To Explain the World : The Discovery of Modern Science

"A thoughtful history."--The New Yorker

"Refreshing and well-written. . . . To Explain the World tells a rich, meaningful tale about the emergence of science."--The New York Times Book Review

"Fascinating. . . . A sweeping narrative of the progression of ideas. . . . Weinberg masterfully explains how the emergence of the modern scientific method, the mechanism by which we interrogate the world and devise well-supported explanations we can be confident in, is itself a discovery."--Lewis Dartnell, The Telegraph

"Weinberg exemplifies a growing tendency in popular science writing to offer the matter of science and not just a superficial reading. It gives the book a bracing intellectuality. . . . This is a great book, a necessary book for our time."--The Independent

"I am amazed by what Steven Weinberg has done in this book. It is a unique and highly civilizing guide, obviously the result of years of wide-ranging scholarship, even with strategic humor."--Gerald Holton

"Weinberg writes with clarity and wit. . . . His reasoning can be fascinating -- and eye-opening. . . . Weinberg is one of our greatest defeners of scientific thought, and his wit is a welcome salve in this authoritative history."--The Austin American-Statesman

"An ingenious account. . . . The author has a keen understanding of the precise details of his subject. . . . Readers will come away with a stimulating view of how humans learn from nature."--Kirkus

"With his usual scholarly aplomb, Weinberg leads readers on a tour of early scientific theory, from the ancient Greeks to the Scientific Revolution of the 17th century. . . . Accessible and smoothly written, Weinberg's book offers new insights on what has become familiar territory for pop-science readers.--Publishers Weekly

"A bravura performance. Writing with grace and verve, Weinberg explains complex conceptual nuances with admirable clarity."--Physics Today

"The book is a magnificent contribution to the history and philosophy of science. It tells an exciting story. Why on earth did good science take so long to arrive?. . . . Weinberg writes with great verve and clarity."--The Times Literary Supplement