68 Greats of Science: Hippocrates to Hawking

Isaac Newton famously spoke about ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’, meaning that intellectual progress is made by building upon the accomplishments of previous thinkers. To apply this phrase today, we need to especially examine 68 great scientists from throughout history. In this entertaining and educational read, you will learn which of these scientists:

- Betrayed his own country, to save his own life and receive great rewards.

- Used horoscopes to correctly predict the exact date of his death.

- Had a famous father, who tried to claim his work as his own.

- Made a revolutionary discovery using data collected by a man with an artificial nose.

- Discovered ‘tiny animals’, which made everyone think he was a crackpot.

- Worked for a great king that unflatteringly called him Cyclops.

- Invested large amounts of his own money in public works but was executed by the state.

- Carried out scientific investigations that led to his wife leaving him.

- Had a son executed because he assisted an assassination attempt on the leader of his country.

- As a child, thought women spoke one language and men another.

This book provides an interesting look at the great scientists of world history. Unlike the dry, long-winded descriptions of an encyclopaedia, a short pen portrait of each scientist is provided. Written in chronological order, we begin in Ancient Greece and almost reach the present day. The science that each entry is known for is outlined, but an in-depth description is avoided to enable greater accessibility to non-scientists. Pencil sketch images of most of these greats of science are included.