Author: Robert Frost
Publication: August 15th 2013 by Kendall Lane Publishers
Genre: Nonfiction ~ History
Cover Rating: 4/5
Overall Rating: 5/5
Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The Scientific Revolution is the story of how Europeans broke out of the intellectual stagnation of the Middle Ages. It details the limitations of the Aristotelian system and the way that a new “scientific method” proved superior. It discusses the surprising roles that religion played in science’s early years and concludes with a brief tour through the major fields of science and the scientists who founded them. The Best One-Hour History series is for those who want a quick but coherent overview of major historical events. It will also serve those who need a competent high-level introduction before going further. Each volume provides a clear and concise account of the episode under discussion. In about an hour, the reader will obtain a well-grounded understanding of why each subject holds iconic status in Western Civilization.
My Thoughts:
Thanks to the awesome people at Smith Publicity for sending me review copies, I had to chance to review this book (together with The Protestant Reformation, which I have read and reviewed already.)
The Scientific Revolution: The Best One-Hour History by Robert Freeman was another brilliant, interesting and informative book that the history nerd inside of me devoured quickly.
I've already read three of The Best One-Hour History books now but I am so happy to say that I still think they're amazing. The Scientific Revolution would be my second favorite (the first one being The Renaissance). It was full of very informative material and I've come across some very compelling quotes to which I will feature below.
But I must admit that for reviewing these books I've reached the point of 'what else can I say about these books?' because they've been all positive for me so far. I don't like repeating myself but still I want to keep reading these, or at least the ones that are about the era's in history that I'm interested in.
I've always been interested in this subject, the Scientific Revolution. Without all these events happening we would clearly not be living as we do today, that's for sure. I loved learning more about how it slowly came to be, not because of one person, but several. It also shows how people can change and not let one institute be in control.
Oh, and I also like the appendix at the end and the timeline too!
Favorite Quotes:
If we were to characterize the Scientific Revolution in the sparest phrasing possible, it might be this: "Theory and Evidence Replaced Faith and Authority.
A second consequence of the Scientific Revolution was the elevation of the status of the individual above that of the organization. For the first time ever; a lone individual—a Copernicus, a Harvey, a Newton, a Darwin—could wield more influence than the most powerful organization on earth.
A final change was in man's conception of himself. Prior to the Scientific Revolution, Western people saw themselves standing at the apex of creation, children of an omnipotent God, created in that God's image, and placed in the center of that God's universe. It was an amazingly ennobling vision—man as a small scale version of God. But science banished humans forever from that lofty position, making them just another small animal on another small planet orbiting another small star in another small galaxy in an inconceivable infinite universe.
About The Author:
Robert Freeman teaches the Modern European History AP course at Los Altos High School in Los Altos, California. His classes are among the highest performing in the nation on the annual College Board Advanced Placement Examination in Modern European History.
He is formerly Vice President of International Marketing at Sybase and the founder of the national non-profit, One Dollar For Life. He holds a B.S. Degree in Economics from Santa Clara University and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
Check out my other reviews by Robert Freeman:
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