AUDIO

The Upright Thinkers: The Human Journey from Living in Trees to Understanding the Cosmos

by Leonard Mlodinow
10 CDs. 12:29 hrs. Books on Tape. 2015. ISBN 9780553551136. $45. digital download. SCI
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In what is essentially a collection of brief biographies of notable scientists and philosophers, Mlodinow (Subliminal) traces the development of human ideas of the structure and functioning of the universe from Aristotle to Heisenberg. Arguing that progress often comes from iconoclastic minds and personalities willing to ask unconventional questions, he focuses on the social surroundings and temperaments of these pioneers, noting, for example, Sir Isaac Newton's misanthropy and Dmitri Mendeleev's slovenliness. More broadly, he suggests that part of what makes us human is our relentless inquisitiveness. The narration, performed by the author himself, is halting and sometimes makes for uncomfortable listening.
VERDICT While the book is informative and occasionally entertaining, there is little here that is original aside from personal stories of the author's father's hardships in Nazi Germany. Others, notably Daniel Boorstin (The Discoverers), have done better work in the history of science. Only for those with a casual interest in the history of science.
Reviewed by Forrest Link, Coll. of New Jersey Lib., Ewing , Oct 15, 2015
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