In A History of Science in Society, Ede and Cormack trace the history of the changing place of science in society and explore the link between the pursuit of knowledge and the desire to make that knowledge useful. The fourth edition of this bestselling textbook brings the narrative right up to the present day by incorporating the COVID-19 pandemic. The edition also adds content on Indigenous and non-western science as well as five new "Connections" case study features, including one on the scientist and poet Omar Khayyam. The text is accompanied by 100 images and maps and a colour insert showing off key moments in the history of science. Essay questions, chapter timelines, a further readings section, and an index provide additional support for students.
The textbook can also be bought as two separate halves covering chapters 1-5 (Ancient Greeks to the Scientific Revolution) and chapters 6-13 (the Scientific Revolution to the present day).
List of Illustrations
List of Connections
Boxes
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. The Origins of Natural Philosophy
2. The Roman Era and the Rise of Islam
3. The Revival of Natural Philosophy in Western Europe
4. Science in the Renaissance: The Courtly Philosophers
5. The Scientific Revolution: Contested Territory
6. The Enlightenment and Enterprise
7. Science and Empire
8. Entering the Atomic Age
9. Science and War
10. The Death of Certainty
11. 1957: The Year the World Became a Planet
12. Man on the Moon, Microwave in the Kitchen
13. Science and New Frontiers: Potential and Peril in the New Millennium
Further Reading
Index
Andrew Ede is an adjunct professor in the Department of History and Sociology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan. Lesley B. Cormack is the Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of British Columbia Okanagan.
"A History of Science in Society is an achievement. Well-written and thoughtfully presented, the text is eminently suitable for introductory undergraduate courses in the global history of science and technology."
– Tara Abraham, University of Guelph
"It is rare to find a textbook so attentive to the social factors and global currents that have shaped the history of science. The fourth edition provides welcome updates, highlighting the multicultural genealogy of modern science and drawing connections to our current historical moment. With this excellent new edition, Ede and Cormack have cemented A History of Science in Society as an indispensable pedagogical tool."
– Adam Richter, University of Toronto