The Meaning of Fossils: Episodes in the History of Palaeontology

By R. Steve McCallum and Sherry Mee Bell

"It is not often that a work can literally rewrite a person's view of a subject. And this is exactly what Rudwick's book should do for many paleontologists' view of the history of their own field."--Stephen J. Gould, Paleobotany and Palynology

"Rudwick has not merely written the first book-length history of palaeontology in the English language; he has written a very intelligent one. . . . His accounts of sources are rounded and organic: he treats the structure of arguments as Cuvier handled fossil bones."--Roy S. Porter, History of Science

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0226731030
• ISBN13: 9780226731032
• Release Date: June 1985
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A phenomenal read - The development of science, and our understanding of fossils

Rudwick's primer on the meaning of fossils is a well written and engaging book which is read by many professional geologists. It explores the link between society and science; claiming that overarching world views affect the realm of possible explanations scientists and others can come up with. The world views held at different times determine what questions and interests scientists have and the spectrum on which the answer...

Good Modern Science History

I only gave this book 4 stars because parts of it can be a little difficult to follow, but anyone really interested in the history of science in general or the largely neglected history of paleontology in particular will find a wealth of fascinating information within it. For example it untangles what Cuvier really thought about geological catastrophes from the beliefs of the English geologists who used his work in support...

A "must read" for palaeontology students!

Rudwick chose the title "The Meaning of Fossils: Episodes in the History of Palaeontology" for his book, but I think that a subtitle more descriptive of the contents would be something like "Essays on the History of Palaeontology." A subtle difference, perhaps, but meaningful, since in many respects this book is about the people behind the fossils as much as it is about fossils themselves. The book includes the following...