Meteorology, climate science, magnetism, acoustics, bacteriology; all these fields were greatly advanced by the contributions to them made by John Tyndall. However if you’re like many people – including may who consider themselves relatively well-versed in the history of the sciences – his name may not be a familiar one to you. Yet in his time, his writings were widely read on both sides of the Atlantic, and his lectures filled halls night after night.
Not so very far along my reading of Helen Scales’ new “Eye of the Shoal,” I found myself reading about the friendship and collaboration of John Ray and Francis Willughby on the 1686 book “De Historia Piscium.” However as soon as I read Willughby’s name, my mind immediately flashed to the copy of Tim Birkhead’s recently published book “The Wonderful Mr Willughby; The First True Ornithologist” sitting on my desk. Ichthyology, ornithology – one person publishing foundational books in them both… Those were the days!
“The universal intellectual, the free-standing man or woman making a living more or less from writing or talking, and being known for that in a variety of old fashioned media has disappeared. We shall not see a return or a revival, I think, of that kind of intellectual.” So spoke the late Tony Judt in his […]
Recounting the story of the life and work of the late Peter M. Douglas, long-serving chairman of the California Coastal Commission, and indefatigable advocate for the preservation of and open access to the magnificent coastline of the U.S. state of California, this new book will – it is hoped – bring greater attention to one of those most responsible for making it still possible for us all continue to be able to enjoy a visit to some of the worlds most remarkable coastal areas.