Product Description

Selected and introduced by Richard Dawkins, The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing is a rich and vibrant anthology celebrating the finest writing by scientists for a wider audience - revealing that the best scientists have displayed as much imagination and skill with the pen as they have in the laboratory.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6066 in Books
• Published on: 2009-09-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

Features

• New
• Mint Condition
• Dispatch same day for order received before 12 noon
• Guaranteed packaging
• No quibbles returns

Review
A compendium of some of the most illuminating thinking of the past 100 years. (Eureka, The Times )

A feast for many long evenings. (Katie Owen, The Sunday Telegraph )

Engaging selection. (Christopher Hirst, The Independent )

Richard Dawkins has done a wonderful job. (Nicholas Lezard, Saturday Guardian )

Stunning anthology. (The Times )

BBC Focus, May 2008
'It's a must-read that will surely make a major contribution to the public understanding of science.'

Sunday Telegraph, 13 April 2008
'It is a real treasure trove of unexpected pleasures.'

Customer Reviews

Modern Science Writing
This is a varied collection of articles by just about every great modern science writer you can think of. The articles range in size from about 8 pages to as little as half a page, and each is preceded by a short, interesting introduction by Dawkins.

I read a lot of popular science books so inevitably there were a few items which I had already read, but it was nice to be reminded of them, such as Haldane's delightful poem which begins with the words "I wish I had the voice of Homer, to sing of rectal carcinoma!" The items vary considerably in difficulty - some could be understood by a child, others require concentration - and some topics were familiar to me, others were not, so although all the articles are good it is inevitable that the reader will enjoy some articles much more than others. They also vary considerably in subject matter - some are about what science has discovered, others about how scientists work, or the philosophy of science, or amusing anecdotes.

I think anyone interested in Science should get a lot out of the book, and I have been stimulated to seek out more writing by some of the authors. Highly recommended.

Perfect bedside reading
This mighty tome makes excellent bedside reading. You are unlikely to have the musclepower to take this commuting or to the beach (need to wait for the paperback edition for that) but propped up in bed with a cup of cocoa/glass of whisky (delete as appropriate) by your side, this is an excellent book for dipping into and as a previous reviewer says, will encourage you to seek out the books the excerpts come from. In this regard may I be so bold as to recommend any of the books by Richard Feynman. Dawkins himself supplies witty and erudite introductions to each essay so all in all there is absolutely nothing to criticise in this book - unless you hate science that is and even then this book might convince you otherwise.

6+ stars
This is one of the few books I feel that the star rating system fails. 5 stars is simply not enough!
So enjoyable and thought provoking. It has made me want to revisit the works of authors I already knew, but they'll have to wait until I have read those authors that are new to me!
I, like a previous reviewer, noted the lack of women writers represented, but when I looked at my bookshelves there was only Olivia Judson that stood out as fitting into the area of the books' remit.I wonder if the lack of females in the authors represented is only a reflection of the dearth of female "populising" science authors.
That little caveat aside, it is a wonderful book and an excellent addition to anyones bookshelves.