific theory depends on the acceptability of the theory by the public which most of the times depended on their ideology, their own interests, as well as the political and sociological situation.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Exactly what it says on the tin. Sometimes that's nice, of course, but a clever title wouldn't go awry.

The feuds here run the gamut, from genuine scientific disagreements to squabbling over who will get credit for inventing/discovering what and when, to societal and religious meddling in science. The choices obviously won't surprise anybody who knows much about the history of science. There's no new ground being broken here. It is, however, a fairly interesting read, especially if you're the sort of person who's likely to be interested in reading about scientific mudslinging anyways.

There are two sort of companion books, Great Feuds in Medicine and Great Feuds in History. Obviously I'll be reading those, too.

[Nirmal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Concept of the book is nice, but there are so many characters in each chapter it becomes difficult to get track of each. Some not so we'll know scientist are also included, I skipped those chapters. Also the book is partially biased favouring some scientists. I liked the chapter on Newton vs lebiniz and pope vs Galileo.

[Jerrod · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would say this book is an OK overview of some issues in the history of science. Good as a launching point for further reading rather than as a satisfying treatment of the issues.

[Jorge Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book on how disputes between well-known scientists helped build knowledge over the topics/concepts that they debated. My favorite one was the one between Newton and Leibniz. This is a great book for fellow science enthusiasts and it's book I'd see about purchasing for my classroom's library. It's important to learn about how science isn't static and concrete but is dynamic and abstract. Many of the scientists discussed in this book held to their own, even on to their death, throughout these disputes. They were passionate and sought to bring new knowledge to the world. This book showed that science is more than a set of facts about the universe but is really a method that can help us better understand and appreciate our wonderful world and universe that we live in.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

All does not run smooth in the world of science. Particularly when new ideas are first aired and the existing order is disturbed, sparks can fly! This entertaining book takes a look at several scientific disputes including the Catholic Church's inquisition of Galileo, Newton and Leibniz' battle over the discovery of calculus and the monumental arguments caused by Darwin's theory of evolution.

The book also covers the nature versus nurture debate and the troubles caused by attempting to age the earth. Each of these are presented in readable chapters, covering the main aspects of the disputes. This is a very enjoyable book in the "Great Feuds" series.

[Muhsin Dogan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tübitak’ın henüz tam anlamıyla yayın konusunda “siyaset” etkisi altında kalmadığı zamanlardan bir yayın olarak Hellman’ın bu kitabı kesinlikle okunmaya değer. Özellikle bilim tarihi ve bilim insanlarının biyografilerini takip eden okuyucu için doğru bir tercih olabilir. Temelde kitap, bilim alanında benzer dönemde yaşamış “büyük bilim” insanlarının yaşadıkları (çoğunlukla bilimsel yahut daha çok bilim temelli olarak adlandırılabilecek...) ve tartışmalarını sayfalarında okuyucuya sunmakta. Ben kişisel olarak Hobbes, Darwin ve son bölümün içeriği olan Margaret Mead’in bölümlerini çok beğendim.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty interesting.

It is over twenty years old now, so some of the things are outdated ("brontosaurus" is accepted now), but generally the only feud that is still ongoing is creation versus evolution.

Some things to note:
* except for the ongoing one, usually the sources of the feuds are a combination of not enough information (which time can solve) and ego (time is less likely to solve that one)
* the feuds may sometimes inspire more research, but are also likely to hold things back

[Matheus Evangelista De Souza · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a good read, it shows how things we take for granted had (and some still have) lots of controversy surrounding it.
It really brings the world of science closer to us and demystifies it quite a bit.
Still, I felt the author was very biased in some chapters and this took a lot from the reading experience.

[Daniel Wong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this on a family beach holiday. The highlights for me were the bits about Galileo's persecution, the history of the science of evolution of humans, the calculation of the age of the earth and plate tectonics theory. I think the development of the actual science interests me more all the stuff about the personal disagreements with individual scientists and how that played on in the press.

[Greta Schantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging and very relevant for anyone interested in the societal context of landmark scientific discoveries! Some of the information is dated, but hey, what do you expect for a book published in 1998? I really liked how the author drew connections and comparisons of the disputes through the chapters.

[Catherine Davison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immediately after finishing this I went online and subscribed to National Geographic, I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in the world of science: geology, anthropology, astronomy everything was fascinating. Shocking was the realisation that while I was reading about historical arguments from way back in the mid 1700s, the same arguments are still being levelled at science and scientists today by the ignorant and belligerent Religious Right.I had to shake my head in despair. A great read highly recommended.

[David Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a neat idea, but all of these feuds are better served in the books that have described them more in depth. Having already read about some of them in greater detail, this didn't feel like it added much.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some parts were interesting, some bland, and a few I skipped. I love learning what people used to know about science and how the knowledge changed. I am still shocked that plate tectonics and seafloor spreading were "discovered" and figured out on the 1960's and 70's!

[Desmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good not great book about some of the major controversies in science.

[Ollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing like some popular science to make one feel informed and smart!

In Great Disputes in Science, Hellman goes through what he considers to be the 10 greatest scientific disputes of all time. All of them are given in concise chapters, keeping the actual hard science to a minimum, and just focusing on the story telling (and gossip!) of what happened. Some of these disputes are more well known (like the Scopes Monkey trial, Galileo vs. the church, or basically everyone vs the church) while others I had no clue about (like Leaky and Johansen and the fossil dispute). So thanks to Hellman for bringing them to my attention!

Although I'm disappointed that Hellman didn't include the Tesla/Edison tiff, he nonetheless presents these disputes in a remarkably interesting and unbiased fashion and it becomes obvious in all of these disputes that all the fuss is actually about ego. Funny how sometimes the human nature doesn't change even over the course of hundreds of years.

A very fun read.

[Dr. Awkward · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great mix of science, history, and human insight.
The scientific treatment is understandably light, hopefully if anything that just encourages the reader to pursue their own studies; certainly, sufficient references are given.

The choice of feuds is interesting. Some are classic and expected, others surprising (e.g. Freeman v.s. Mead). In some cases it seemed the author was leaning slightly toward one side of an issue with his wording -- not just in terms of the science, but in terms of preference towards personality. The language was also occasionally overly colloquial, which made it difficult to take the book seriously at those moments.

Overall, however, this book is an enjoyable, and certainly educational read. I was introduced to fresh aspects of historical science I thought I knew well.

Definitely one for the bookshelves of any science lover, even if it isn't meet for a display case.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

very interesting. i'd love to give it to people who don't seem to understand what science is. It's not a long list of absolute facts and rules that have been handed down from generation to generation. Nor is it a boring field with people quietly fact-checking each other. no, it's people trying to figure out what's going on in the world, and people getting jealous, and truth sorta kinda winning out, as long as you wait long enough. and, come on -- that's cool!

(why am i not in the sciences? no no no computer science does not count!)

so we get 10 essays on various topics/feuds, from Galileo up thru Margaret Mead. it's pretty darn interesting. yay for non-fiction!

[Wealhtheow · Rating 3 out of 5]

In explaining scientific arguments, Hellman has to provide enough scientific and historical background to make the dispute clear while simultaneously keeping his explanation understandable to laymen. He does a pretty good job. I can't be objective about this book: I know some science too well and others I find horribly intimidating. For example, I found the chapter on calculus and philosophy (Newton vs. Leibniz) to be a bit obtuse, but the chapter on Darwin very simplified. My bias is clear! I think my favorite chapters were on continental drift, heliocentrism, and paleoanthropology.

[dejah_thoris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of the feuds in this book, as compared to the rest in the series, are direct but don't seem as heated for some reason. Definitely a solid selection of controversies except for the discussion on squaring the circle, which seems like it should've been in the math feuds book. Most of the middle discoveries build on each other, evolution, geology, plate tectonics, fossil dating, etc., which made following slightly easier. Overall, not a terrible way to learn about the major developments in science.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is informative, but dry. Particularly in the early chapters, Hellman introduces many characters in a short period of time, which can make the book hard to follow. Also, it's difficult to say that these extraneous characters add significant value to the discussion. Still, the book succeeds in giving the reader an appreciation of the difficulty that new scientific theories (and the scientists who develop them) face before they can become widely accepted.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just more reasons to be an atheist.

[rabbitprincess]

Haha, "Wegener vs. Everybody". That's a great match-up.

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, well written, informative. Loved it.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book numberous times, and it never gets old. I just loved it! It combines my love of history and science.

[Elliedakota · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was familiar with most of the discoveries, but not the bit about dinosaurs - fascinating back stories that you won't find in textbooks!

[Elizabeth Cárdenas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting through it. I expected it to be much lighter than it turned out to be. Really, feuds should be more exciting than this.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating read.

I knew about Gallileo's problems with the church... However, I had no idea that the pope who "went after him" used to be a supporter and friend (IIRC) before he became pope.