Instruments of Science: An Historical Encyclopedia (Garland Encyclopedias in the History of Science)
Editorial Reviews
Review
This scholarly resource is an important contribution to the literature of the history of science, providing descriptions of many instruments that are overlooked in other books.
-Booklist
The first reference book to address the immense historical range of instruments and also the first to consider application, innovation, and costs. Its emphasis on twentieth-century devices and disciplines makes it especially valuable to students and scholars of modern science and technology, and the beauty of some of the antique instruments makes it a valuable guide for collectors, dealers, and curators.
-The Chemical Educator
The editors state: This volume is intended to communicate clearly to a wide audience. This goal has been achieved, as the work is very readable, with little specialized jargon. This encyclopedia comes highly recommended, especially for academic/research or large public libraries. In addition, anyone who has an interest in the subject would benefit. And the price is modest for an illustrated 700-page reference book.
-E-Streams
This book will be of greatest value to students of the history of science. The short bibliography at the end of each subject is useful, and in many cases one of the reference works cited was written by the contributor....
-Nature
...it is hard to put down once you've started reading. It is an excellenct reference work that should find a place on the shelves of all science and technology museums and libraries..
-Rittenhouse, December 1999
Book Description
Who invented the gas chromatograph? * How has the telescope evolved? * What is the difference between an eastern abacus and a western abacus? * What does a galvanometer do? * What is the effect of gas testing technology on instrument costs?
Provides thousands of quick answers
This authoritative reference covers 325 scientific instruments ranging from antiquity to the present and from the mundane to the most sophisticated. Entries explain how the instruments work, and trace their invention, development, distribution, and use. They consider the cost of instruments, and their effects on society at large. And they are illustrated and provided with bibliographies.
A valuable guide for collectors, dealers, and curators
The Encyclopedia provides an in-depth coverage of traditional instruments, and so will be a valuable guide for collectors, dealers, and curators, who appreciate the beauty and history of these instruments. By its attention to 20th-century devices and disciplines, the Encyclopedia also opens new ground, and so will be particularly valuable to students and scholars of modern science and technology. Reflecting contemporary practice, it examines instruments used for testing and monitoring as well as those used for research, and even considers a number of widely used laboratory organisms (such as drosophila and e. coli) as instruments.
The work of distinguished experts
TheEncyclopedia is published in association with two of the world's leading museums, the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., and the Science Museum in London. The advisory panel includes scholars from the United States, Europe, and Australia, all known for their distinguished careers in museums, universities, and industry. Over 220 authors-including expert scientists, instrument designers, and historians from more than a dozen countries-have brought together information scattered in numerous primary sources and specialized studies written in many languages.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Presents 325 entries by over 220 experts * Explores a wide range of instruments from antiquity to the present * The first reference work to examine instrument innovations, applications, and costs * Text enriched with illustrations and bibliographies * A name and subject index helps you pinpoint information quickly and easily.
Instruments of Science: An Historical Encyclopedia (Garland Encyclopedias in the History of Science)
Instruments of Science: An Historical Encyclopedia (Garland Encyclopedias in the History of Science),Robert Bud,Deborah Warner,Garland,0815315619,Encyclopedias,History,Microscopes & Microscopy,Reference,Science,Scientific Apparatus And Instruments,Scientific apparatus and instr,History / General,History of science,Precision instruments manufacture,Reference works,Scientific equipment & techniques, laboratory equipment
Discount Books:
Recommended Books