I enjoyed "The Scientists: A History of Science Told Through the Lives of Its Greatest Inventors" by John Gribbin so much I've read it twice.
Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
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Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#12“The making of the atomic bomb” by Richard Rhodes is a fantastic history of nuclear physics.
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#13A short history of chemistry by Isaac Asimov.
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#14The Middle ("Medieval") Ages had a lot going on:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God%27s_Philosophers
* https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2071784.God_s_Clockmaker
The Light Ages: The Surprising Story of Medieval Science by Seb Faulk was recently (2020) published and won a few awards (lots of interview on YouTube):
* https://twitter.com/Seb_Falk
Intellectual Curiosity and the Scientific Revolution and The Rise of Early Modern Science by Toby Huff:
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_Huff
If you're doing philosophy and science, you may be curious about law: see The Medieval Origins of the Legal Profession by Brundage:
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#15You have to like his writing style but bill Bryson’s short history of everything. James burke’s day the universe changed is thought provoking and bronowski’s ascent of man is also good. Timothy Ferris (not that one) and John gribbin have also trod this area.
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#16For astronomy, I suggest The Universe, From Flat Earth to Quasar by Isaac Asimov [1]. Even though it was published in 1971 and may miss recent developments, it captures thehistory, the discoveries and controversies of the times, such as Olber's Paradox, very well.
[1]. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Universe/Eo5xpO83Yp...
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#17Isaac Asimov wrote a lot of non-fiction books a lot of them are succinct descriptions of scientific discoveries: https://asimov.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Non-Fiction
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#18Life is Simple https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56643989-life-is-simple
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#19You have to like his writing style but bill Bryson’s short history of everything. James burke’s day the universe changed is thought provoking and bronowski’s ascent of man is also good. Timothy Ferris (not that one) and John gribbin have also trod this area.
Came here to suggest Bill Bryson's Short History of Everything. It covers a lot of less top-of-mind concepts, like he delves into air-balloons, artificial cloud making, moss collections, geological history, botany, and all manner of fields.
Re: Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?
#20e=mc^2 A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation
Book by David Bodanis
This was a nice short read! I’d definite recommend it.