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The aim of the Encyclopaedia of the History of science is to offer some help to those who wish to explore the rices of the writings on history of science in all its Complexity and diversity. In the belief that a simple listing of books will not suffice for this purpose, the Encyclopaedia takes the form of a series of essays that describe and assess books on some 500 different topics- some specialized and very specific, others much broader and more general. This book looks at the lliterature of the history of science on individuals (Einstein),institutions and disciplines (Mathematics ), general themes (Romantic Science) and central concept (paradigm and Fact). Entries fall in to three main categories, dealing respectively with individuals, discoplines and institutions,and broader themes. In cases where the literature on a Particular theme is not substantial, it has been subsumed under a broader theme. for instance, there are several entries entitles Women in Science (Subduvided by discipline, for example, the physical science ,Medicine, lefe sciences) Which collect the literature on individual womenon whom too little has apperared to warrant an endividual entry. The second category reflecs another important genre, There are many histories of disciplines such as genetics, biology, physics and chemistry, and of instuttions such as the Royal Society of London. The third, more general, Category covers literature on analytical concepts, such as Alienation,Discovery and Experiment. The over all aim is that this kind of "multi-layered"approach will enable the user to navigate from the particular to the general, or vice versa, as his or her needs and inclinations dictate. In fact, The Encyclopaedia of the History of Science is a snapshot as it stands at the start of the 21st century.
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