Shores of Knowledge: New World Discoveries and the Scientific Imagination [Paperback]

Uncommonly good&makes a compelling case that&intellectual curiosity not only changed Europe, but launched modernity.  A unique perspective&Appleby tells it through the contributions of an array of charactersexplorers, writers, collectors and early naturalistsgiving the reader a sense of theprogress over the centuries as seen through their eyes. An ambitious book that covers the sweep of history from Columbus to Darwinand finds unexpected kinship between explorers and scientists of those centuries&Fascinating! An invigorating journey through time and space, shedding insight into the relationship between science and society. Like an exotic seed washed up from a distant land, Joyce Applebys Christopher Columbuss 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 Applebys charming, story-filled journey across the Atlantic and back again. US