The Origins of Modern Science

This is a good solid introduction to the origins of modern science. It is written as a textbook and so has the bonus attribute of having followup questions. Probably one of the nicest aspects of this book is its layout describing science as a Cathedral that takes many centuries to work on, is never complete, and of which the different parts look different depending on the age they were build or the builders working on them. Without strain, the author is able to work this metaphor in throughout the entire text.As for the rating, there were two reasons I gave it four stars instead of five. The first is that it is not well proofread. There are several mistakes, including mislabeling of charts. Secondly, while it acknowledges well much of the non-Western contributions of science, the book could have included more information, the likes of which can be found in Arun Bala's "The Dialogue of Civilization in the Birth of Modern Science."

The book arrived in a timely fashion; plenty before the start of my classes. I’m not so pleased with the ~aesthetic~ of the book. I bought it new; not sure if used is even an option; but it looks like the people who packaged it chucked it across the room seven times before shoving it into a bag. There’s literal *gouges* taken out of the back cover and it appears as though somebody tried to practice their origami skills on the front and back of the book.