The philosopher's tree : a selection of Michael Faraday's writings

Bibliographic Information

The philosopher's tree : a selection of Michael Faraday's writings

compiled with commentary by Peter Day

Institute of Physics, c1999

  • hard
  • pbk

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Note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Volume

hard ISBN 9780750305709

Description

This book provides a comprehensive selection of Michael Faraday's writings, taken from all aspects of his life, intimate and public. It is designed to show the relationships between his many activities, especially with the Royal Institution, for whose bicentenary this collection is published.

Table of Contents

1. The Beginning: In a Nutshell 2. Early Years: Friends, Family and Marriage 3. Touring the Continent: 1813-1815 4. Way of Life and Work 5. Colleagues and Friends 6. Words for Things 7. Science at the Bench 8. Leaves from a Laboratory Notebook 9. Science in the Lecture Theatre 10. Science for Young People 11. Honour and Recognition 12. Public Affairs: Consultant and Advocate 13. Final Days
Volume

pbk ISBN 9780750305716

Description

Michael Faraday's social origins, his thought processes, his methods of experimentation, and his religion have all been subjects of exhaustive analysis by historians and philosophers of science. One aspect of his work, which provides unique insight into his career path and the way in which his mind worked, has not received much emphasis outside the realm of academic professionals: namely, his writing. The Philosopher's Tree: Michael Faraday's Life and Work in His Own Words is an illustrated anthology of Faraday's writings compiled with commentary by Professor Peter Day, the director of the Royal Institution of Great Britain. From when he was a teenage apprentice bookbinder until his final resignation from the Royal Institution due to failing memory, Faraday wrote voluminously and his output took many forms. Apart from letters, Faraday kept journals (both scientific and personal); as a practicing scientist, he wrote articles in learned journals; as an adviser to the government and to many other agencies, he wrote reports; and as a supremely successful communicator (especially to young people), he left lecture notes and transcripts. All of these writings add life, color, and depth of focus to the stereotypical scientific colossus. Although Faraday's life was largely lived within what might appear to be very narrow geographical confines (just a few miles around 21 Albemarle Street in London's West End), his professional, social, and family relationships were extensive and diverse, and his responses to them equally complex. Through all the forms of expression that his multifaceted career required of him, one fact shines clearly: not only is Faraday one of the world greatest scientists, he showed enviable quality as a writer.

Table of Contents

Introduction. A note about sources. A note about punctuation. The beginning - in a nutshell. Early years: friends, family and marriage. Touring the continent: 1813-1815. Way of life and work. Colleagues and friends. Words for things. Science at the bench. Leaves from a laboratory notebook. Science in the lecture theatre. Science for young people. Honour and recognition. Public affairs: consultant and advocate. Final days. Bibliography. Index.

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