Call number
508 GOULD
Collection
Publication
Harmony (2000), Edition: 1, 384 pages
Description
Gould covers topics as diverse as episodes in the birth of paleontology to lessons from Britain's four greatest Victorian naturalists. This collection presents the richness and fascination of the various lives that have fueled the enterprise of science and opened our eyes to a world of unexpected wonders.
Subjects
User reviews
LibraryThing member jjmcgaffey
It's a Gould, so it's interesting. I liked the essay(s) about the Lying Stones - interesting reflections on various levels of scam and handiwork. I don't remember (even immediately after reading it) what other essays are in this one, though I enjoyed reading it.
LibraryThing member rsubber
The usual Gould. Erudite prose, vastly cultured knowledge and insightful analogies. He cares about science and about getting it right, and he makes the fine points accessible and consequential.
LibraryThing member clmerle
I was a little disappointed at this book at first. It had been so long since I read the last in the series. I'd always found his essays inspirational. They are as always very informative and insightful, but these seemed more tedious than previous ones. Perhaps my tastes have changed over the
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decades I've been reading Gould's essays. It took me half the book to get into it. The last three essays were the Stephen Jay Gould I remembered and saved the collection for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member ToniRy
A landmark book - fluid account of scientific discovery
LibraryThing member vguy
Best bit and representative of the whole: story of JBS Haldane's vain attempt to argue in favour of poisoned gas. Somewhere he'd found an indication that mustard gas was analogous to sunburn, so black people and 20% of whites would be resistant. from this he argued that Britain could draw on
He may be a closet Marxist and have a lightly concealed bee in his bonnet about punctuated equilibrium, but his wit, erudition and warmth transcend all that.
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colonial troops and U.S. could recruit Blacks while the 20% could provide the officers. This would beat the bullets. A side remark on other non-conventional prospects includes the energy within the atom but this will never be available. Indeed men might be sitting on the moon at some future date and the atom would still be unsplit. This extraordinary mix of convoluted argument, racism, snobbery, and plain wrong-headedness comes from a man who is, basically, a pacifist. It's fits well with the book's exploration of the limits of the scientific method: the blindness and prejudice as well as the boldness and precision of scientists at their worst and best. Some of the essays can be quite demanding as they explore deep corners of scientific history and complex aspects of scientific method. Yes, science is the only way to unravel the truths of the universe, but its practitioners are human, all-too-human.He may be a closet Marxist and have a lightly concealed bee in his bonnet about punctuated equilibrium, but his wit, erudition and warmth transcend all that.
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LibraryThing member hcubic
I find it surprising that this is the first book by Stephen Jay Gould that I selected as a "Pick" for the Journal of Chemical Education, since I own and have enjoyed reading many of them. I have had the pleasure of meeting and hearing Professor Gould speak several times and I wish I could write as
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well as he speaks extemporaneously. "The Lying Stones of Marrakech" is a collection of recent columns from Gould's feature in Natural History; the title essay is about the fake fossils from Morocco that are flooding the market in the United States. As a paleontologist, Gould has a strong interest in fossils, and he takes the opportunity to discuss other important fossil deceptions that have occurred in the past. Of particular interest to chemists (at least to this one) was "The Proof of Lavoisier's Plates", describing the contributions of the famous founding father of our science to the early history of geology. Show Less
LibraryThing member hcubic
I find it surprising that this is the first book by Stephen Jay Gould that I selected as a "Pick" for the Journal of Chemical Education, since I own and have enjoyed reading many of them. I have had the pleasure of meeting and hearing Professor Gould speak several times and I wish I could write as
Show More
well as he speaks extemporaneously. "The Lying Stones of Marrakech" is a collection of recent columns from Gould's feature in Natural History; the title essay is about the fake fossils from Morocco that are flooding the market in the United States. As a paleontologist, Gould has a strong interest in fossils, and he takes the opportunity to discuss other important fossil deceptions that have occurred in the past. Of particular interest to chemists (at least to this one) was "The Proof of Lavoisier's Plates", describing the contributions of the famous founding father of our science to the early history of geology. Show Less
LibraryThing member pbjwelch
Loved the title essay; skipped three of the more esoteric chapters; was a bit miffed over the Darwin chapters as I'm a Wallace supporter; and ended by thinking essays and columns are perfect for someone like me who thinks they're not interested in science (but can actually find it quite fascinating
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at times). Gould, a well-known paleontologist and scientist, and prolific writer, was a great find (on my son-in-law's bookshelf). Will definitely look for his other collected writings. Show Less
LibraryThing member JBD1
Gould's later volumes of essays continue to improve and impress, particularly the longer pieces in the first two sections of this volume.
Pages
384
ISBN
0609601423 / 9780609601426