Scan barcode
mate90909's review against another edition
4.0
Great at connecting romantic scientists and the greater context in which they lived and worked.
martha_w's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent history of some fascinating science. Also, a really wonderful biography. "Age of Wonder" is meant to describe a time period (before the Victorian era) where scientists were motivated by a sense of wonder. Holmes does a really nice job demonstrating that through the individual scientists he profiles and by bringing in writers and poets of the day, many who were writing about the wonders of nature and the universe. I really liked this somewhat different approach to a scientific story.
nycterisberna's review against another edition
5.0
De repente aparecen libros que me devuelven la fe en la humanidad y éste es uno de ellos. Contando distintos episodios sobre logros científicos del período victoriano (en química, descubrimientos en África, aeronáutica, astronomía, entre otros), cada historia enfocada en distintos personajes (interesantes de por sí) está enlazada con las otras y subraya la importancia del romanticismo en el auge de la ciencia, debido al interés en la observación y descripción sistemática del mundo. MUY recomendable.
lcdthethird's review against another edition
3.0
Holmes does a great job describing the cultural and scientific climate that led us into current times and our love and devotion to the sciences. He not only does a superb job of evaluating the science, but of the temperament and lives of these scientists who played such a crucial role in the rebirth of science.
Unfortunately, the book tends to drag on and on. You are never quite certain which chapters you will be interested in, and which chapters you will completely forget because you don't care much for the poetry of a scientist 200+ years ago. Still this is worth a read if you enjoy learning about science and if you can read fairly quickly to get you through this book.
Unfortunately, the book tends to drag on and on. You are never quite certain which chapters you will be interested in, and which chapters you will completely forget because you don't care much for the poetry of a scientist 200+ years ago. Still this is worth a read if you enjoy learning about science and if you can read fairly quickly to get you through this book.
pkadams's review against another edition
5.0
This book focuses on the science between Newton and Darwin - or the Romantic Scientists. Starting with Joseph Banks and including Hershel & Davy, it explores the changing view of science, the expansion of science outside the academic cloisters, and the role of the individual scientist. I like the mix of biographical elements, as well as the discussion of the importance/impact of the individual discoveries. It is spectacularly well written and gives a fantastic glimpse into this time period. Holmes covers a lot of ground including the replacement of the Greek idea of fundamental elements (earth, fire, air, and dirt) with the notion of compounds and chemical elements. He also covers ballooning, first paid female scientist, and the birth of atheism.
e___ee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
4.0