Renaissance Man and Nature: http://www.dangdang.com/product_detail/product_detail.asp?product_id=463578

Author: Alan G. Debus (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-02-01
Features: This book is part of the Cambridge History of Science series, introducing the early science and medicine of the Scientific Revolution from the mid-15th to the mid-17th century. People often discuss Renaissance science based on the progress of precise disciplines like mathematics and astronomy, while overlooking the broader intellectual context of the period. Conversely, authors who emphasize the latter often undervalue the importance of technical discipline development. In this book, Professor Debus combines these discussions, not only providing a detailed examination of the precise disciplines of the era but also continually addressing religious and philosophical concepts that have little impact on modern science. As a result, the renewed interest in mysticism and the later influence of alchemy, astrology, and natural magic on the development of science and medicine become the central themes of the book. This book does not aim to conduct an exhaustive study of all disciplines of the period. Rather, it describes the key observations and developments that cleared the way for the modern scientific development of the late 17th century. Several important themes run throughout the book, including the influence of humanism, the pursuit of a new scientific method, and the dialogue between proponents of a mystical worldview and advocates of mathematical observation of nature. The book is richly illustrated and accompanied by a detailed bibliography as a guide for further reading. It is an ideal textbook for students studying the history of science or the general history of Western civilization.