Out of the Shadow of a Giant, John Gribbin
Out of the Shadow of a Giant, John Gribbin
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Out of the Shadow of a Giant
Hooke, Halley and the Birth of Science

Author: John Gribbin, Mary Gribbin

Narrator: John Curless

Unabridged: 12 hr 22 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 10/24/2017


Synopsis

What if Newton had never lived? A compelling dual biography argues that Robert Hooke and Edmond Halley easily could have filled the giant's shoes-and deserve credit for the birth of modern science. Robert Hooke and Edmond Halley, whose place in history has been overshadowed by the giant figure of Newton, were pioneering scientists within their own right, and instrumental in establishing the Royal Society. Although Newton is widely regarded as one of the greatest scientists of all time and the father of the English scientific revolution, John and Mary Gribbin uncover the fascinating story of Robert Hooke and Edmond Halley, whose scientific achievements neatly embrace the hundred years or so during which science as we know it became established. They argue persuasively that, even without Newton, science would have made a great leap forward in the second half of the seventeenth century, headed by two extraordinary figures, Hooke and Halley.

About John Gribbin

John Gribbin, described by the Spectator as "one of the finest and most prolific writers of popular science around," is the author of In Search of Schrodinger's Cat, The Universe: A Biography, 13.8: The Quest to Find the True Age of the Universe and the Theory of Everything, and other books. He is a visiting fellow in astronomy at the University of Sussex, UK.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Brian on May 20, 2017

We should be truly grateful to John and Mary Gribbin for this opportunity to find out more about two stalwarts of 17th/18th century British science, Robert Hooke and Edmond Halley (apparently pronounced 'Hawley', as presumably it was thought of as Hall-ley). This pair have been unfortunately and unf......more

Goodreads review by Madelyn on April 12, 2024

Hooke deserved better 🥲......more

Goodreads review by Liam on October 29, 2018

Most of the physics that Newton claimed and gets credit for was stolen from Hooke, as Newton was a terrible scientist and Hooke was a genius. Furthermore, Newton went to great lengths to minimize Hooke's contributions. On the other hand, Newton was a genius at mathematics (which is mentioned but not......more

Goodreads review by Rebecca on September 11, 2021

Well, if Isaac Newton is your hero, this book will definitely change your mind. This book was super interesting, but not necessarily exciting. Good book for people who enjoy reading about science, and yet another example of how we create hero stories in science, when really there are no heroes. If y......more

Goodreads review by Malcolm on July 27, 2018

Every school child learn about Newton and his 3 laws of motion; about Hooke and his law about springs; about Halley and his prediction of the return of his comet but that is about the extent of it. All 3 carried out much further scientific research back in the 17th century which is rarely talked abo......more