Prize for wonder of science past

by BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8256979.stm

A book about the great innovators who drove science forward at the end of the 18th Century has won the 2009 Royal Society prize for popular writing.

The Age of Wonder details the work of people like Joseph Banks, Humphry Davy and William Herschel who transformed the way we view the world.

Author Richard Holmes receives a £10,000 cheque for his efforts.

The judges' chairman, chemist and Nobel Laureate Sir Tim Hunt, called The Age of Wonder a book about heroes.

"It's extremely accessible, wearing its science lightly while placing it within a much wider cultural context," he said.

"We all found it a wonderful, eclectic and compelling read, completely absorbing, romantic and original. An extraordinary achievement and a truly worthy winner."
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8256979.stm

Posted: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 | Permalink

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1. Comment #415391 by bluebird on September 15, 2009 at 5:43 pm

Oh yea! I remember reading a review of this book. It piqued my interest then - think I'll buy it to acknowledge Autumnal Equinox :)

http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1912427,00.html

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2. Comment #415395 by Sally Luxmoore on September 15, 2009 at 5:52 pm

Hey! I've just bought this book. Am very much looking forward to reading it.
The fact that it has won the 2009 Royal Society prize for popular writing formed no small part of my decision to buy it.

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3. Comment #415448 by Corylus on September 15, 2009 at 7:19 pm

A more in depth review can be found here.

It sounds very good indeed. I would go and buy it, but there is too much month in the money at the moment... and I appear to have used that spare Amazon voucher I had knocking about on some other book... damned if I can remember what it was...

Anyway, congrats to Prof Holmes!

Plus a brief commiseration to Ben Goldacre. I hope his is taking comfort in having penning a public service with Bad Science.

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4. Comment #415458 by Sally Luxmoore on September 15, 2009 at 7:34 pm

Corylus.

Thank you - that review was fascinating. If the book were fiction, I'd say that the review was full of spoilers. However since it's not, I'd say that the book looks to me like the one to move on to after having read Bill Bryson's 'A Short History of Nearly Everything'. I am not knocking the Bryson book; I enjoyed it very much and it serves as a good introductory overview.

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5. Comment #415540 by Corylus on September 15, 2009 at 10:01 pm

Sally

I'd say that the book looks to me like the one to move on to after having read Bill Bryson's 'A Short History of Nearly Everything'.

Yes, I enjoyed Bryson too. It was very chatty and fun, and you could still see evidence of a large amount of work having gone into it. However, sometimes you just crave more detail.

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