What will you learn from this book
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Historical Context: The book provides insights into the intellectual and scientific landscape of the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, highlighting the challenges and breakthroughs of scientific inquiry during these times.
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Galileo's Legacy: Galileo Galilei's contributions to astronomy, physics, and the scientific method are examined in depth, emphasizing his courage in challenging prevailing dogma and advancing our understanding of the natural world.
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Scientific Revolution: Weissmann discusses the transformative impact of the Scientific Revolution on society, including its role in challenging religious orthodoxy, promoting empirical observation, and laying the groundwork for modern science.
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Medical Progress: The book explores advancements in medicine and healthcare during the Renaissance and Enlightenment, including the development of anatomical knowledge, surgical techniques, and the rise of medical empiricism.
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Interdisciplinary Connections: Weissmann highlights the interconnectedness of science, medicine, literature, art, and philosophy during this period, illustrating how advancements in one field often influenced and enriched others.
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Scientific Skepticism: The importance of skepticism and critical thinking in scientific inquiry is underscored, as scientists grappled with conflicting theories, incomplete evidence, and entrenched beliefs.
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Social and Cultural Impact: The book examines the social and cultural implications of scientific discoveries, including their influence on politics, religion, economics, and everyday life.
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Scientific Communication: Weissmann discusses the evolution of scientific communication, from handwritten manuscripts and private correspondence to the emergence of scientific journals and public lectures.
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Ethical Considerations: The book addresses ethical dilemmas faced by scientists and physicians, such as experimentation on human subjects, the treatment of marginalized populations, and the responsible use of scientific knowledge.
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Legacy and Lessons: Finally, Weissmann reflects on the enduring legacy of the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods, emphasizing the importance of intellectual curiosity, open-mindedness, and collaboration in advancing scientific knowledge and human progress.
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10 | 1934137006 |
| ISBN-13 | 9781934137000 |
| No of pages | 192 |
| Font Size | Medium |
| Book Publisher | Bellevue Literary Press |
| Published Date | 01 Apr 2007 |
About Author
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“Oliver Sacks, Richard Selzer, Lewis Thomas . . . Weissmann is in this noble tradition.” — Los Angeles Times
“Weissmann introduces us to a new way of thinking about the connections between art and medicine.” — New York Times Book Review
Embryonic stem cell research. Evolution vs. intelligent design. The transformation of medicine into “health care.” Climate change. Never before has science been so intertwined with politics, never have we been more dependent on scientific solutions for the preservation of the species.
Transporting us across more than four hundred years of pivotal moments in science and medicine, Weissmann distills history’s lessons for today’s new age of sect and violence: “The Endarkenment.” Among others, he lingers with Galileo and his daughter in seventeenth-century Florence, Diderot and d’Alembert in Enlightenment Paris, William and Alice James in fin de siècle Boston, James Watson as the John McEnroe of DNA, and Craig Venter decoding the genome at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Weissmann’s message is clear: “Experimental science is our defense—perhaps our best defense—against humbug and the Endarkenment.”
A rare amalgam of incisive polemic and rich, anecdotal narrative, this is humanistic science writing at its best. Weissmann’s reflections on the historical roots of the current culture wars in science and medicine again reveal him to be, as Nobel Prize-winner Eric Kandel says “by any standard, one of the major essayists of our time.”
Gerald Weissmann is a physician, scientist, editor, and essayist whose collections include Epigenetics in the Age of Twitter: Pop Culture and Modern Science; Mortal and Immortal DNA: Science and the Lure of Myth; and Galileo’s Gout: Science in an Age of Endarkenment. He is professor emeritus and research professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine. His essays and reviews have appeared in numerous publications worldwide, including the London Review of Books and New York Times Book Review. The former editor-in-chief of the FASEB Journal, he is now its book reviews editor. He lives in Manhattan and Woods Hole, Massachusetts.