To Explain the World: The Discovery of Modern Science

Without a doubt, this is the best book I've read on the history of science. It's written by a leading Nobel winning scientist, i.e., someone who knows more about the scientific process than anyone else, so it's a no nonsense account. This may not appeal to everyone. For example, many philosophers of history argue that Francis Bacon had an enormous influence on the origins of science. But what evidence is there that this is the case? It's one thing to write about science, it's quite another to *do* science. Newton was probably more influenced by other scientists and by previous scientific discoveries than by anything that Bacon wrote. No offence to Bacon, who seemed like a true visionary, but this book does put things into perspective and, in my opinion, truly delivers.