Beyond the Facts: Best Sci-Tech Books of 2003

摘要

Rench mathematician Henri Poincare wrote, "Science is built up with facts, as a house is with stones. But a collection of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house." The facts of science are sometimes esoteric, understood by only a few specialists, but its larger discoveries and their impact belong to everyone. One of the most important ways for the field to share its cultural significance is through books. Several of the following titles, selected as the best in science and technology for 2003, reflect readers' continuing fascination with the history of science and its lessons. Simon Winchester's Krakatoa reminds us of the earth's awesome power, while Amir Ac-zel's Pendulum, an account of ah ingeniously simple experiment that proved the rotation of Earth, illustrates the scientific method.