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Asimov's Chronology of Science and Discovery
In a new edition updated through 1993, a renowned science writer records the fascinating, obscure stories behind the milestones of scientific discovery and reveals their connection to the revolutions in human society over the past four million years.
791 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1989
37 people are currently reading
841 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,488 books27.5k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 8, 2014
Asimov deftly assembles a chronological list of science and discovery starting way back in pre-history (fire and the wheel) to the 1989 present day. The types of entries I recall are machines like the printing press and airplanes or the discovery or individual elements. You won't only find the stereotypical inventions like I mentioned, but also things like the development of the Pythagorean Theorem, the building of the Lighthouse at Alexandria, the makings of black powder or the ever more accurate attempts to measure the circumference of the earth. So many scientific disciplines are touched throughout.
Sound like a boring read? Well it could be for sure, I'll admit I had to trudge through some areas. Here's the important point though, this book shows the development of human knowledge over thousands of years. It makes crystal clear that the knowledge of each scientist's or inventor's work required the work of those who came before. Once I had finished the book, Asimov's book actually made the world make sense and provided a fresh new clarity.
I read this book when I was 16 and even now, two decades later, I can still trace back the effect it had on me. At the time I was quickly becoming a young adult trying to make sense of the world and see where I fit in it. More importantly I was trying to reconcile the things my religion was telling me as being true with the how reality had begun to reveal itself. This book was the final nail in the coffin of my old religion. The world as viewed through the Bible no longer made sense and was instead replaced by the lens of science and rational thought. For that I will forever be indebted to the great Mr. Asimov.
Sound like a boring read? Well it could be for sure, I'll admit I had to trudge through some areas. Here's the important point though, this book shows the development of human knowledge over thousands of years. It makes crystal clear that the knowledge of each scientist's or inventor's work required the work of those who came before. Once I had finished the book, Asimov's book actually made the world make sense and provided a fresh new clarity.
I read this book when I was 16 and even now, two decades later, I can still trace back the effect it had on me. At the time I was quickly becoming a young adult trying to make sense of the world and see where I fit in it. More importantly I was trying to reconcile the things my religion was telling me as being true with the how reality had begun to reveal itself. This book was the final nail in the coffin of my old religion. The world as viewed through the Bible no longer made sense and was instead replaced by the lens of science and rational thought. For that I will forever be indebted to the great Mr. Asimov.
November 28, 2016
Una voluminosa exploración de los descubrimientos científicos desde hace 4000000 a. J.C. y completado hasta el año 2007. En él se resaltan de periodo a periodo y año en año los principales avances científicos, acompañado por pequeñas anotaciones que dan un trasfondo histórico de sucesos que estaban ocurriendo.
July 15, 2023
Εκπληκτικό! Πως με μια δομή χρονολογίου ο Asimov αποκαλύπτει την εξέλιξη των θετικών επιστημών και τον αντίκτυπο που έχει στα πιστεύω μας αλλά και στην καθημερινή ζωή μας. Ευφυές που στο τέλος κάθε χρονιάς αναφέρει τα σημαντικότερα πολιτικά γεγονότα, κι έτσι συνδέει την εξέλιξη των επιστημών με την εξέλιξη των ανθρώπινων κοινωνιών.
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February 15, 2021* Dünya tarihinin en önemli olaylarından ateş ve yazının icadından günümüze kadar olan dönemi kronolojik bir sırayla anlatırken, insanlık tarihine ışık tutan olayların perde arkasını ve toplumların birbiriyle olan etkileşimini akıcı ve sade bir dille anlatır. Uygarlık tarihinde ilk keşif ve icatların nasıl yapıldığı, kültürel, ekonomik toplumsal etkileri de göz ardı etmeden bilimsel gelişmelerin önemini anlatırken aynı zamanda uygarlığın gelişiminin bilim ve buluşlarla paralel yürüdüğünğn altını çizmiştir.
November 14, 2017
Great for any science geek like me.
May 3, 2023
Asimov’s clear writing style makes even a list of inventions and discoveries interesting. From the human feat of walking (4 million B.C.) to the greenhouse effect (1988), Asimov tells short stories of hundreds of scientific discoveries and introduces the scientists involved. He also gives short historical excerpts for each year involved to put the discoveries in context. As he goes along, he refers to earlier discoveries to emphasize how scientific advancements build on and depend on each other.
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March 6, 2024Bu kitabı değerlendirmek anlamsız geliyor bana. Zaten yarıda bıraktım şimdilik. Sonra tekrar başlarım belki. Sürükleyici bir ansiklopedi okumak gibi ama aşırı uzun ve yoruyor. Belirli bir tarihi merak ettikçe açıp bakmak daha mantıklı sanki 🤔
December 19, 2022
Asimov çok büyüksün, bu kitabın bana göre bilgi eksiği yok, tek eksik diyebileceğim şeyi içindekiler kısmının olmamasıydı.
January 22, 2022
The book is massive, and by its nature i don't think you're exactly supposed to read it from start to finish in a linear fashion.
At least i didn't. I still haven't read about nearly *every* discovery and invention, they are just too many.
It gives a great overview of the scientific and technological progress, I highly recommend it.
At least i didn't. I still haven't read about nearly *every* discovery and invention, they are just too many.
It gives a great overview of the scientific and technological progress, I highly recommend it.
December 17, 2019
Asimov non solo grande scrittore di fantascienza, ma anche grande saggista scientifico e anche scrittore di gialli da vero maestro, anche se molti non lo sanno.
Qui in veste di "catalogatore" e curatore di questo volumone di tutte le scoperte scientifiche da 4.000.000 anni fa, fino al 1988; peccato che poi sia scomparso, probabilmente adesso avremmo un volume due.
Seicento pagine fitte delle più importanti informazioni storico-cultural-scientifiche dell'umanità, con il suo stile inimitabile Asimov soddisfa ogni nostra curiosità di carattere scientifico.
Imperdibile per gli amanti delle scienze e della tecnologia.
Qui in veste di "catalogatore" e curatore di questo volumone di tutte le scoperte scientifiche da 4.000.000 anni fa, fino al 1988; peccato che poi sia scomparso, probabilmente adesso avremmo un volume due.
Seicento pagine fitte delle più importanti informazioni storico-cultural-scientifiche dell'umanità, con il suo stile inimitabile Asimov soddisfa ogni nostra curiosità di carattere scientifico.
Imperdibile per gli amanti delle scienze e della tecnologia.
March 6, 2009
This is similar to the 'New Guide' but with more of an emphasis on the historical influences on science. Probably one of Asimov's best non-fiction books: useful as a reference book and also an enjoyable read. The only problem is that it only goes up to 1988 (it's 20 years old) but as I have said before, Asimov's clarity is perennial.
August 14, 2009
The Good Doctor's chronological (duh!) outline of the major scientific discoveries and advances throughout human history.
January 25, 2016
Probably the best historical reference book I have ever read. Asimov has the ability to make the most complex thing read easily and smoothly. Highly recommended
January 29, 2013
One of a kind! Been reading this daily at breakfast for six months.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews