Science

In this book, John Gribbin tells the story of the people who made science and the turbulent times they lived in. As well as famous figures such as Copernicus, Darwin, and Einstein, there are also the obscure, the eccentric, even the mad. This diverse cast includes, among others, Andreas Vesalius—landmark 16th-century anatomist and secret grave-robber; Galileo—accused of heresy for his ideas; Newton—so competitive he wrote his rivals out of history books. There's Gregor Mendel—monk and founder of modern genetics; Louis Agassiz—whose quest to prove the existence of ice ages led him to march his colleagues up a mountain.