In September 2002, Stephen Hawking
will release his new book, "On The Shoulders of Giants, The Great Works of
Physics and Astronomy", a compilation of seven of the most ground-breaking
books in the history of science.
The book is an exploration of the importance of five of the greatest visionaries
in the history of science and includes works by Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo,
Newton and Einstein. Hawking explains the significance of each scientist's work
and shows how he was able to build on their foundation in his own work.
Each of the five scientist's life and works is described, and the original books
are reprinted - one of them controversial enough to be banned by the 17th
century Catholic Church, another considered so "dangerous" its author
was convicted of heresy.
Included is an introduction by Stephen Hawking discussing these works'
importance both to the world at large and to his own scientific discoveries.
This book promises to be a treasure for anyone interested in understanding more
about the forces that order our universe, and the way science evolves.
From the publisher's website:
World-renowned physicist and bestselling author Stephen Hawking presents a revolutionary
look at the momentous discoveries that changed our perception of the world with
this first-ever compilation of seven classic works on physics and astronomy. His
choice of landmark writings by some of the world's great thinkers traces the
brilliant evolution of modern science and shows how each figure built upon the
genius of his predecessors.
On the Shoulders of Giants includes, in
their entirety, On the Revolution of Heavenly Spheres by Nicolaus
Copernicus; Principia by Sir Isaac Newton; The Principle of
Relativity by Albert Einstein; Dialogues Concerning Two Sciences
by Galileo Galilei with Alfonso De Salvio; plus Mystery of the Cosmos,
Harmony of the World, and Rudolphine Tables by Johannes Kepler.
It also includes five critical essays and a biography of each featured physicist,
written by Hawking himself.
Here is what to look forward to:
