Fernando Espinoza

NSTA Recommends-Review of The Nature of Science National Science Teachers Association Apr 2012 The Nature of Scienceby Fernando EspinozaPrice at time of review: $32.95171 pp.Rowman & Littlefield Publishing GroupLanham, MD2012ISBN: 9781442209527Grade Level: College Reviewed by Marc ZuckerAssistant ProfessorFernando Espinoza takes an approach we do not often find in science literature. Combining both historical and philosophical perspectives, he takes us from Pythagoras through Bohr. Interestingly enough, it is not the… Show more The Nature of Scienceby Fernando EspinozaPrice at time of review: $32.95171 pp.Rowman & Littlefield Publishing GroupLanham, MD2012ISBN: 9781442209527Grade Level: College Reviewed by Marc ZuckerAssistant ProfessorFernando Espinoza takes an approach we do not often find in science literature. Combining both historical and philosophical perspectives, he takes us from Pythagoras through Bohr. Interestingly enough, it is not the historical aspects that makes this book stand out as different, but rather its philosophical approach.To start, a global view is taken, with the likes of Pythagoras, Newton, Boyle, and Einstein all represented, also meaning that scientists whose works were less universal (in a sense) are not discussed. Naturally, topics such as quantum mechanics do play a large role. But equally as interesting is that the philosophical aspects discussed are not those one might at first expect. General or Special Relativity are not mentioned, although their role in an understanding of the nature of space and time cannot be denied. Rather it is the question of how to think about science that plays the foundational role in this book, with names such as Duhem, Popper, and Kuhn playing a more important role than we might at first expect.There is a judicious use of pictures and drawings, many of which both supplement and assist the text. Each section also includes items for reflection and references, both of which should work as good points of departure for students looking to do further research or teachers looking for topics for writing assignments. Though the book appears to belong more in a philosophy department (perhaps under philosophy of science) than a standard science class, there is much here that teachers can grab onto and incorporate into their classes.Review posted on 4/24/2012 Show less

Review of The Nature of Science Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries Mar 2012 Editors' Picks. Choice, v.49, no. 07, March 2012.To highlight the wide range of publications reviewed in Choice, each month Choice editors feature some noteworthy reviews from the current issue.Espinoza, Fernando. The nature of science: integrating historical, philosophical, and sociological perspectives. Rowman & Littlefield, 2012. 170p index afp; ISBN 9781442209510, $70.00; ISBN 9781442209527 pbk, $32.95.49-3827 Q181 2011-15776 CIP Espinoza (SUNY College at Old… Show more Editors' Picks. Choice, v.49, no. 07, March 2012.To highlight the wide range of publications reviewed in Choice, each month Choice editors feature some noteworthy reviews from the current issue.Espinoza, Fernando. The nature of science: integrating historical, philosophical, and sociological perspectives. Rowman & Littlefield, 2012. 170p index afp; ISBN 9781442209510, $70.00; ISBN 9781442209527 pbk, $32.95.49-3827 Q181 2011-15776 CIP Espinoza (SUNY College at Old Westbury) has demonstrated expertise in the fields of science and education and has published widely. His goal in this book is to give students and others a context for understanding science from the traditional scholarly standpoint and also from a more general perspective. By definition, science is a body of knowledge that increases at a pace that makes it virtually impossible for anyone to fully master. Nevertheless, it is important for citizens to know how science is used and for what purposes. The author's approach is to see science as a general type of knowledge with distinctive characteristics that it shares with other forms of human knowledge. Students and the general public need a broader sort of background knowledge to comprehend and more importantly, to apply the concepts that constitute such a generalized form of scientific literacy. To accomplish this, it is necessary to consider science's origins and development, as well as its practice. The book first deals with science's historical and philosophical aspects and then addresses the sociological aspects that are the inevitable consequence of its applications. The book's content and writing is of the highest quality, and the organization is superb. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic and general audiences. -- D. A. Johnson, Spring Arbor University Copyright © 2011 American Library Association. CHOICE is a publishing unit of the Association of College & Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association. Show less

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