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[email protected]. ©Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society and other rightsholders knowledge through publishing, trade comprehensive view it provides of the Overall, this is a very well-written or exploration. In doing so, she goes origin of science and its evolution over and highly readable book. The lan- beyond merely recounting how science the past four millennia. Those inter- guage is clear and the arguments are itself developed to show how it has ested in more detail can find ideas for lucid. Frequent examples and anec- been shaped by cultural and economic further reading at the end of the book. dotes enliven dry, theoretical concepts. trends. An example is the revival of Regrettably, to some extent the book The text is subdivided into short chap- natural history during the Renaissance, falls victim to the author’s own scien- ters, each of which focuses on a differ- which owed more to the rapid expan- tific background. In places it draws a ent topic and reads like an indepen- sion of international trade—and to little too heavily on physics (the field dent essay. This makes it inviting for the desire of rich Europeans to adorn she was trained in) and related areas, readers who can devote no more than their homes with exotic plants and and it focuses too much on British sci- a few moments at a time to reading animals—than to the investigations ence.