from the publisher:
A fascinating collection of stories about key Firsts in science.
Pythagoras intuited that the earth was round.
Charles Darwin discovered the source of nature’s intricate diversity.
Marie Curie traced radioactivity to the atom.
Edwin Hubble discovered the expanding universe.
Albert Einstein reshaped our views of matter and energy, space and time.
Lynn Margulis showed that nature is far more promiscuous and creative than Darwin dreamed.
These brilliant men and women are part of a very special group–scientists who made truly original, groundbreaking discoveries. Science Firsts tells the stories of thirty-five of the most important firsts in the history of science. You’ll encounter such extraordinary figures as Enrico Fermi, the first to unleash the power of the atom; Joseph Priestley, the first to produce oxygen and glimpse photosynthesis in action; and Guglielmo Marconi, the first to make wireless communication a reality. Science Firsts reveals how these incredible minds ventured into previously unseen territory to satisfy their hunger for knowledge and, in doing so, changed the course of history.
Robert E. Adler, Ph.D., is a freelance science writer who contributes frequently to Nature and other leading scientific publications. He lives in northern California, where he is currently working on his second book for Wiley, highlighting advances in medicine.