| View Larger Image | The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing | Hardcoverby Richard Dawkins (Editor)
| List Price: | $34.95 | | Price: | $23.07 | | You Save: | $11.88 (34%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | Hardcover | | Publisher: | Oxford University Press, USA | | Page Count: | 448 Pages | | Publication Date: | June 15, 2008 | | Sales Rank: | 37,511th |
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FEATURES | - ISBN13: 9780199216802
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
Boasting almost one hundred pieces, The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing is a breathtaking celebration of the finest writing by scientists--the best such collection in print--packed with scintillating essays on everything from "The Discovery of Lucy" to "The Terror and Vastness of the Universe." Edited by best-selling author and renowned scientist Richard Dawkins, this sterling collection brings together exhilarating pieces by a who's who of scientists and science writers, including Stephen Pinker, Stephen Jay Gould, Martin Gardner, Albert Einstein, Julian Huxley, and many dozens more. Readers will find excerpts from bestsellers such as Douglas R. Hofstadter's Godel, Escher, Bach, Francis Crick's Life Itself, Loren Eiseley's The Immense Journey, Daniel Dennett's Darwin's Dangerous Idea, and Rachel Carson's The Sea Around Us. There are classic essays ranging from J.B.S. Haldane's "On Being the Right Size" and Garrett Hardin's "The Tragedy of the Commons" to Alan Turing's "Computing Machinery and Intelligence" and Albert Einstein's famed New York Times article on "Relativity." And readers will also discover lesser-known but engaging pieces such as Lewis Thomas's "Seven Wonders of Science," J. Robert Oppenheimer on "War and Physicists," and Freeman Dyson's memoir of studying under Hans Bethe. A must-read volume for all science buffs, The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing is a rich and vibrant anthology that captures the poetry and excitement of scientific thought and discovery. One of New Scientist's Editor's Picks for 2008 |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 5.0 based on 17 reviews)
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the latest century of science writing and the art of becoming human by JohnnyBGoode  5 Stars
October 26, 2009
i am not yet far into this book, and i have never been one to doubt the deep humanity of real scientists, so for me these collections of writing of discovery and re-discovery are better than icing the cake; windows into a struggle to keep us human rather than remove the spirit we contain.
- nor do i confound these writings with any deistic or apologist rubbish -
I am sure both science and religion should be better understood as the latter leading to the former, and so it may be observed that misconception should lead to a more refined conception, if the mind is kept open as well as the eyes - but misconception, and what else could one really be expected to begin with? -if held to too tightly becomes moribund superstition rather quickly, and stifles all progress better than going back in time and killing one's own ancestors, to make a bit of a tacky and flawed analogy.
SO . . . Highly recommended for those who would be willing to read deeply, reflect with wonder, and come to see the staircase of our species' growing knowledge as our trail from the dirt to the stars, rather than a misguided tower of babble -
in other words,: don't be one of those who wonder how children in, say, China learn to speak their language so well yet don't speak ours - please?
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It will intrigue you. no doubt. by Chad Brown (Richmond, VA, USA) 5 Stars
May 21, 2009
This book is proof that Richard Dawkins really does cherish his role as "Professor for public understanding of science". He really does want the world to learn and not only from his mouth.
The book itself is a compilation of OTHER science writers about THEIR work.
Personally, my interests lie in biology, but this book has opened my eyes to the world of astronomy, physics and.. dare I say.. Mathematics?
Consider this book as a greatest hits CD of all the best musicians of this century, its worth it to read and the actual quality of the book itself is awesome. Very thick, quality pages.
This book makes me want to learn more, so In my eyes, it is an inspiration.
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More poetry than science... by Lars Hundere (San Antonio, TX)  3 Stars
May 05, 2009
When this book arrived I was heartbroken when I opened the book, for two reasons. The first is that the publisher made the binding so damn stiff it was like opening a mousetrap. No kidding. I tried best I could to loosen it, but it was stubborn. I steamed it. I laid it out flat at different points through the book, alternately, and stacked heavy books on top. Nothing worked. When I did get a chance to read it (which wasn't much, I must admit), I was heartbroken AGAIN to find it disappointingly soft and unstimulating in a way that runs counter to what one would expect from this legendary writer known for his clarity, vigor, and "rapier wit". Simply put:
The book was hard.
What I read inside was mushy.
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Good for your brain! by T. Ervin (tucson az usa) 5 Stars
March 05, 2009
Dawkins as usual has collected brilliant pieces from other brilliant writers. I'm browsing it, read about half, love them all.
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THE OXFORD BOOK OF MODERN SCIENCE WRITING EDITED BY RICHARD DAWKINS by Alex Telander (Roseville, CA)  4 Stars
January 19, 2009
Richard Dawkins, author of The Selfish Gene, The Ancestor's Tale, and The God Delusion, needs no introduction having established himself as a reputable voice when discussing science in its many forms. His latest effort is The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing, in a hefty tome, where Dawkins attempts to present a concise view of science to the world in many short passages from many different scientists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries that tessellate together to form a beautiful volume of writing.
The book is divided into four parts, as Dawkins organizes the vast wealth of science writing available not in chronological order, but groups the extracts into the following categories: "What Scientists Study," "Who Scientists Are," "What Scientists Think," "What Scientists Delight in." Organizing it this ways serves to make the book more entertaining in the variety of subjects that are presented when the book is read from cover to cover. Should the reader want to use the book more as a reference tool or to look up some specific authors or terms, there is a thorough index at the end of the book. With each extract, Dawkins offers up his own commentary and reason for choosing the specific piece.
All the great scientists make an appearance here: Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Francis Crick, Brian Greene, Jared Diamond, Richard Feynman, Carl Sagan, Primo Levi, the list goes on and on. But this list is not reserved for the greats of science, but many of the women and men who have worked hard in their lives to further the knowledge of science in areas such as genetics, evolution, string theory, relativity, and mathematics. The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing is a weighty, comprehensive book with almost everything science has had to offer in the last hundred years or so, and while it may not be for the science novice, the ideas, theories, and hypotheses expressed in this book have reshaped science, and offered up hope and ideals for future answers and theories that will continue to change the world as we know it.
Find more reviews, as well as a selection of my writing, and a link to the book review podcast BookBanter at[..]
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