Product Description

This Encyclopedia examines all aspects of the history of science in the United States, with a special emphasis placed on the historiography of science in America. It can be used by students, general readers, scientists, or anyone interested in the facts relating to the development of science in the United States. Special emphasis is placed in the history of medicine and technology and on the relationship between science and technology and science and medicine. These interrelationships form a unique perspective that allows the reader to see how technology and medicine influenced - and in turn were influenced by - the progress of scientific thought in the United States. An introductory essay focuses on the historiography of American science since World War II. In addition, each entry, where appropriate, places the topic of the article within the framework of current debate among historians. Bibliographies at the end of entries cover not only the most recent and authoritative sources on the subject, but also introduce the reader to specialized literature. The book contains numerous entries on the major U.S. scientific organizations,institutions, and schools of thought and on the roles they played in the development of science. As such, it is a major source of information on the institutional and disciplinary foundations of American science from colonial times to the present. These entries form a valuable collection of sketches of the leading people who created and furthered science in the United States. They provide the human element behind the theoretical and institutional information covered in the volume. All 500 entries in The History of Science in the United States were written by experts in the field, ranging from senior scholars with world reputations to young scholars presenting the fruits of their search. As a result, this single volume is a unique forum that presents the results, interpretations, and debates among three generations of historians of American science-much of it heretofore available only in specialized literature-to a broad audience of readers.

Product Details

• Published on: 2000-11-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 640 pages

Review
"No other encyclopedia works with this focus are available, recommending this for academic libraries and large reference collections in public libraries."
-"Library Journal, November 15, 2000

From the Back Cover
This encyclopedia examines all aspects of the history of science in the United States, and is designed for students, general readers, scientists, or anyone interested in the facts relating to the development of science in the United States.
Special emphasis is placed on the history of medicine and technology and on the relationship between science and technology and science and medicine. These interrelationships form a unique perspective that allows the reader to see how technology and medicine influenced--and in turn were influenced by--the progress of scientific thought in the United States. Bibliographies at the end of entries cover not only the most recent and authoritative sources on the subject, but also introduce the reader to specialized literature.
In addition to its coverage of individuals, concepts, and discoveries, the book also contains numerous entries on the major U.S. scientific organizations, institutions, and schools of thought and on the roles they played in the development of science, providing key information on the background of American science from colonial times to the present.
The more than 500 entries were all written by experts in the field, ranging from senior scholars with world reputations to young scholars presenting the fruits of their research. As a result, this single volume is a unique forum that presents the results, interpretations, and debates among three generations of historians of American science-much of it heretofore available only in specialized literature-to a broad audience of readers.

Special features:
*Focus on the connections among medicine, technology, and science
*Some 500 entries ranging from 200 words to 3,000 words in length
*Alphabetical organization
*Thorough, analytical index
*Selected bibliographies

About the Author
Marc Rothenberg received his Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr College's Program in the History and Philosophy of Science in 1974. He has been on the staff of the Joseph henry papers Project (Smithsonian Institution Press) since 1975 and was named Editor in 1985. He is the general editor of the Garland series of encyclopedias in the history of science. Rothenberg is the author of numerous books including the two-volume History of Science and Technology in the United States: A Critical and Selective Bibliography (Garland, 1993). He has also authored and co-authored numerous articles in scholarly journals.