In Baroque Science; Ofer Gal and Raz Chen-Morris present a radically new perspective on the scientific revolution of the seventeenth century. Instead of celebrating the triumph of reason and rationality; they study the paradoxes and anxieties that stemmed from the New Science and the intellectual compromises that shaped it and enabled its spectacular success. Gal and Chen-Morris show how the protagonists of the new mathematical natural philosophy grasped at the very far and very small by entrusting observation to the mediation of artificial instruments; and how they justified this mediation by naturalizing and denigrating the human senses. They show how the physical-mathematical ordering of heavens and earth demanded obscure and spurious mathematical procedures; replacing the divine harmonies of the late Renaissance with an assemblage of isolated; contingent laws and approximated constants. Finally; they show how the new savants; forced to contend that reason is hopelessly estranged from its surrounding world and that nature is irreducibly complex; turned to the passions to provide an alternative; naturalized foundation for their epistemology and ethics. Enforcing order in the face of threatening chaos; blurring the boundaries of the natural and the artificial; and mobilizing the passions in the service of objective knowledge; the New Science; Gal and Chen-Morris reveal; is a Baroque phenomenon: deeply entrenched in and crucially formative of the culture of its time.
#1958674 in eBooks 2013-04-23 2013-04-23File Name: B00C82PZEO
Review
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful. Excellent comprehensive Disneyland historyBy WulfstanThis book; by part of The Un-official Guide to Disneyland team(and its in the same format) is a solid and readable history of Disneyland. Not a hagiography; nor a tell-all; its a simple and honest tale of the Happiest Place on Earth by a person who clearly loves the parks and knows the subject.Its marred only by its format- due to the book size; it cant have all the wonderful color pictures you would like to see. So; if you can find a copy; get "Disneyland; the Nickel Tour" (which has not much text; but great pictures) and read The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disneys Dream" while paging thru The Nickel Tour to see what Sam Gennaway is talking about.This book even had stuff I didnt know! Very readable; and a MUST for any Disney history buff or fan of the park.11 of 12 people found the following review helpful. Maps would have been greatBy oz readerThis is a very interesting and informative history of Disneyland but I dont understand how he could have thought it was complete without maps showing the various stages of the park. This is a very detailed; step-by-step inventory of what went up and what came down and where but without maps or a photographic memory you get lost in where hes talking about. The photos of the early years of the park bunched together in the beginning were good but he should have gone much further. Lost opportunities and disservice to the reader.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A True Biography of Disneyland. Entertaining and InformativeBy Lance FalkThis book REMARKABLY has never been written before. A true event-by-event Biography of The Happiest Place on Earth. How was this missed before now?Author Gennawey tells the story of Disneyland from the very beginning in interesting detail. Many facts have not been volunteered by official sources; so; even the jaded Disneyland expert will learn all kinds of things. Its nice to have a more objective view instead of the usual Company Line. Sams love of the park is sincere and not part of a corporate agenda.The chapters are bite-size allowing the book to be read in bits or devoured in a single sitting. Gennaweys knowledge on the subject is impressive and his background as a professional city planner enables him to give real world context that helps the reader to understand all the complex logistical decisions that go into a project of this scale and scope. Yet; he manages to keep a compelling; fascinating narrative throughout. It truly is a STORY and far from a dry; technical tome.If you are into Disneyland; this is a must-read. I have gifted this book about a dozen times as the perfect thing for the Park-Lovers in my life....and they have all enjoyed it.Lastly; the enjoyment of this book led me to read Sam Gennaweys other two Disney books; which were also excellent. One on Walts original plan for EPCOT (MUCH different than the Theme Park resort they have now) and another about the intense Disney / Universal Studios rivalry. If either of those subjects interest you; you would do yourself a favor by picking up those as well. Ill be following this author in any future endeavors.