On the Shoulders of Giants
by Stephen Hawking
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Book Summary Information
Author: Stephen HawkingEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-09-18
ISBN: 0762413484
Number of pages: 1280
Publisher: Running Press
Book Reviews of On the Shoulders of Giants
Book Review: A Promethean Bible
Summary: 5 Stars
"On the Shoulders of Giants" is a powerful book. It contains the seminal works of Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, and Einstein (translated into English) and thus, is an exhaustive account of their Promethean quest to see beyond the veil of appearance and into the hidden laws of the universe. In that sense it is quite revelatory, i.e., a "Promethean Bible" of sorts. And each of these men is a prophet of the scientific revolution.
What I found most interesting were the prevailing ideas that these extraordinary individuals had to overcome during the time that they lived. All of them faced an intellectual climate that often rendered a "contrary supposition inopinable," as Copernicus once said. And yet, their convictions were so strong that they sailed against the prevailing winds and charted a New World that was right before our very eyes.
Copernicus was the first to stand "On the Shoulders of Giants" (the ancient Pythagoreans) as he penned "On the Revolution of Heavenly Spheres." However, he also lived during the time that Columbus sailed to the West Indies and Magellan's voyage had successfully circumnavigated the globe. So it was truly a tumultuous age of exploration and discovery, one that would mark the birth of our modern era. Nevertheless, to purport that the earth was a mere planet that circled around the sun over the course of a year, and to insist that night and day were the result of its rotation on its axis during each 24-hour day, was a mind blowing proposition in 1543. There was really no empirical proof that this was true. And Kepler and Galileo would face enormous difficulties as they attempted to advance this "hypothesis."
But they did, and with only the tools at hand. Which is what is most instructive and beautiful about this book. The methods they used to inquire into the sacred mysteries of the universe can still teach us a lot about what we are unable to see, even today. Moreover, as we read their prose, we get a feel for what was first and foremost on their minds at the time that they were wrestling with their "contrary suppositions."
Einstein, for instance, had to overcome the authority of Sir Isaac Newton in order to develop the General Theory of Relativity. And his imagery is so surreal and difficult to fathom in certain respects that it has captivated our imagination ever since, posing even more questions than it may have answered. Consequently, he would be the first to say that no theoretical edifice should be regarded as sacrosanct, including his own. For there is always a basic premise that provides the foundation for a sacrosanct edifice, and that basic premise is where the scientist needs to look, even if he has to stand "On the Shoulders of Giants" in order to see what is hiding just over the horizon.
One last thing: The introductory commentary that Stephen Hawking provides for each "Giant" is well worth the price of the book. And hopefully, the next young Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler, Newton, or Einstein will feel the same way as he plumbs the depths of this sourcebook of cosmological genius.
Summary of On the Shoulders of Giants
World-renowned physicist and bestselling author Stephen Hawking presents a revolutionary look at the momentous discoveries that changed our perception of the world with this first-ever compilation of seven classic works on physics and astronomy. His choice of landmark writings by some of the world's great thinkers traces the brilliant evolution of modern science and shows how each figure built upon the genius of his predecessors. On the Shoulders of Giants includes, in their entirety, On the Revolution of Heavenly Spheres by Nicolaus Copernicus; Principia by Sir Isaac Newton; The Principle of Relativity by Albert Einstein; Dialogues Concerning Two Sciences by Galileo Galilei with Alfonso De Salvio; plus Mystery of the Cosmos, Harmony of the World, and Rudolphine Tables by Johannes Kepler. It also includes five critical essays and a biography of each featured physicist, written by Hawking himself.
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