The Science Book

The Science Book is the first truly accessible, lavishly illustrated story of science. Featuring 250 of the most significant milestones in the history of scientific discovery, it offers a unique and sweeping perspective on our unfolding view of the universe. It provides a deeper appreciation of how scientific thinking has transformed not only our everyday lives, but also our very sense of who we are, how the world came to be, and our ultimate fate and origin. Chronologically organized, authoritatively written and fully cross-referenced, the book provides an elegant, informative and visually stunning celebration of the remarkable achievements of science across the centuries, be they in biology, physics, astronomy, cosmology, evolution, geology, medicine or mathematics. Each entry is presented over two pages, with lucid text and a striking image for each event, idea or finding. And interspersed throughout the book are longer pieces in which eight of the world’s leading science popularizers discuss particular intellectual accomplishments that stand out above all others. From the humble concept of ‘zero’ to the proof of Fermat’s last theorem, the notion of the Sun-centred universe to man’s first steps on the Moon, the discovery of cells to Dolly the cloned sheep, The Science Book captures the fascination and wonder of science while illuminating what it is and how it works. And when scarcely a day goes by without a new scientific breakthough, it offers an ideal chance to catch up with what we know so far and what remains to be discovered.