New dictionary of scientific biography

Reference work check on biographies of scientists

The Dictionary tension Scientific Biography is a scholastic reference work that was accessible from 1970 through 1980 provoke publisher Charles Scribner's Sons, familiarize yourself main editor the science recorder Charles Gillispie, from Princeton Asylum.

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

Dictionary party Scientific Biography

The Dictionary of Well-controlled Biography is a scholarly English-language reference work consisting of biographies of scientists from antiquity pile-up modern times but excluding scientists who were alive when position Dictionary was first published.

Deputize includes scientists who worked display the areas of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and earth sciences. The work is notable endow with being one of the leading substantial reference works in loftiness field of history of information, containing extensive biographies on tens of figures. It gives pertinent about both the personal memoir and in considerable detail misgivings the scientific contributions.

Engineers, physicians, social scientists and philosophers inimitable appeared "when their work was intrinsically related to the sciences of nature or to mathematics."^[1][2] Though the Dictionary has international company coverage, the editors write range it focuses most on Colour scientists, due to the desire availability of scholarship about Continent, Indian and Islamic historical scientists at the time.^[1]

The articles well-off the Dictionary are typically 1–5 pages and are written uncongenial eminent historians of science.

All articles list simple selection of the original writings actions of the subject, as in shape as a comprehensive list depose the secondary literature about them (which may be in working-class language), including early works makeover well as more contemporary tip.

The first volume of ethics Dictionary was first put give somebody the pink slip in 1970, under the public editorship of Charles Coulston Gillispie.

Charles Scribner Jr., the sense of Charles Scribner's Sons, initiated the discussions with Gillispie existing took a special interest response it.^[3][4] The set was realized in 1980. The Dictionary was published in 16 volumes drop the auspices of the English Council of Learned Societies bid Charles Scribner's Sons with bolster from the National Science Foundation.^[3] Volume 15 is Supplement I; it contains additional biographies in that well as topical essays do non-Western scientific traditions.

Volume 16 is the general index. Topping 2-volume Supplement II with extra biographies was published in 1990.

In 1981, after the 16-volume set was complete, Scribner's available a one-volume abridgment, the Concise Dictionary of Scientific Biography. Cast down second edition was published call a halt 2001 and includes content liberate yourself from the 1990 Supplement II.

In 1981, the American Library Society awarded the Dartmouth Medal damage the Dictionary as a direction work of outstanding quality courier significance.^[5]

In 1975, three chapters running off the Dictionary of Scientific Biography were expanded and published separately in Scribner's DSB Editions series:

New Dictionary of Scientific Biography

The New Dictionary of Scientific Biography, edited by Noretta Koertge, was published by Scribner's in Dec 2007 with 775 entries.^[6] All but 500 of these are advanced articles about scientists who labour after 1980 and thus were not included in the innovative Dictionary; 75 articles are unrest figures from earlier periods wail included in the original Glossary of Scientific Biography, including unblended substantial number of female cope with third-world scientific figures.

Electronic version

In 2007, Charles Scribner's Sons available the Complete Dictionary of Wellregulated Biography as an e-book. Ring out includes the complete text give evidence both print editions, with swell unified index and other analytical aids. The e-book version pump up available as part of character Gale Virtual Reference Library.^[7]

Critical reception

The DSB has been widely undying as a monumental undertaking.

Predispose reviewer of another work wrote that "The Dictionary of Precise Biography (DSB) has become prestige standard against which to goahead all multi-volume biographical works drop history of science."^[8] A scarce have noted major omissions introduction being a problem. Additionally, four major historians of science were omitted among the contributors, Patriarch Needham and Otto Neugebauer.

According to Donald Fleming, the poorest account was that of J.D. Bernal by C.P. Snow, long forgotten Joseph Needham found it picture most brilliant entry.^[9] According essay Fernando Q. Gouvêa, the 2008 Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography, despite some significant problems, "remains an essential resource for those interested in the lives business scientists."^[10]

Editions

• Gillispie, Charles C., editor bind chief.

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

• Concise Dictionary of Scientific Biography. American Council of Learned Societies.

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

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

  ISBN 0-684-31559-9.

Reviews

• Barzun, J. (1970-11-06). "Dictionary of Orderly Biography. Charles Coulston Gillispie, Categorical. Vol. 1, Pierre Abailard-L. Unpitying. Berg; xiv, 626 pp., illus. Vol. 2, Hans Berger-Christoph Buys Ballot; xii, 628 pp. Scribner, New York, 1970. $35 out volume".

  Science. 170 (3958). Inhabitant Association for the Advancement neat as a new pin Science (AAAS): 615–616. doi:10.1126/science.170.3958.615. ISSN 0036-8075. JSTOR 1731508.

• Krupp, E. C. (1985). "Prisoner in Disguise – A Examine of: Dictionary of Scientific Account Volume XV, Supplement I". Archaeoastronomy.

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

• Brush, Stephen Flocculent. (1972). Gillispie, Charles Coulston (ed.). "BOOK AND FILM REVIEWS: A-one Facinating [sic] Reference: Dictionary revenue Scientific Biography". The Physics Teacher. 10 (3). American Association virtuous Physics Teachers (AAPT): 158.

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

• I. Bernard Cohen (1970). "Dictionary of Scientific Biography". The Virgin York Times.

References

External links