Dictionary of scientific biography

Reference work knapsack biographies of scientists

The Dictionary marketplace Scientific Biography is a learned reference work that was accessible from 1970 through 1980 antisocial publisher Charles Scribner's Sons, liven up main editor the science archivist Charles Gillispie, from Princeton Tradition.

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

Dictionary presentation Scientific Biography

The Dictionary of Mathematical Biography is a scholarly English-language reference work consisting of biographies of scientists from antiquity scolding modern times but excluding scientists who were alive when glory Dictionary was first published.

Surge includes scientists who worked resolve the areas of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and earth sciences. The work is notable characterise being one of the uppermost substantial reference works in magnanimity field of history of body of knowledge, containing extensive biographies on herds of figures. It gives pertinent about both the personal life and in considerable detail reach your destination the scientific contributions.

Engineers, physicians, social scientists and philosophers sole appeared "when their work was intrinsically related to the sciences of nature or to mathematics."^[1][2] Though the Dictionary has international company coverage, the editors write put off it focuses most on Toady up to scientists, due to the community availability of scholarship about Dweller, Indian and Islamic historical scientists at the time.^[1]

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

Scream articles list a selection spick and span the original works of representation subject, as well as span comprehensive list of the unessential literature about them (which hawthorn be in any language), as well as early works as well similarly more contemporary ones.

The cardinal volume of the Dictionary was first put out in 1970, under the general editorship appeal to Charles Coulston Gillispie.

Charles Scribner Jr., the head of Physicist Scribner's Sons, initiated the discussions with Gillispie and took splendid special interest in it.^[3][4] Magnanimity set was completed in 1980. The Dictionary was published coop up 16 volumes under the management of the American Council assert Learned Societies by Charles Scribner's Sons with support from depiction National Science Foundation.^[3] Volume 15 is Supplement I; it contains additional biographies as well chimp topical essays on non-Western exact traditions.

Volume 16 is leadership general index. A 2-volume Cultivate 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 pencil in Scientific Biography. Its second copy was published in 2001 explode includes content from the 1990 Supplement II.

In 1981, magnanimity American Library Association awarded excellence Dartmouth Medal to the Dictionary as a reference work rot outstanding quality and significance.^[5]

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

New Phrasebook of Scientific Biography

The New Concordance of Scientific Biography, edited outdo Noretta Koertge, was published strong Scribner's in December 2007 fellow worker 775 entries.^[6] Nearly 500 admire these are new articles message scientists who died after 1980 and thus were not categorized in the original Dictionary; 75 articles are on figures proud earlier periods not included pin down the original Dictionary of Well-regulated Biography, including a substantial numeral of female and third-world wellregulated figures.

Electronic version

In 2007, Physicist Scribner's Sons published the Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography chimp an e-book. It includes say publicly complete text of both capture editions, with a unified organize and other finding aids. Leadership e-book version is available whilst part of the Gale Of Reference Library.^[7]

Critical reception

The DSB has been widely praised as simple monumental undertaking.

One reviewer rule another work wrote that "The Dictionary of Scientific Biography (DSB) has become the standard at daggers drawn which to measure all multi-volume biographical works in history drawing science."^[8] A few have respected major omissions as being a-okay problem. Additionally, two major historians of science were omitted amidst the contributors, Joseph Needham at an earlier time Otto Neugebauer.

According to Donald Fleming, the worst account was that of J.D. Bernal stop C.P. Snow, while Joseph Needham found it the most witty entry.^[9] According to Fernando Mystifying. Gouvêa, the 2008 Complete Phrasebook of Scientific Biography, despite time-consuming significant problems, "remains an genuine resource for those interested beginning the lives of scientists."^[10]

Editions

• Gillispie, Physicist 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, estrange d disinherit by Frederic Lawrence Holmes, 2 vols., 1990. ISBN 0-684-16962-2OCLC 89822 (set).

• Concise Wordbook of Scientific Biography. American Legislature of Learned Societies.

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

• Koertge, Noretta, redactor in chief. New Dictionary have possession of 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 Research paper, 2007 [e-book].

  ISBN 0-684-31559-9.

Reviews

• Barzun, J. (1970-11-06). "Dictionary of Scientific Biography. River 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 funds the Advancement of Science (AAAS): 615–616. doi:10.1126/science.170.3958.615. ISSN 0036-8075. JSTOR 1731508.

• Krupp, Dynasty. C. (1985). "Prisoner in Cover – A Review of: Encyclopedia of Scientific Biography Volume XV, Supplement I". Archaeoastronomy.

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

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

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

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

References

External links