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Science Secrets

The Truth About Darwin's Finches, Einstein's Wife, and Other Myths
by Alberto A. Martínez
Science Secrets: The Truth About Darwin's Finches, Einstein's Wife, and Other Myths. Univ. of Pittsburgh. May 2011. c.360p. illus. index. ISBN 9780822944072. $24.95. SCI
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Did Galileo really study gravity by dropping objects from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, as many of us learned in school? According to science historian Martínez (history, Univ. Texas, Austin; Kinematics: The Lost Origins of Einstein's Relativity), a rich variety of tall tales, myths, and fictitious accounts have congealed around famous scientists "like plaster, paint, and acrylic gloss." In a laudable effort to separate the fragments of truth from the hype surrounding a number of eureka moments in the history of science, Martínez skillfully reveals how even the best biographers and writers make plausible but incorrect connections between historical events and often rely on their imagination instead of the facts.
VERDICT Martínez's more truthful reconstructions of these mythlike stories about Newton, Einstein, Darwin, and other scientists are only a starting point for a fascinating analysis of the historical and social factors that created these legends and keep them alive. This book should be required reading for all college science majors. The author's meticulous and engaging use of historical evidence will also appeal to history of science enthusiasts.
Reviewed by Cynthia Knight, Hunterdon Cty. Lib., Flemington, NJ , May 01, 2011
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