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A review by sjstuart
The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing by
5.0
If you want to be inspired, either by the majesty and beauty of science, or by the passion and skill of those who write about it, pick up this book and read a few sections. It contains scores of snippets, each just a handful of pages, on dozens of different subjects, by a range of different authors, and most of them are inspirational.
When I bought the book, I didn't realize that the readings were all from popular science writing, for non-specialist audiences. Misled by the cover art and by the list of authors, I expected a collection of sparkling gems of writing from the primary literature. There are, indeed, many samples from notable scientists; if you can name a scientist from a field you don't work in, chances are he is represented here. (And the male pronoun is appropriate; female authors fill only a few percent of the pages.) But these selections are taken from their writings for the general public, post-Nobel and in the memoir-writing or science-popularization phase of their career. Nonetheless, the writing is still impressive. Although not models for good technical science writing, as I had hoped, the excerpts do a great job of conveying the enthusiasm for science and delight in discovery that is shared by every great scientist and science writer.
Another thing that caught me off guard was the emphasis on biology, and especially evolutionary biology. There are some samples here from astronomers and physicists, but as often as not they are writing outside the field that they are known for. We get Einstein's musings on religion and philosophy, Schrödinger's description of entropy for biologists, and astrophysicist Fred Hoyle's take on evolution. It's not that these are not interesting, and I can understand why Dawkins has a soft spot for writings on the biological sciences, but I expected, and would have enjoyed, a little more representation from the physical scientists.
Even with these quibbles, the books is outstanding. It's very enjoyable to read, whether you want to admire the writing or absorb some of the science. Many of the passages made me curious to read the longer works from which they were taken, several of which have already made it onto my bookshelf.
When I bought the book, I didn't realize that the readings were all from popular science writing, for non-specialist audiences. Misled by the cover art and by the list of authors, I expected a collection of sparkling gems of writing from the primary literature. There are, indeed, many samples from notable scientists; if you can name a scientist from a field you don't work in, chances are he is represented here. (And the male pronoun is appropriate; female authors fill only a few percent of the pages.) But these selections are taken from their writings for the general public, post-Nobel and in the memoir-writing or science-popularization phase of their career. Nonetheless, the writing is still impressive. Although not models for good technical science writing, as I had hoped, the excerpts do a great job of conveying the enthusiasm for science and delight in discovery that is shared by every great scientist and science writer.
Another thing that caught me off guard was the emphasis on biology, and especially evolutionary biology. There are some samples here from astronomers and physicists, but as often as not they are writing outside the field that they are known for. We get Einstein's musings on religion and philosophy, Schrödinger's description of entropy for biologists, and astrophysicist Fred Hoyle's take on evolution. It's not that these are not interesting, and I can understand why Dawkins has a soft spot for writings on the biological sciences, but I expected, and would have enjoyed, a little more representation from the physical scientists.
Even with these quibbles, the books is outstanding. It's very enjoyable to read, whether you want to admire the writing or absorb some of the science. Many of the passages made me curious to read the longer works from which they were taken, several of which have already made it onto my bookshelf.