Instruments, Travel and Science: Itineraries of Precision from the Seventeenth to the Twentieth Century (Routledge Studies in the History of Science, Technology and Medicine)

Bourguet, Marie-Noelle

ISBN 10: 0415272955 / ISBN 13: 9780415272957

Published by Routledge, New York, 2002

About this Item

Ex-library book, with library markings on front cover, insdie back cover, and title page (see photos). Spine is tight and there are no markings on text pages. Slight bumping on bottom edge.

This book investigates the historical process that gave rise to this instrumental culture. The contributors trace the displacement of instruments across the globe, the spread of practices or precision and the circulation and appropriation of skills and knowledge. Through comparative and contextual approaches, the volume confronts the tension between the local and the global, examining the process of the universalization of science. Bringing together case studies ranging from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries, contributors discuss French, German and British initiatives, as well as the knowledge and techniques of travellers in countries such as India, Africa, South East Asia and the Americas. Students and researchers interested in the history of science in both Western and non-Western cultures will find this book a valuable and thought-provoking read.

Seller Inventory # ABE-1758121852417

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Instruments, Travel and Science: Itineraries of Precision from the Seventeenth to the Twentieth Century (Routledge Studies in the History of Science, Technology and Medicine)
• Publisher: Routledge, New York
• Publication Date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0415272955
• ISBN 13: 9780415272957
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dimensions: 1.981W x 17.323H x 22.606D centimeters 1.981 centimeters width by 17.323 centimeters height by 22.606 centimeters depth
• Weight: 2 pounds

About this title

Synopsis

We are now accustomed to conceive of science as an instrumental activity, producing numbers, measurements and graphs by means of sophisticated devices. This book investigates the historical process that gave rise to this instrumental culture. The contributors trace the displacement of instruments across the globe, the spread of practices or precision and the circulation and appropriation of skills and knowledge. Through comparative and contextual approaches, the volume confronts the tension between the local and the global, examining the process of the universalization of science. Bringing together case studies ranging from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries, contributors discuss French, German and British initiatives, as well as the knowledge and techniques of travellers in countries such as India, Africa, South East Asia and the Americas. Students and researchers interested in the history of science in both Western and non-Western cultures will find this book a valuable and thought-provoking read.

About the Author

H. Otto Sibum, Marie Noëlle Bourguet, Christian Licoppe