Great feuds in science : ten of the liveliest disputes ever

The dramatic stories of ten historic feuds: How they altered the course of discovery-and shaped the modern worldHall Hellman tells the lively stories of ten of the most outrageous and intriguing disputes from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. Bringing the cataclysmic clash of ideas and personalities to colorful life, Hellman explores both the science and the spirit of the times. Along the way, he reveals that scientific feuds are fueled not only by the purest of intellectual disagreements, but also by intransigence, ambition, jealousy, politics, faith, and the irresistible human urge to be right.Unusual insight into the development of science . . . I was excited by this book and enthusiastically recommend it to general as well as scientific audiences. -American ScientistHellman has assembled a series of entertaining tales. . . . many fine examples of heady invective without parallel in our time. -NatureAn entertaining and informative account of the unusual personalities and sometimes bitter rivalries of some of the world's greatest scientific minds. -Publishers WeeklyA fascinating new book which details some of the most famous disputes of the ages.-Courier MailDry science history turns into entertaining reading without sacrificing historical accuracy. -The Christchurch PressGreat Feuds in Science is wonderful history, as the reader learns how scientists had to fight with religious leaders and other scientists to get their work recognized, accepted, and even get the credit for it! -Bookviews An Accomplished Science Writer Narrates The Dramatic Stories Of Science's Ten Greatest Controversies, Sometimes Lasting Centuries And The Discoveries They Inspired, And Shows How Such Clashes Of Ideas And Personalities Propel Science Forward. Urban Viii Versus Galileo: An Unequal Contest -- Wallis Versus Hobbes: Squaring The Circle -- Newton Versus Leibniz: A Clash Of Titans -- Voltaire Versus Needham: The Generation Controversy -- Darwin's Bulldog Versus Soapy Sam: Evolution Wars -- Lord Kelvin Versus Geologists And Biologists: The Age Of The Earth -- Cope Versus Marsh: The Fossil Feud -- Wegener Versus Everybody: Continental Drift -- Johanson Versus The Leakeys: The Missing Link -- Derek Freeman Versus Margaret Mead: Nature Versus Nurture. Hal Hellman. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "A fascinating new book which details some of the most famous disputes of the ages. "-Courier Mail "A pleasant compendium of amusements and lessons for science buffs. "-Booklist Some of the biggest breakthroughs in science have caused battles that have raged over decades, even centuries. Examines ten of science's greatest controversies, some of them lasting centuries, and shows how such clashes of ideas and personalities propel science forward Entering Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome is like walking into the Grand Canyon.