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Nationalizing Science: Adolphe Wurtz and the Battle for French Chemistry (Transformations: Studies in the History of Science and Technology)
Alan J. Rocke
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
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ASIN: 0262182041 |
Book Description
In 1869, Adolphe Wurtz (1817-1884) called chemistry "a French science." In fact, however, Wurtz was the most internationalist of French chemists. Born in Strasbourg and educated partly in the laboratory of the great Justus Liebig, he spent his career in Paris, where he devoted himself to introducing German ideas into French scientific circles. His life therefore provides an excellent vehicle for considering the divergent trajectories of French and German chemistry--and, by extension, French and German science--during this crucial period.
After looking at the early careers of Wurtz's two mentors, Liebig and Jean-Baptiste Dumas, Rocke describes Wurtz's life and career in the politically complex period leading up to 1853. He then discusses the turning point in Wurtz's intellectual life--his conversion to the "reformed chemistry" of Laurent, Gerhardt, and Williamson--and his efforts (social and political, as well as scientific) to persuade his colleagues of the advantages of the new system. He looks at political patronage, or the lack thereof, and at the insufficient material support from the French government, during the middle decades of the century. From there Rocke goes on to examine the rivalry between Wurtz and Marcellin Berthelot, the debate over atoms versus equivalents, and the reasons for Wurtz's failure to win acceptance for his ideas. The story offers insights into the changing status of science in this period, and helps to explain the eventual course of both French and German chemistry.
Book Description
The Lucifer Principle is a revolutionary work that explores the intricate relationships among genetics, human behavior, and culture to put forth the thesis that "evil" is a by-product of nature's strategies for creation and that it is woven into our most basic biological fabric. "An act of astonishing intellectual courage." -- Leon Uris; "Destined to be the Future Shock of our time." -- Spin; "A revolutionary vision of the relationship between psychology and history, The Lucifer Principle will have a profound impact on our concepts of human nature. It is astonishing that a book of such importance could be such a pleasure to read." -- Elizabeth F. Loftus, Professor of Psychology, University of Washington, and author of Memory and Eyewitness Testimony.
Customer Reviews:
I can't help but be a fan.......2007-06-10
This book will always have a spot next to my heart since it was the book that got me interested in things like evolutionary biology, sociology and ethology. Even if some of his theories are hackneyed the book still achieved the goal of changing the way I think about the world around me and opened up new areas of study that have truly enriched my life. It's hard for me not to be generous with this book.
Also the book is a great reference for finding other books on many topics that should be read which has been a great help for me. Mr. Bloom's book is probably not for the professional sector or the semi-pros, but for amateurs like me the book can be an eye opener. Plus the book is so well written that it is a very good read in its own right. I found myself engrossed throughout and unable to put the book down in some places.
Don't come to this book looking for the definitive work to define your philosophy about the subjects of this book, but more to get a taste of the ideas that are out there and I think you won't be disappointed.
I think in my case the book was a huge success and if you're an amateur like me I think the book can really be a paradigm shift in your life.
Eye opener....Don't let the name fool you!!.......2007-05-20
I have to say, as a person who has always had a hard time understanding man's "methods of maddness", this book shed a interesting light on human behavior. I've read this book about 5 times (just to keep the concepts fresh in my mind) and have recomended this book to anyone looking for a little more information on the nature of man. To any scared of the title: Lucifer's name is simply used as a way to describe the kind of behavior examined in this book. Bloom confronts more of man's darker traits in this book and what better a name (or diety's name) to affix to these tendencies. I call this a must read for anyone looking for another angle from which to examine life.
The Lucifer Principle is eye opening 5 stars plus.......2007-04-05
This book is one of the most revealing in how the masses get suckered into believing lies, much like the stupidity of mormonism.
Howard Bloom is a genius in making the principals of thinking for yourself a revelation in simple terms.
Get it and never be suckered into BS lies again, unless your a mormon and your all ready screwed up bad.
OK for thinking but not believing.......2007-03-01
It is important when reading this book to keep in mind the book's foreword by David Sloan Wilson - he gives sound advice to 'not read it and believe but read it and think'. Sloan Wilson also rightly describes Bloom as having the 'brashness of a mass media denizen'. Sloan Wilson's support is essentially for the group selection argument which Bloom presents in his personal, passionate and largely flawed way.
Bloom takes the reader through a galloping overview of human group violence. His descriptions of group identification, group pecking-orders, group loyalty, imperialism etc are pretty much obvious and undeniable. Also the fact that nature is profligate and that much of what nature produces is expendable is largely true but Bloom's argument that this proves that the social unit comes first is flawed.
Bloom compares the social unit to the body - just as body cells die in order for the body itself to live, so individuals are sacrificed for the life of the group. This, of course, is a false analogy because body cells share identical DNA and the reproduction of the body's DNA is left to the germ cells. No other body cells could ever reproduce (naturally) into the next generation and therefore are sacrificing absolutely nothing.
Bloom confuses an apparent greater importance of the group with what is in reality the dependence of individuals on other group members for individual reproductive success/fitness. He also confuses individual survival with the survival of genes through time and seems not to understand inclusive fitness. His idea that people who commit suicide are altruistically ridding their group of a burden should mean that the sick, elderly, homeless, unemployed etc should be killing themselves by the thousand. It is far more likely that it is more to do, ultimately, with reproductive defeat where they are no longer able to compete or compare well with peers and are no longer attractive to the opposite sex and/or are a failure as a parent. If the group is being relieved of a burden it is incidental. They would, after all, not be a burden to the group if they took on some undesirable though necessary low status work rather than kill themselves.
If the social unit comes first there should be no dissent, no anti-social behavior, no interest groups etc. The fact that these exist in all societies shows that individuals whose self-interest is not being satisfied by the group will attempt to cause trouble for the group. Bloom is only right in pointing out the obvious fact that members of a group, like members of a family, will tend to pull together if attacked from outside but this is also mutual self-interest.
Another aspect of Bloom's book that is flawed is his weak treatment of the differences between the sexes. He uses a few bits of evidence to supposedly prove the violence of females and then resumes the main theme of the book - ie male violence - as if the matter has been properly dealt with. Bloom uses the usual argument about females having selected male traits through mate choice yet he also writes of how women have been kidnapped and raped throughout history by the violent men he depicts. There is an unresolved contradiction here between the idea that females choose their mates and the fact that most girls throughout history and in much of the world today are simply resigned to the fact that they will have the father of their children chosen for them by their own father or brothers. Female sexuality has clearly been under the control of men for a very long time and it should at least be given some consideration that male traits have been selected for by males themselves which could have created a feedback loop of male violence etc.
'The Lucifer Principle' is an entertaining read in its description of male-male competitive behavior. Violence between groups of humans is as grotesque as Bloom describes but it is a mistake to believe that this proves group selection and to lose sight of the individual's self-interest - and especially the gene's self-interest - in what shapes human behavior. This book is worth reading only as an aid to thinking - not to any great understanding or belief.
Changed the way I deal with people.......2007-01-09
This book is so startling in the way that Bloom looks at people it is almost a new paradigm for sociology. After reading the book it changed the way that I looked at every aspect of my personal and business relationships with friends, colleagues, everybody.
Well researched and argued.
A must for anybody who deals with other people, which means everybody.
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Grow or Die: The Unifying Principle of Transformation
George T. Ainsworth-Land
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0471829714 |
Book Description
Principles of Human Evolution presents an in-depth introduction to paleoanthropology and the study of human evolution. Focusing on the fundamentals of evolutionary theory and molecular genetics approaches to important questions in the field, this timely textbook will help students gain a perspective on human evolution in the context of modern biological thinking.The second edition of this successful text features the addition of Robert Foley, a leading researcher in Human Evolutionary Studies, to the writing team. Strong emphasis on evolutionary theory, ecology, and behavior and scores of new examples reflect the latest evolutionary theories and recent archaeological finds. More than a simple update, the new edition is organized by issue rather than chronology, integrating behavior, adaptation, and anatomy. A new design and new figure references make this edition more accessible for students and instructors.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent introductory text.......2006-09-06
This sets out to be an introductory text on human evolution and succeeds quite nicely in reaching that goal. The presentation as would be expected with such a complex subject is dense. Illustrations are profuse but are often of surprising poor quality.
Lewin proceeds in an orderly manner, beginning with a discussion of "human evolution in perspective," which is really well done as Lewin explains that there really is no agreement among experts about the course of human evolution and that theories are constantly evolving as new discoveries are made.
The text goes on to consider the background to human evolution, humans as animals, hominine beginnings, hominine adaptation, the migration of humanoids out of Africa, the originas of modern humans, the human milieu (which is particularly interesting) and finally more recent migrations.
Lewin is a gifted writer. Although he covers a lot of territory, ranging from dating methods to how digs are accomplished to competing theories of language development, his discourse is always direct and onpoint. For an academic, his writing is surprisingly clear.
In a way, I feel sorry for students who have to absorb all the information Lewin presents in the course of a semester. I would hope they keep this book and later read it a more leisurely pace. Lewin deserves the attention as he tells a fascinating story in a fascinating way.
Jerry
Amazon should distinguish between editions!.......2006-02-15
The first and second editions are much different, but the search for Principles of Human Evolution yields only the first, and way outdated edition (published six years before the second edition). Amazon needs to do something about this.
Regarding EVILoution.......2005-03-21
Reading the book should be a prerequisite for writing these reviews. Read The Principle of Human Evolution, to find out why our grandparents were just like us and why hominid species who lived millions of years ago were not.
a lousy textbook.......2004-03-08
I was considering this textbook for the human evolution class that I am teaching and did not like it. The text is full of unidefined terminology, such as "...intertro-chanteric groove that runs from a small and moderately deep trochanteric fossa to just above the lesser trochanter." (p 238). No discussion of the significance of this feature follows. Discussion of anatomical adaptations to bipedality is very sketchy, limited to basics (1.5 page). There are numerous allusions to circumscientific conflicts, apparently intended for those few dedicated who attend annual AAPA meetings, e. g.: "Although the nature of the discovery is mired in political controversy, there seems to be little doubt..." (p237).
Book design is also very poor, and the illustrations are borderline with unprofessional. I had to go to the original publications to identify the blur objects shown on Fig. 9.6. See also figs 9.7, 11.7, 11.4. Of course, illustrations adapted from John Fleagle's book are great, some presented without proper reference (e.g. Fig 6.24). However, if you want a textbook with Fleagle's illustrations, just buy "Primate Adaptations and Evolution", a great textbook.
just trying to counter the review from that theistic lunatic.......2003-10-13
Lewin is a great expositor of evolutionary ideas. I get so tired of the lunatics bashing books on evolution at Amazon. Here is a fine book that some might not look closer because of the effect that lunatic has via the weighting of star reviews. I urge everyone sane thinker to join me in diluting that nut. Thanks!
Customer Reviews:
This book made me change from atheism to agnosticism........1999-09-15
To understand Wilder-Smith's ability to produce such a profound spiritual change, it's necessary to understand my personal background. Although I was the grandson of a Protestant pastor, I decided (at the age of 9) that I was an atheist. Reading "Man's origin, man's destiny" helped me to change again from atheism to agnosticism.
In the first part of the book, (entitled "Man's Origin") Wilder-Smith uses powerful scientific arguments to show that the idea of a God makes sense. His use of the law of entropy (the second law of thermodynamics) made the most impression on me, even though I hadn't yet met this law in my educational studies. This was the part of the book that made me shift from atheism to agnosticism.
In the second half of the book (entitled "Man's Destiny"), Wilder-Smith tries to convince the reader that the ideas of Adam and Eve, the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and the whole of Christianity makes sense. He failed to make me see this, due to Christianity's many internal contradictions and its failure to correlate with scientifically observable reality. A worthwhile contribution to the debate on Christianity's relevance to the real world.
Book Description
Grow or Die was originally published in 1973. This new edition re-introduces Dr. Land's theory of transformation which has become a cornerstone in the strategic planning and organizational transformation of corporations. At the root of the principle lies a single concept: growth - the most basic and universal of drives through which all biological, physical, chemical, psychological, and cultural processes are intrinsically equivalent.
Customer Reviews:
Grow or Die.......2006-12-18
In this immensely creative synthesis, George T. Lock Land presents a set of laws through which mankind can not only control its destiny but also extend its freedom. Grow or Die - that is Nature's single mandate - and that is the basis of this new theory of human behavior and evolution. "Transformation Theory" is a re-definition of the process of growth to which every life and pre-life form is subject. Impelled by the most basic and universal drive - the drive to grow - all biological, physical, chemical, psychological and cultural processes are intrinsically equivalent. Cell biology, says Mr. Land, is the template for man's psychological drives, and the key to understanding individual and social behavior is to be found in the behavior of atoms, molecules, and cells. Creativity, mental illness, urban decay, self-sacrifice, colonialism, revolution, sadism, beauty, and human love all thus obey Nature's command to grow or perish.
--- from book's back cover
Book Description
Introductory textbook on the basic concepts of human genetics. For undergraduates with little or no background in biology, chemistry, and mathematics. Previous edition: c1994. Softcover.
Customer Reviews:
Good Into Book.......2007-07-25
One of the better intro books I've read. Has a lot of info in an easy to read manner.
Great book on genetics.......1999-05-03
This book effectively conveys interesting, detailed material without confusing the reader. It is not the typical staugy textbook that we college students are so use to as this book made me want to read it, it was so enjoyable. I recommend it to all college students or anyone interested in genetics that would like to understand our genetic principles.
An accurate and concice look into Human Genetics........1998-03-17
This is a wonderful book for a college level exploration of Human Genetics. The chapters introduce every topic well, and in such a way that science majors will remain interested while non science majors aren't left behind. It is a great book to begin to explore the wonders of Human Genetics.
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Evolutionary Principles of Human Adolescence (Lives in Context)
Glenn Weisfeld
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0813333180 |
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Cosmos and Anthropos: A Philosophical Interpretation of the Anthropic Cosmological Principle
Errol E. Harris
Manufacturer: Humanity Books
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1573925985 |
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Developmental Dynamics in Humans and Other Primates: Discovering Evolutionary Principles Through Comparative Morphology
Jos Verhulst
Manufacturer: Adonis Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0932776280 |
Book Description
Belgian scientist Jos Verhulst presents the most thorough research to date showing that dynamic principles inherent in the development of individual organisms are also at work in animal evolution as a whole. For example: A chimpanzee fetus is strikingly similar to its human counterpart: its cranium is rounded, its face flat, and its hair is restricted to its head. As it develops, however, the chimp diverges from its original, humanlike form, assuming specialized apelike features. In a detailed comparative study of numerous organs, Verhulst shows that, unlike the other primates, humans retain their original juvenile form. Standing Darwin on his head, he concludes that humans have not descended from apes, but rather that apes have evolved by diverging from a humanlike prototype.
Books:
- New Homes for Today: A Collection of House Plans (California Architecture and Architects)
- On Growth and Form: Fractal and Non-Fractal Patterns in Physics (NATO Science Series E:)
- Optical Properties of Photonic Crystals
- Organic Chemistry Laboratory: Standard and Microscale Experiments
- Organic Chemistry: Structure and Reactivity
- Oxygen
- Phase Behavior of Polymer Blends (Advances in Polymer Science) (Advances in Polymer Science)
- Physical Chemistry: A Molecular Approach
- Plastic Part Design for Injection Molding : An Introduction (Spe Books.)
- Plastics: Materials and Processing (3rd Edition)
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