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mglarson29's review against another edition
Just feeling pretty bored and like I’m not retaining any of the information.
whatsmacksaid's review against another edition
3.0
For a layman's book, it's a little heavy on its various subjects. There's a serious emphasis on history early on (which is necessary to put everything into context, but still a lot of information relatively quickly), and then various spots where the math gets very in-depth.
Overall, though, an excellent read. I learned a bunch of stuff, and I have a better, more rounded view of both the middle ages and the history of scientific discoveries.
Overall, though, an excellent read. I learned a bunch of stuff, and I have a better, more rounded view of both the middle ages and the history of scientific discoveries.
cdmcc's review against another edition
DNF. This book took the joy out of a supremely interesting subject.
beckydham's review against another edition
3.0
It's kind of like reading a list. But still, there's a ton of stuff in there I never knew.
1outside's review against another edition
4.0
Books like this one make me wish I had better memory. It was never great, & it's only getting worse in my 30s...
I watched the prof's documentary Science & Islam which he did a few years before releasing this book, I read this whole thing...and I wish I remembered the scientists & their achievements in clearer detail.
I actually found this book easy to read, the only reason I didn't read it quicker was my brain capacity.
Oh well.
I'd recommend this to anyone who has an interest but be prepared for lots of data! ;)
I'd also recommend watching the documentary as a companion piece (Youtube, Amazon Prime).
I watched the prof's documentary Science & Islam which he did a few years before releasing this book, I read this whole thing...and I wish I remembered the scientists & their achievements in clearer detail.
I actually found this book easy to read, the only reason I didn't read it quicker was my brain capacity.
Oh well.
I'd recommend this to anyone who has an interest but be prepared for lots of data! ;)
I'd also recommend watching the documentary as a companion piece (Youtube, Amazon Prime).
aubreyerin411's review against another edition
challenging
informative
slow-paced
2.0
I run the risk of mental overload by writing this review right after finishing this book but I’m willing to take the risk to put it behind me. The reason this book was next on my list? I like science. I like history. Well, why not choose a read that encompasses both? This book. This book is why.
Am I biased because I wasn’t raised in this cultural history? Sure, and I’ll acknowledge that up front. I am not a scientist, nor am I necessarily knowledgeable on the history of the areas involved. Still I’m hopeful in my ability to at least know well-put information and quality writing when I see it. It’s unfortunate to me that this ain’t it.
Mentally I compare most scholarly books to The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddartha Mukherjee. A book about the history of cancer is one of my top books of all time and it was filled with just as many dates, names, and jargon. So, why doesn’t it work for THoW?
One, it didn’t feel cohesive or even like it followed a specific timeline. I’ll give Al-Khalili a break because he did bring this point up before the book even began. A topic such as this encompasses many centuries, empires, and intertwines cultural aspects that a casual reader might not understand (i.e. me). So in this way I appreciate his attention to explanation in lay terms, and the glossary included.
Each chapter follows a very loose timeline, often skipping to the past and future to connect details. While this makes sense- the author wants to apply relevance to his topic vs. what most students are taught today about scientific discoveries- what results is a random barrage of minute details I soon forgot right after reading them (and I promise not just because of my attention span). Often I was consulting the timeline in the back of the book to remind myself where we were in the span of history.
There were parts of this book I enjoyed and unfortunately they were read quickly. The author’s personal vignettes were evocative and the chapters that focused on only one or two historical figures- ‘The Lonely Alchemist’, ‘The Physicist’, ‘The Medic’, and ‘The Philosopher’ were intriguing. I honestly wish the whole book was reduced to these kinds of chapters because to me that’s the meat of the matter and the writing shines.
To me this book is a good overview. I saw another reviewer say this book reminds them of a ‘student’s dissertation’ and I don’t disagree. I’m glad I read it and gleaned what info I could. I would say if you are looking for an informative read, look no further. This book is 100% straight in-your-face information. However if you’re looking for a book that you will want to come back to, turn your search elsewhere.
Am I biased because I wasn’t raised in this cultural history? Sure, and I’ll acknowledge that up front. I am not a scientist, nor am I necessarily knowledgeable on the history of the areas involved. Still I’m hopeful in my ability to at least know well-put information and quality writing when I see it. It’s unfortunate to me that this ain’t it.
Mentally I compare most scholarly books to The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddartha Mukherjee. A book about the history of cancer is one of my top books of all time and it was filled with just as many dates, names, and jargon. So, why doesn’t it work for THoW?
One, it didn’t feel cohesive or even like it followed a specific timeline. I’ll give Al-Khalili a break because he did bring this point up before the book even began. A topic such as this encompasses many centuries, empires, and intertwines cultural aspects that a casual reader might not understand (i.e. me). So in this way I appreciate his attention to explanation in lay terms, and the glossary included.
Each chapter follows a very loose timeline, often skipping to the past and future to connect details. While this makes sense- the author wants to apply relevance to his topic vs. what most students are taught today about scientific discoveries- what results is a random barrage of minute details I soon forgot right after reading them (and I promise not just because of my attention span). Often I was consulting the timeline in the back of the book to remind myself where we were in the span of history.
There were parts of this book I enjoyed and unfortunately they were read quickly. The author’s personal vignettes were evocative and the chapters that focused on only one or two historical figures- ‘The Lonely Alchemist’, ‘The Physicist’, ‘The Medic’, and ‘The Philosopher’ were intriguing. I honestly wish the whole book was reduced to these kinds of chapters because to me that’s the meat of the matter and the writing shines.
To me this book is a good overview. I saw another reviewer say this book reminds them of a ‘student’s dissertation’ and I don’t disagree. I’m glad I read it and gleaned what info I could. I would say if you are looking for an informative read, look no further. This book is 100% straight in-your-face information. However if you’re looking for a book that you will want to come back to, turn your search elsewhere.