Shores of Knowledge: New World Discoveries and the Scientific Imagination
“Like an exotic seed washed up from a distant land, Joyce Appleby’sShores of Knowledgeblossoms in marvelous ways. This supple and sparkling chronicle of discovery shows why even Columbus was baffled by his myriad discoveries, and how Europeans gradually decoded the mysteries of the New World. A lucid account of cultural transmission.” (Laurence Bergreen, author of Columbus)“Shores of Knowledgeis an ambitious book that covers the sweep of history from Columbus to Darwin--and finds unexpected kinship between explorers and scientists of those centuries. Science was exploration, and exploration was science. And, from Joyce Appleby’s expert retelling, we learn the many ways they thought and spoke of it too. Fascinating!” (Mark Anderson, author of The Day the World Discovered the Sun)“I found it an invigorating journey through time and space, shedding insight into the relationship between science and society.” (John Gribbin, author of Erwin Schrodinger and the Quantum Revolution)“Christopher Columbus’s landing in the Western Hemisphere in 1492 marked a decisive moment in world history. But as Joyce Appleby argues in this lucid and economically written survey of scientific thought, its intellectual impact unfolded gradually. In riveting prose, she shows how American geography, peoples, flora, and fauna forced European scientists to alter their understanding of nature. Those interested in the intersection of exploration and scientific knowledge should book passage on Professor Appleby’s charming, story-filled journey across the Atlantic and back again.” (Peter Mancall, author of The Fatal Journey)