In the 25 years since the last edition of Thornton and Tully's Scientific Books, Libraries and Collectors was published, scientific publishing has mushroomed, developed new forms, and the academic discipline and popular appreciation of the history of science have grown apace. This fourth edition discusses these changes and ponders the implications of developments in publishing at the end of the twentieth century, while concentrating its gaze upon the dissemination of scientific ideas and knowledge from Antiquity to the industrial age. In this shift of focus it departs from previous editions, and for the first time a chapter on Islamic science is included. Recurrent themes in several of the ten essays in the present volume are the definition of 'science' itself, and its transmutation by publishing media and the social context. Two essays on the collecting of scientific books provide a counterpoint, and the book is grounded on a rigorous chapter on bibliographies. The timely publication of Scientific Books, Libraries and Collectors comes at the coincidence of the advent of electronic publishing and the millennium, a dramatic moment at which to take stock.

About the Author
Andrew Hunter Andrew Hunter, Henry E. Lowood, Robin E. Rider, Liba Taub, S. Livesey, J. Sesiano, Sachiko Kusukawa, Tara Nummedal, Paula Findlen, Brian J. Ford, Frank A. J. L. James, A.J. Meadows, W. H. Brock, Giles Mandelbrote, Judith Overmier.

Reviews
'There is a huge amount of valuable information in this volume and there is no question that it should be on the basic reference shelf of all historians, librarians and booksellers with even a passing interest in the history of science.' Book Collector 'The overall standard of the chapters is high, and some are excellent.... this is a book which will (and should) be widely used.' SHARP News



Book Information
ISBN 9781859282335
Author Andrew Hunter
Format Hardback
Page Count 424
Imprint Ashgate Publishing Limited
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g