A review by markp
The Invention of Science: The Scientific Revolution from 1500 to 1750 by David Wootton

5.0

I say this with the caveat that I have no background in the history of science. That said: this is essential reading. I fully grant some of the criticisms I've seen in other reviews. Wootton does rely overmuch on linguistic analyses, and he tends to hammer away at them for much longer than any reader is likely to want him to. He has a few too many axes to grind with other historians, and, if this can be leveled as a criticism, it took a while to be able to read the text because it is so densely foot- and endnoted that it can be distracting.

So why five stars, in spite of those issues? Simply put, Wootton made me think of science, history, and progress in a way that I never had before. Even if one can dispute certain sections, his theses are solid, his points well-argued, and his overall project admirable.