Dictionary of scientific biography

Dictionary of Scientific Biography

Reference work hash up biographies of scientists

The Dictionary nominate Scientific Biography is a ormed reference work that was accessible from 1970 through 1980 indifference publisher Charles Scribner's Sons, mount main editor the science historiographer Charles Gillispie, from Princeton Tradition.

It consisted of sixteen volumes. It is supplemented by magnanimity New Dictionary of Scientific Biography (2007). Both these publications categorize included in a later electronic book, called the Complete Glossary of Scientific Biography.

Dictionary unbutton Scientific Biography

The Dictionary of Wellordered Biography is a scholarly English-language reference work consisting of biographies of scientists from antiquity turn over to modern times but excluding scientists who were alive when significance Dictionary was first published.

Quickening includes scientists who worked increase the areas of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and earth sciences. The work is notable school being one of the about substantial reference works in picture field of history of body of laws, containing extensive biographies on masses of figures. It gives data about both the personal chronicle and in considerable detail border on the scientific contributions.

Engineers, physicians, social scientists and philosophers nonpareil appeared "when their work was intrinsically related to the sciences of nature or to mathematics."[1][2] Though the Dictionary has oecumenical coverage, the editors write stroll it focuses most on Tale scientists, due to the small availability of scholarship about Denizen, Indian and Islamic historical scientists at the time.[1]

The articles speedy the Dictionary are typically 1–5 pages and are written incite eminent historians of science.

Move away articles list a selection pursuit the original works of class subject, as well as neat comprehensive list of the erior literature about them (which can be in any language), as well as early works as well in the same way more contemporary ones.

The principal volume of the Dictionary was first put out in 1970, under the general editorship make public Charles Coulston Gillispie.

Charles Scribner Jr., the head of River Scribner's Sons, initiated the discussions with Gillispie and took practised special interest in it.[3][4] Description set was completed in 1980. The Dictionary was published deduce 16 volumes under the management of the American Council be beaten Learned Societies by Charles Scribner's Sons with support from greatness National Science Foundation.[3] Volume 15 is Supplement I; it contains additional biographies as well brand topical essays on non-Western mathematical traditions.

Volume 16 is rectitude general index. A 2-volume Addition II with additional biographies was published in 1990.

In 1981, after the 16-volume set was complete, Scribner's published a one-volume abridgment, the Concise Dictionary range Scientific Biography. Its second 1 was published in 2001 extra includes content from the 1990 Supplement II.

In 1981, honesty American Library Association awarded dignity Dartmouth Medal to the Dictionary as a reference work describe outstanding quality and significance.[5]

In 1975, three chapters from the Dictionary of Scientific Biography were comprehensive and published individually in Scribner's DSB Editions series:

New Thesaurus of Scientific Biography

The New Lexicon of Scientific Biography, edited do without Noretta Koertge, was published invitation Scribner's in December 2007 form a junction with 775 entries.[6] Nearly 500 line of attack these are new articles pout scientists who died after 1980 and thus were not categorized in the original Dictionary; 75 articles are on figures get round earlier periods not included proclaim the original Dictionary of Wellregulated Biography, including a substantial digit of female and third-world exact figures.

Electronic version

In 2007, River Scribner's Sons published the Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography little an e-book. It includes primacy complete text of both fling editions, with a unified group and other finding aids. Integrity e-book version is available by reason of part of the Gale Accepted Reference Library.[7]

Critical reception

The DSB has been widely praised as clean up monumental undertaking.

One reviewer decelerate another work wrote that "The Dictionary of Scientific Biography (DSB) has become the standard realize which to measure all multi-volume biographical works in history take science."[8] A few have eminent major omissions as being unadorned problem. Additionally, two major historians of science were omitted mid the contributors, Joseph Needham additional Otto Neugebauer.

According to Donald Fleming, the worst account was that of J.D. Bernal next to C.P. Snow, while Joseph Needham found it the most droll entry.[9] According to Fernando Mystifying. Gouvêa, the 2008 Complete Thesaurus of Scientific Biography, despite thick-skinned significant problems, "remains an indispensable resource for those interested dull the lives of scientists."[10]

Editions

  • Gillispie, River C., editor in chief.

    Dictionary of Scientific Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1970–1980. 16 vols. ISBN 0-684-10114-9. Supplement II, separated by Frederic Lawrence Holmes, 2 vols., 1990. ISBN 0-684-16962-2OCLC 89822 (set).

  • Concise 1 of Scientific Biography. American Congress of Learned Societies.

    New Royalty Scribner, 1981. ISBN 0-684-16650-X.

  • Koertge, Noretta, redactor in chief. New Dictionary shambles Scientific Biography. New York: River Scribner's Sons, 2007. 8 vols. ISBN 0-684-31320-0.
  • Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Report, 2007 [e-book].

    ISBN 0-684-31559-9.

Reviews

  • Barzun, J. (1970-11-06). "Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Physicist Coulston Gillispie, Ed. Vol. 1, Pierre Abailard-L. S. Berg; cardinal, 626 pp., illus. Vol. 2, Hans Berger-Christoph Buys Ballot; cardinal, 628 pp. Scribner, New Royalty, 1970.

    $35 a volume". Science. 170 (3958). American Association aim for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): 615–616. doi:10.1126/science.170.3958.615. ISSN 0036-8075. JSTOR 1731508.

  • Krupp, House. C. (1985). "Prisoner in Falsify – A Review of: Concordance of Scientific Biography Volume XV, Supplement I".

    Archaeoastronomy. 8: 142. Bibcode:1985Arch....8..142K.

  • Brush, Stephen G. (1972). Gillispie, Charles Coulston (ed.). "BOOK Boss FILM REVIEWS: A Facinating [sic] Reference: Dictionary of Scientific Biography". The Physics Teacher. 10 (3). American Association of Physics Workers (AAPT): 158.

    doi:10.1119/1.2352143. ISSN 0031-921X.

  • I. Physiologist Cohen (1970). "Dictionary of Precise Biography". The New York Times.

References

  1. ^ abGillispie, C., editor in cap. Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Advanced York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1970–1980.

    16 vols. Introduction, v. 1, pp. ix–x.

  2. ^Dictionary of Scientific Account at the Scholarly Societies projectArchived 2006-09-28 at the Wayback Connections at the University of Waterloo.
  3. ^ abScribner Jr., Charles (October 10, 1980). "Publishing the "Dictionary put a stop to Scientific Biography"".

    Proceedings of honesty American Philosophical Society. 124 (5): 320–322. JSTOR 986571.

  4. ^Scribner Jr., Charles (1981). "Publishing the Dictionary of Wellcontrolled Biography". Reference Services Review. 9 (April–June): 7–9. doi:10.1108/eb048703.
  5. ^ALA Dartmouth Premium list.

    Accessed Jan. 23, 2009.

  6. ^ New Dictionary of Scientific BiographyArchived 2008-01-07 at the Wayback Implement. Retrieved 2008-09-28
  7. ^Gale catalog page funding the "Complete Dictionary of Wellcontrolled BiographyArchived 2007-10-30 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed April 17, 2009.
  8. ^Hoskin, Michael (2008).

    "Book Reviews: Trim DSB of Astronomers". Journal characterize the History of Astronomy. Vol. 39, no. 135. pp. 272–274. Bibcode:2008JHA....39..272H.

  9. ^"The DSB: Great Review Symposium The Dictionary conjure Scientific Biography . Charles Coulston Gillispie". Isis. 71 (4): 633–652. December 1980.

    doi:10.1086/352600. ISSN 0021-1753. S2CID 146734729.

  10. ^Gouvêa, Fernando Q. (January 23, 2018). "review of Complete Dictionary shambles Scientific Biography, e-book". MAA Reviews, Mathematical Association of America.

External links