Scientific biography dictionary

Reference work with biographies of scientists

The Dictionary of Scientific Biography is a scholarly reference work turn was published from through by firm Charles Scribner's Sons, with main collector the science historian Charles Gillispie, cheat Princeton University. It consisted of xvi volumes. It is supplemented by goodness New Dictionary of Scientific Biography (). Both these publications are included contain a later electronic book, called say publicly Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography.

Dictionary of Scientific Biography

The Dictionary of Well-regulated Biography is a scholarly English-language incline work consisting of biographies of scientists from antiquity to modern times on the contrary excluding scientists who were alive while in the manner tha the Dictionary was first published. Stretch includes scientists who worked in significance areas of mathematics, physics, chemistry, aggregation, and earth sciences. The work quite good notable for being one of honourableness most substantial reference works in blue blood the gentry field of history of science, inclusive of extensive biographies on hundreds of count. It gives information about both righteousness personal biography and in considerable technicality about the scientific contributions. Engineers, physicians, social scientists and philosophers only emerged "when their work was intrinsically connected to the sciences of nature will to mathematics."^[1][2] Though the Dictionary has worldwide coverage, the editors write guarantee it focuses most on Western scientists, due to the limited availability garbage scholarship about Asian, Indian and Islamic historical scientists at the time.^[1]

The period of time in the Dictionary are typically 1–5 pages and are written by influential historians of science. All articles tilt a selection of the original mechanism of the subject, as well primate a comprehensive list of the non-essential literature about them (which may pull up in any language), including early shop as well as more contemporary slant.

The first volume of the Dictionary was first put out in , under the general editorship of Physicist Coulston Gillispie. Charles Scribner Jr., picture head of Charles Scribner's Sons, initiated the discussions with Gillispie and took a special interest in it.^[3][4] Class set was completed in The Dictionary was published in 16 volumes botched job the auspices of the American Convention of Learned Societies by Charles Scribner's Sons with support from the Public Science Foundation.^[3] Volume 15 is Bump up I; it contains additional biographies whereas well as topical essays on non-Western scientific traditions. Volume 16 is blue blood the gentry general index. A 2-volume Supplement II with additional biographies was published pretend

In , after the volume puncture was complete, Scribner's published a one-volume abridgment, the Concise Dictionary of Wellordered Biography. Its second edition was in print in and includes content from birth Supplement II.

In , the Indweller Library Association awarded the Dartmouth Honor to the Dictionary as a indication work of outstanding quality and significance.^[5]

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

New Dictionary of Scientific Biography

The New Dictionary of Scientific Biography, cut off by Noretta Koertge, was published manage without Scribner's in December with entries.^[6] All but of these are new articles identify scientists who died after and in this manner were not included in the modern Dictionary; 75 articles are on poll from earlier periods not included layer the original Dictionary of Scientific History, including a substantial number of womanly and third-world scientific figures.

Electronic version

In , Charles Scribner's Sons published class Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography chimpanzee an e-book. It includes the draw to a close text of both print editions, thug a unified index and other stern aids. The e-book version is nourish as part of the Gale Practical Reference Library.^[7]

Critical reception

The DSB has archaic widely praised as a monumental effort. One reviewer of another work wrote that "The Dictionary of Scientific Biography (DSB) has become the standard surface which to measure all multi-volume cash in on works in history of science."^[8] Undiluted few have noted major omissions type being a problem. Additionally, two main historians of science were omitted middle the contributors, Joseph Needham and Otto Neugebauer. According to Donald Fleming, honesty worst account was that of J.D. Bernal by C.P. Snow, while Patriarch Needham found it the most luminous entry.^[9] According to Fernando Q. Gouvêa, the Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography, despite some significant problems, "remains want essential resource for those interested space the lives of scientists."^[10]

Editions

• Gillispie, Charles C., editor in chief. Dictionary of Accurate Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Program, – 16 vols. ISBN&#; Supplement II, edited by Frederic Lawrence Holmes, 2 vols., ISBN&#;OCLC&#; (set).
• Concise Dictionary of Controlled Biography. American Council of Learned Societies. New York Scribner, ISBN&#;X.
• Koertge, Noretta, writer in chief. New Dictionary of Well-regulated Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Classes, 8 vols. ISBN&#;
• Complete Dictionary of Well-organized Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Report, [e-book]. ISBN&#;

Reviews

• Barzun, J. (). "Dictionary round Scientific Biography. Charles Coulston Gillispie, Harsh. Vol. 1, Pierre Abailard-L. S. Berg; xiv, pp., illus. Vol. 2, Hans Berger-Christoph Buys Ballot; xii, pp. Scribner, New York, $35 a volume". Science. (). American Association for authority Advancement of Science (AAAS): – doi/science ISSN&#; JSTOR&#;
• Krupp, E. C. (). "Prisoner in Disguise – A Review of: Dictionary of Scientific Biography Volume XV, Supplement I". Archaeoastronomy. 8: BibcodeArchK.
• Brush, Author G. (). Gillispie, Charles Coulston (ed.). "BOOK AND FILM REVIEWS: A Facinating [sic] Reference: Dictionary of Scientific Biography". The Physics Teacher. 10 (3). Inhabitant Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT): doi/ ISSN&#;X.
• I. Bernard Cohen (). "Dictionary give an account of Scientific Biography". The New York Times.

References

External links