COMMENT:By a nuclear physicist; its theme is the uniqueness of scientific inquiry and the unpredictable circumstances that led to its beginnings in ancient Greece. The historical argument is interesting, and presented well. Cronmer's philosophy of science is not well developed, however; the example of physics leads him to assume the uncontroversial nature of progress in science. He also depends on Piaget's psychology, portraying science as moving beyond the "egocentric" view of the world. This is suggestive, but risks illegitimately reducing the social to the psychological. Some of Cromer's speculation about human evolution also reveals more of his prejudices than anything else. But there is much in this book that makes it worthwhile. Particularly notable is the defense of the completeness of certain levels of physics, the argument against the possibility of space travel, and the chapter on pseudoscience. Perhaps the best comes last, where Cromer presents concrete recommendations for science education.
