The Discoveries: Great Breakthroughs in 20th-Century Science, Including the Original Papers

Despite the book contains the original papers for the most important discoveries in the 20th-Century science, they are not the best contents in the book. I have enjoyed far more than the words of Einstein or Pauling, the descriptions of the context in which those scientists lived, their biographies, their methods and the preceding findings and how all these led to their great discovery. Very nicely written. Truly scientific and true literature.

This is indeed an interesting book and I enjoyed reading it. Like any other top list, this one as well can be criticized for inclusion of one scientific breakthrough and exclusion of another. However, this book should be praised for asking us, or even inspiring us, to think about the real people behind some of the most important scientific discoveries of all time, and to read their own words, their doubts or even speculations. Personally, as a cancer biologist, I rarely read scientific papers written before 1980. This book does an excellent job in reminding us that final results are not always the only thing that matters. It also does an excellent job in helping us understand that, using the author's words, "the first reports of great discoveries of science are works of art. Like poetry, these papers have their internal rhythms, their images, their beautiful crystallizations, their sometimes fleeting truths." They allow us to "...gaze into the mind of a great scientist in a way that no summaries or commentaries can ever provide."

If you want an introduction to the major scientific discoveries of this century, this is a good place to start. Of course there are going to be those (as mentioned in other reviews) who dispute some of the claims of the discoverers featured here. That in itself is nothing new since science is nothing if not self-correcting and redefining. The format is simple - an introduction that includes a short biography and an attempt to set the discovery in its cultural context. Following that is a description of the discovery and the thought process behind its discovery. Accompanying each article is the relevant paper by the actual scientist. One of the best aspects of the book was the explanation of that paper - whethter the approach was theoretical or experimental, how deeply past references were cited, etc. This is a good, solid read - nothing spectacular but a good overview.

This book should allow the non scientist to actually understand how science works. "The Discoveries" has well written description of some of the major accopmlishments of 20th century science along with decsriptions of the scientists involved. After each description is a reprinting of some or all of the scientific papers to allow the reader to understand the thought process. I suggest the reader skip the first paper on Heisenberg (this paper is the most difficult to understand).

Faithfully relying on the original papers and the earliest documentation of scientific discovery, Alan Lightman provides a sensational book about the breakthroughs in science that shaped the 20th century. Lightman carefully avoids the "revisionist histories and editorials" about these discoveries and, instead, takes you to the original work that was done in a broad variety of fields including - but not limited to - quantum physics, hormones and antibiotics. Part history book, part textbook and part passionate insight, Lightman's treatment of 25 great articles of science is simply outstanding. Whether you hold advanced degrees in technical matters or you merely wish you had studied a little harder, this book will bring a fresh appreciation of scientific discovery.