Books and the Sciences in History

The history of the sciences and the history of the book are complementary, and there has been much recent innovative research in the intersection of these lively fields. This accessibly-written, well-illustrated volume, published in 2000, was the first systematic general work to do justice to the fruits of recent scholarship. The twenty specially-commissioned chapters, by an international cast of distinguished scholars, cover the period from the Carolingian renaissance of learning to the mid nineteenth-century consolidation of science. They examine all aspects of the authorship, production, distribution, and reception of manuscripts, books and journals in the various sciences. An editorial introduction surveys the many profitable interactions of the history of the sciences with the history of books. Two afterwords highlight the relevances of this wide-ranging survey to the study of the development of scientific disciplines and to the predicaments of scientific communication in the electronic age.

Reviews & endorsements

'This book is a most welcome addition to the literature on books and the history of science. It contains a wealth of fascinating detail about the composition, production, and distribution of scientific books, their readership, and the complex relationships which existed between the producers and consumers of books… this collection provides an excellent introduction to the subject, firmly establishing the importance of book history for the history of science, and setting the agenda for what should be a promising period of interaction between these complementary historical endeavours.' Metascience

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Product details

• Date Published: November 2000
• format: Paperback
• isbn: 9780521659390
• length: 456 pages

• dimensions: 248 x 176 x 24 mm
• weight: 0.72kg
• contains: 89 b/w illus.
• availability: Available