Amazon.co.uk Review
So many of us are blessed--or at least affected--by the fruits of science, yet how many of us really understand how we got them? Scientific creativity, like all other kinds, is a product of its times, but we can learn much from looking at the lives of its greatest practitioners; as a sizable side benefit, these lives are often tremendously entertaining. Author and BBC radio host Melvyn Bragg understands this well, and invited many of the great modern interpreters of science to discuss the lives and work of 12 greats from Archimedes to Watson and Crick, and published the cream in On Giants' Shoulders. These are no dry transcripts, though; Bragg has a genius for selecting the most intriguing quotes and selections from both his guests and his subjects and weaving them into his own engrossing narrative. His many novels have tightened up his prose so well that he can make even a discussion of the genesis of relativity a page-turner. He couldn't have invented better material, either: Newton's notorious snobbery, Darwin's almost-naïve sincerity and Lavoisier's turbulent life and untimely death make for compelling stories indeed (one almost wonders how they had time to change the world). His guests, including luminaries such as Lewis Wolpert, Richard Dawkins, Oliver Sacks and Roger Penrose, consistently cut to the heart of their subjects' importance and tie it all up neatly in the last chapter: "Where Are We Now?" An important question, of course, and one that can be better answered from On Giants' Shoulders. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
Bragg's bestselling account of the greatest figures and discoveries in the history of science from Archimedes to DNA

RELEASE NOTES:

This will be taken to the Bookcrossing meet at the Cherry Tree on St George's Day - and Shakespeare's birthday!

Everyone is welcome - meeting from midday onwards, if this isnt taken at the meet it will be left with the other BCrossing books above the fireplace.

This book came in a box from Molyneux for wild releasing/passing on. I will do so as soon as possible. In the nean time i'll leave it as AVL in case somebody wants it.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sending to pennywhistler as a RABCK

Hope you enjoy it :o)

A RABCK from the lovely caffcaff. I'm looking forward to this as I find science fascinating, but wasn't that brilliant at it at school. This looks like even I could understand it.

I thought this was an interesting book and I did learn some bits and pieces about science from it. I wasn't too keen on the format though as it basically comprises of big chunks of quotes linked by short paragraphs of explanatory text. It reminded me very much of my university essays where I used lots of long quotes to pad it out! I think the book was inspired/based on a radio programme presented by MB and I wonder if the huge quotes are taken from the radio intervews. I'd much rather have read a book where the author discusses the various theories/arguments within the text. This isn't a bad introduction to the lives of the great scientists though.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sending Bristol-wards for the new OBCZ.

Received from pennywhistler - to be released at the Red Lion OBCZ soon.

Released onto the Red Lion bookshelf today!