The Ascent of Science

In The Ascent of Science, Brian Silver provides a sweeping and dynamic history of the whole of Western science, from the Renaissance to the present. In it, he translates the most profoundly important, and often impenetrably obscure, scientific developments into a vernacular that is not only accessible and illuminating but highly enjoyable as well. From the revolutionary discoveries of Galileo and Newton to the mind-bending theories of Einstein and Heisenberg; from plate tectonics to particle physics; from the origin of life to universal entropy; from biology to cosmology, Silver takes the reader on a guided tour not only of the history of science but of the very nature of scientific enquiry and its role in our society. Thus, while explaining with great clarity the scientific breakthroughs that have shaped and often shaken our world, Silver places each in a broad historical context and supplies a keen awareness of parallel developments in art, literature, music, politics and philosophy.

For anyone interested in but intimidated by the scientific enterprise, The Ascent of Science opens the door to humanity's greatest intellectual adventure and reveals the many ways science has altered forever the way we see the world and ourselves.