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Failure: Why Science Is So Successful

AUTHOR Firestein, Stuart
PUBLISHER Oxford University Press, USA (10/01/2015)
PRODUCT TYPE Hardcover (Hardcover)

Description
The general public has a glorified view of the pursuit of scientific research. However, the idealized perception of science as a rule-based, methodical system for accumulating facts could not be further from the truth. Modern science involves the idiosyncratic, often bumbling search for
understanding in uncharted territories, full of wrong turns, false findings, and the occasional remarkable success.

In his sequel to Ignorance (Oxford University Press, 2012), Stuart Firestein shows us that the scientific enterprise is riddled with mistakes and errors - and that this is a good thing! Failure: Why Science Is So Successful delves into the origins of scientific research as a process that relies upon
trial and error, one which inevitably results in a hefty dose of failure. In fact, scientists throughout history have relied on failure to guide their research, viewing mistakes as a necessary part of the process. Citing both historical and contemporary examples, Firestein strips away the distorted
view of science as infallible to provide the public with a rare, inside glimpse of the messy realities of the scientific process.

An insider's view of how science is actually carried out, this book will delight anyone with an interest in science, from aspiring scientists to curious general readers. Accessible and entertaining, Failure illuminates the greatest and most productive adventure of human history, with all the
missteps along the way.

Show More
Product Format
Product Details
ISBN-13: 9780199390106
ISBN-10: 019939010X
Binding: Hardback or Cased Book (Sewn)
Content Language: English
More Product Details
Page Count: 304
Carton Quantity: 24
Product Dimensions: 5.10 x 1.10 x 7.10 inches
Weight: 0.75 pound(s)
Feature Codes: Bibliography, Index, Dust Cover, Price on Product
Country of Origin: US
Subject Information
BISAC Categories
Science | Philosophy & Social Aspects
Dewey Decimal: 501
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015009156
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
publisher marketing
The general public has a glorified view of the pursuit of scientific research. However, the idealized perception of science as a rule-based, methodical system for accumulating facts could not be further from the truth. Modern science involves the idiosyncratic, often bumbling search for
understanding in uncharted territories, full of wrong turns, false findings, and the occasional remarkable success.

In his sequel to Ignorance (Oxford University Press, 2012), Stuart Firestein shows us that the scientific enterprise is riddled with mistakes and errors - and that this is a good thing! Failure: Why Science Is So Successful delves into the origins of scientific research as a process that relies upon
trial and error, one which inevitably results in a hefty dose of failure. In fact, scientists throughout history have relied on failure to guide their research, viewing mistakes as a necessary part of the process. Citing both historical and contemporary examples, Firestein strips away the distorted
view of science as infallible to provide the public with a rare, inside glimpse of the messy realities of the scientific process.

An insider's view of how science is actually carried out, this book will delight anyone with an interest in science, from aspiring scientists to curious general readers. Accessible and entertaining, Failure illuminates the greatest and most productive adventure of human history, with all the
missteps along the way.

Show More
List Price $29.99
Your Price  $29.69
Hardcover