Kate's review
The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn
Kate's review
rating:
bookshelves: read-for-school
recommended for: budding scientists
status: Read in August, 2007
rating:
bookshelves: read-for-school
recommended for: budding scientists
status: Read in August, 2007
Thomas Kuhn presents his theory of scientific revolution, paradigm shifts, and everyday science vs. revolutionary science. He argues that science is not cumulative, but that we experience paradigm shifts when an existing paradigm no longer succeeds at explaining unanswered questions, and a new one is found that does. This book is necessary reading for anyone who is studying to be a scientist, but I wouldn't recommend it for "light reading." It's incredibly difficult to get through, the examples are dated and are mainly drawn from the physical sciences, and I think the entire book could've been explained in a few pages. That being said, it is one of the basic theories of scientific development, and stands as a classic.
