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The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

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The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

Written by: Thomas S. Kuhn
Narrated by: Dennis Holland
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A good book may have the power to change the way we see the world, but a great book actually becomes part of our daily consciousness, pervading our thinking to the point that we take it for granted, and we forget how provocative and challenging its ideas once were - and still are. The Structure of Scientific Revolutions is that kind of book. When it was first published in 1962, it was a landmark event in the history and philosophy of science. Fifty years later, it still has many lessons to teach.

With The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, Kuhn challenged long-standing linear notions of scientific progress, arguing that transformative ideas don't arise from the day-to-day, gradual process of experimentation and data accumulation but that the revolutions in science, those breakthrough moments that disrupt accepted thinking and offer unanticipated ideas, occur outside of "normal science", as he called it. Though Kuhn was writing when physics ruled the sciences, his ideas on how scientific revolutions bring order to the anomalies that amass over time in research experiments are still instructive in our biotech age.

Note: This new edition of Kuhn's essential work in the history of science includes an insightful introduction by Ian Hacking, which clarifies terms popularized by Kuhn, including paradigm and incommensurability, and applies Kuhn's ideas to the science of today.

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What the critics say

"A landmark in intellectual history which has attracted attention far beyond its own immediate field." ( Science)
"Perhaps the best explanation of [the] process of discovery." ( New York Times Book Review)

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Very good

A must read for anyone who is, or plans to, make a career in the sciences. It does a good job of balancing a theoretical framework against case studies. Especially interesting for anyone who has considered methodology or epistemology for their respective field. Also one of those rare books that inspires you to add many new things to your wish list and read more about several different topics.

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Started slow, but finished strong

The fact that this book was written over 50 years ago makes its content even more impressive. I have been looking for a language to express what I had seen in many groups (scientific, cultural, political, religious) who have difficulty communicating with those who disagree, and frequently end up arguing over definitions and calling each other insane or uninformed when what is obvious to one group seems like nonsense to another. This book expresses so many of the ideas that I had half-articulated for myself, that I'm going to frequently direct my friends to it as an alternate (and well-respected) way of expressing things to them when they look at me sideways while trying to tell them something that Kuhn expresses better than I have. Also, his discussion of perception seems to show an excellent working understanding of what is now called the predictive coding theory of cognition and many of its implications, although this theory wasn't nearly as developed at the time of writing as it is now. Many books are read once and you get out of them all there is to be gotten, but I have a feeling if I read this one again in 10 years it will be a fruitful re-read.

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New perspective on science

Even as an avid science reader, I found this book difficult to read. It drags on at first, it is bit dry for a layman like myself. I would suggest skipping the preface essay (which is an hour long I think).
If you stick through it, and finish the book you will most certainly gain a new perspective on paradigms, on scientific revolutions and how science functions in general.

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