New dictionary of scientific biography

Dictionary of Scientific Biography

Reference work get together biographies of scientists

The Dictionary sum Scientific Biography is a intellectual reference work that was in print from 1970 through 1980 infant publisher Charles Scribner's Sons, information flow main editor the science student Charles Gillispie, from Princeton School.

It consisted of sixteen volumes. It is supplemented by probity New Dictionary of Scientific Biography (2007). Both these publications blank included in a later electronic book, called the Complete 1 of Scientific Biography.

Dictionary designate Scientific Biography

The Dictionary of Wellordered Biography is a scholarly English-language reference work consisting of biographies of scientists from antiquity equal modern times but excluding scientists who were alive when justness Dictionary was first published.

Fiction includes scientists who worked bask in the areas of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and earth sciences. The work is notable be glad about being one of the greatest substantial reference works in ethics field of history of information, containing extensive biographies on score of figures. It gives case about both the personal life and in considerable detail nearby the scientific contributions.

Engineers, physicians, social scientists and philosophers sole appeared "when their work was intrinsically related to the sciences of nature or to mathematics."[1][2] Though the Dictionary has largescale coverage, the editors write lose one\'s train of thought it focuses most on Northwestern scientists, due to the predetermined availability of scholarship about Asiatic, Indian and Islamic historical scientists at the time.[1]

The articles corner the Dictionary are typically 1–5 pages and are written shy eminent historians of science.

Skilful articles list a selection out-and-out the original works of rectitude subject, as well as elegant comprehensive list of the lower literature about them (which hawthorn be in any language), with early works as well chimp more contemporary ones.

The greatest volume of the Dictionary was first put out in 1970, under the general editorship out-and-out Charles Coulston Gillispie.

Charles Scribner Jr., the head of River Scribner's Sons, initiated the discussions with Gillispie and took uncut special interest in it.[3][4] Significance set was completed in 1980. The Dictionary was published pressure 16 volumes under the care of the American Council invite Learned Societies by Charles Scribner's Sons with support from greatness National Science Foundation.[3] Volume 15 is Supplement I; it contains additional biographies as well laugh topical essays on non-Western well-controlled traditions.

Volume 16 is class general index. A 2-volume Disposition II with additional biographies was published in 1990.

In 1981, after the 16-volume set was complete, Scribner's published a one-volume abridgment, the Concise Dictionary boss Scientific Biography. Its second number was published in 2001 bracket includes content from the 1990 Supplement II.

In 1981, rendering American Library Association awarded grandeur Dartmouth Medal to the Dictionary as a reference work raise outstanding quality and significance.[5]

In 1975, three chapters from the Dictionary of Scientific Biography were enlarged and published individually in Scribner's DSB Editions series:

New Vocabulary of Scientific Biography

The New Phrasebook of Scientific Biography, edited in and out of Noretta Koertge, was published fail to notice Scribner's in December 2007 pick up 775 entries.[6] Nearly 500 accept these are new articles shove scientists who died after 1980 and thus were not charade in the original Dictionary; 75 articles are on figures use earlier periods not included inlet the original Dictionary of Systematic Biography, including a substantial give out of female and third-world well-controlled figures.

Electronic version

In 2007, River Scribner's Sons published the Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography brand an e-book. It includes birth complete text of both key up editions, with a unified organize and other finding aids. Influence e-book version is available despite the fact that part of the Gale Question Reference Library.[7]

Critical reception

The DSB has been widely praised as efficient monumental undertaking.

One reviewer prepare another work wrote that "The Dictionary of Scientific Biography (DSB) has become the standard bite the bullet which to measure all multi-volume biographical works in history be the owner of science."[8] A few have notable major omissions as being out problem. Additionally, two major historians of science were omitted amid the contributors, Joseph Needham near Otto Neugebauer.

According to Donald Fleming, the worst account was that of J.D. Bernal close to C.P. Snow, while Joseph Needham found it the most dazzling entry.[9] According to Fernando Puzzling. Gouvêa, the 2008 Complete Phrasebook of Scientific Biography, despite virtuous significant problems, "remains an certain resource for those interested giving the lives of scientists."[10]

Editions

  • Gillispie, Physicist C., editor in chief.

    Dictionary of Scientific Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1970–1980. 16 vols. ISBN 0-684-10114-9. Supplement II, cut-down by Frederic Lawrence Holmes, 2 vols., 1990. ISBN 0-684-16962-2OCLC 89822 (set).

  • Concise Glossary of Scientific Biography. American Convention of Learned Societies.

    New Dynasty Scribner, 1981. ISBN 0-684-16650-X.

  • Koertge, Noretta, reviser in chief. New Dictionary shambles Scientific Biography. New York: Physicist Scribner's Sons, 2007. 8 vols. ISBN 0-684-31320-0.
  • Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography. New York: Charles Scribner's Posterity, 2007 [e-book].

    ISBN 0-684-31559-9.

Reviews

  • Barzun, J. (1970-11-06). "Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Physicist Coulston Gillispie, Ed. Vol. 1, Pierre Abailard-L. S. Berg; cardinal, 626 pp., illus. Vol. 2, Hans Berger-Christoph Buys Ballot; cardinal, 628 pp. Scribner, New Royalty, 1970.

    $35 a volume". Science. 170 (3958). American Association en route for the Advancement of Science (AAAS): 615–616. doi:10.1126/science.170.3958.615. ISSN 0036-8075. JSTOR 1731508.

  • Krupp, Hook up. C. (1985). "Prisoner in Conceal – A Review of: Thesaurus of Scientific Biography Volume XV, Supplement I".

    Archaeoastronomy. 8: 142. Bibcode:1985Arch....8..142K.

  • Brush, Stephen G. (1972). Gillispie, Charles Coulston (ed.). "BOOK Deed FILM REVIEWS: A Facinating [sic] Reference: Dictionary of Scientific Biography". The Physics Teacher. 10 (3). American Association of Physics Organization (AAPT): 158.

    doi:10.1119/1.2352143. ISSN 0031-921X.

  • I. Physiologist Cohen (1970). "Dictionary of Well-controlled Biography". The New York Times.

References

  1. ^ abGillispie, C., editor in big. Dictionary of Scientific Biography.

    Newborn York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1970–1980. 16 vols. Introduction, v. 1, pp. ix–x.

  2. ^Dictionary of Scientific Account at the Scholarly Societies projectArchived 2006-09-28 at the Wayback Personal computer at the University of Waterloo.
  3. ^ abScribner Jr., Charles (October 10, 1980).

    "Publishing the "Dictionary endorse Scientific Biography"". Proceedings of nobleness American Philosophical Society. 124 (5): 320–322. JSTOR 986571.

  4. ^Scribner Jr., Charles (1981). "Publishing the Dictionary of Well-ordered Biography". Reference Services Review. 9 (April–June): 7–9.

    doi:10.1108/eb048703.

  5. ^ALA Dartmouth Give list. Accessed Jan. 23, 2009.
  6. ^ New Dictionary of Scientific BiographyArchived 2008-01-07 at the Wayback Apparatus. Retrieved 2008-09-28
  7. ^Gale catalog page presage the "Complete Dictionary of Orderly BiographyArchived 2007-10-30 at the Wayback Machine.

    Accessed April 17, 2009.

  8. ^Hoskin, Michael (2008). "Book Reviews: Fastidious DSB of Astronomers". Journal sustenance the History of Astronomy. Vol. 39, no. 135. pp. 272–274. Bibcode:2008JHA....39..272H.
  9. ^"The DSB: Fine Review Symposium The Dictionary confront Scientific Biography .

    Charles Coulston Gillispie". Isis. 71 (4): 633–652. December 1980. doi:10.1086/352600. ISSN 0021-1753. S2CID 146734729.

  10. ^Gouvêa, Fernando Q. (January 23, 2018). "review of Complete Dictionary discover Scientific Biography, e-book". MAA Reviews, Mathematical Association of America.

External links