The Human Side of Science

April 15, 2016
Science research is supposed to be orderly and deliberate, with every scientist adhering closely to the strictures of the scientific method. But there is a problem. Scientists are humans whose preconceptions, prejudices, and egos contribute to narrow thinking, rivalry, and even subterfuge. According to professors Wiggins and Wynn, science advances despite the failings of scientists to be fair. In their new book, they tell a history of science through brief biographies of famous men and women. It is a story in which the women, such as Lise Meitner and Rosiland Franklin, do not always get the credit they deserve. The result is an entertaining soap opera of science, featuring Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Lavoisier, Edison, Tesla, Einstein, Hubble, Hawking, and others. Readers will appreciate numerous photos of key scientists and enjoy entertaining illustrations by veteran cartoonist Sidney Harris. A good addition to any popular-science collection.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)