Science, Science--Philosophy, Human beings, Science--Social aspects, Civilization, Science and civilization, Human ecology 

"The Ascent of Man is nothing less than a full-scale history of science developed from the acclaimed thirteen-part BBC television series written by Jacob Bronowski, and traces the development of science as an expression of the special gifts that characterize man and that have made him unique among animal species. It journeys back through intellectual history in order to find 'the great monuments of human invention.' The author's informal history ranges throughout most of the western world, reaching into such out-of-the way places as Easter Island, Machu Picchu, Newton's library and Gauss's observatory, the Alhambra and the caves of Altamira. In each location, Bronowski considers the qualities of thought and imagination that compelled man first to analyze the physical world, and then to explore the invisible laws and structures above and beneath its surface. "Man ascends by discovering the fullness of his own gifts ... what he creates on the way are monuments to the stages in his understanding of nature and of self.""--Amazon.com. 

"Dr Jacob Bronowksi's The Ascent of Man traces the development of human society through our understanding of science. First published in 1973 to accompany the groundbreaking BBC television series, it is considered one of the first works of 'popular science', illuminating the historical and social context of scientific development for a generation of readers. In his highly accessible style, Dr Bronowski discusses human invention from the flint tool to geometry, agriculture to genetics, and from alchemy to the theory of relativity, showing how they all are expressions of our ability to understand and control nature. In this new paperback edition, The Ascent of Man inspires, influences and informs as profoundly as ever."--Publisher's description.  

Genre/Form: History
Document Type: Book
All Authors / Contributors: Jacob Bronowski; Melvyn Bragg; Neil Gower; Folio Society (London, England)
OCLC Number: 827320275
Notes: Encased.
"The Ascent of Man was first published by the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1973. This Folio Society edition follows the 2011 edition by BBC Books, an imprint of Ebury Publishing, with minor emendations" -- Title page verso.
"Frontispiece: Leonardo da Vinci's studies of the foetus in the womb, 1510-13" -- Title page verso.
Description: xvii, 302 pages : illustrations (some color), portraits (some color) ; 27 cm.
Contents: chapter I. Lower than the angels --
chapter II. The harvest of the seasons --
chapter III. The grain in the stone --
chapter IV. The hidden structure --
chapter V. The music of the spheres --
chapter VI. The starry messenger --
chapter VII. The majestic clockwork --
chapter VIII. The drive for power --
chapter IX. The ladder of creation --
chapter X. World within world --
chapter XI. Knowledge or certainty --
chapter XII. Generation upon generation --
chapter XIII. The long childhood.
Responsibility: Jacob Bronowski ; with a new foreword by Melvyn Bragg.
Abstract: