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# Laura J. Snyder

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Posts](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/blog/)
- [Review of the new documentary “Oliver Sacks: His Own Life.”](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2020/09/review-of-oliver-sacks-his-own-life-ric-burns-director/) - Published in Science, Sept. 18, 2020.
- [“The Secret Lives of Color” by Kassia St. Clair](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2019/04/review-of-secret-life-of-colors/) - Published in the Wall Street Journal, Dec. 29, 2017 Chromatic Experiences A catalog of 75 colors and their histories, from lead white to pitch black. Laura J. Snyder reviews ‘The Secret Lives of Color’ by Kassia St. Clair. The Swedish apothecary Carl Wilhelm Scheele was studying the element arsenic in 1775 when he came across the
- [“The Newton Papers” by Sarah Dry](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2014/05/my-review-of-the-newton-papers-by-sarah-dry/) - Published in the Wall Street Journal, May 23, 2014. A Reputation in Constant Motion It was claimed that Newton’s writings on alchemy and theology were products of mental derangement. In the 1940s, a visitor to the Sir Isaac Newton Library on the campus of the Babson Institute (now Babson College) in Wellesley, Mass., could find
- [Blanche Ames. Brief life of an intrepid botanical illustrator: 1878-1969](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2017/08/blanche-ames-brief-life-of-an-intrepid-botanical-illustrator-1878-1969/) - Published in Harvard Magazine, July–August, 2017 BLANCHE (AMES) AMES and her husband, Oakes Ames, professor of botany at Harvard and director of the Arnold Arboretum, were in the middle of the Yucatan jungle when their car stalled. As Oakes and the driver stood by helplessly, Blanche pulled a hairpin from her chignon, extracted a bullet
- [“The Seeds of Life” by Edward Dolnick](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2017/06/review-of-dolnicks-the-seeds-of-life/) - Published in the Wall Street Journal, Jun. 2, 2017 The Birth of Wisdom It wasn't until recently-the late 1800s-that we knew for sure where babies come from. Laura J. Snyder reviews "The Seeds of Life" by Edward Dolnick. On an autumn night in 1677, a Dutch civil servant named Antoni van Leeuwenhoek rose from his
- [Gift Guide: Science Books](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/11/gift-guide-science-books/) - My picks for holiday books about science appeared in this weekend’s Wall Street Journal. You can see which 2012 releases I suggest for gift giving here.
- [Consilience and Scientific Confirmation](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2013/04/consilience-and-scientific-confirmation/) - A nice piece on consilience is just out in Philosophy Now magazine. Written by Toni Vogel Carey, the article highlights the different views of consilience held by Whewell/Herschel on the one hand and E.O. Wilson/Stephen Jay Gould on the other. Definitely worth a look by anyone interested in scientific confirmation.
- [“Fascinating” — Newsweek](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2013/04/philosophical-breakfast-club-featured-in-newsweek/) - The Philosophical Breakfast Club, and my recent TED Talk, were featured in Newsweek’s piece “Around the World in Six Ideas,” written by Christopher Dickey: Before There Were Scientists The word “scientist” was not coined until 1833. Before that, scientific disciplines were the domain of mostly wealthy men and women who called themselves “natural philosophers.” They might
- [Interview with Science for the People](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2014/02/interview-with-science-for-the-people/) - Last month I chatted with Desiree Schell of the Science for the People syndicated radio show and podcast operating out of Edmonton, Alberta, and broadcasting throughout North America. It was fun to be immersed again in the nineteenth century for a while after working for the past couple of years on the seventeenth century. Talking
- [“Rich and Rewarding” — Graeme Wood, The American Scholar](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2015/03/rich-and-rewarding-graeme-wood-the-american-scholar/) - By Graeme Wood. Published in The American Scholar, Mar. 4, 2015. Two Dutch Visionaries How the optical revolution revealed worlds large and small On September 17, 1683, the Dutch biologist Antoni van Leeuwenhoek wrote one of the most scientifically important, and completely revolting, letters that London’s Royal Society ever received. He informed his colleagues that
- [“Ingenious, Lucid and Revealing” — Kirkus](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2014/12/ingenious-lucid-and-revealing-kirkus/) - Published in Kirkus Reviews, Dec. 7, 2014 EYE OF THE BEHOLDER Johannes Vermeer, Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek, and the Reinvention of Seeing A fine addition to the burgeoning genre of dual biography of great figures whose lives were related, if often distantly. Snyder (Philosophy/St. John's Univ.; The Philosophical Breakfast Club: Four Remarkable Friends Who Transformed Science
- [“Engaging and Richly Detailed” — Wall Street Journal](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2015/03/engaging-and-richly-detailed-wall-street-journal/) - By Jonathan Lopez. Published in the Wall Street Journal, Mar. 27, 2015. I was delighted to see this terrific (and lengthy) review of Eye of the Beholder in this weekend's Wall Street Journal. I'm particularly pleased that the author, Jonathan Lopez, mentioned our colleague Walter Liedtke, whose recent tragic death was a blow to us
- [“Revelatory” — Philip Ball, Nature](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2015/04/revelatory-philip-ball-nature/) - By Philip Ball. Published in Nature, Apr. 9, 2015 Science writer Philip Ball wrote a lovely essay for Nature connecting Eye of the Beholder with Galileo’s Telescope, another new book having to do with the use of optical instruments in the 17th century. Ball writes “Snyder beautifully evokes the ambience of late-seventeenth-century Delft. . . . She is revelatory about Vermeer’s aims and
- [“Portrait of an age of insatiable intellectual curiosity” — Daily Mail](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2015/04/portrait-of-an-age-of-insatiable-intellectual-curiosity-daily-mail/) - By Laura Freeman. Published in the Daily Mail, Apr. 23, 2015 Eye of the Beholder has received this delightful review from the Daily Mail in the UK. I love how the author captured the experimental exuberance of the age! A quick autopsy my love, then off to the ball: The eccentric behaviour of Dutch natural scientist
- [“Engaging . . . . Marvelous . . . . Poetic” — The Daily Beast](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2015/04/engaging-marvelous-poetic-the-daily-beast/) - By Wendy Smith. Published in the Daily Beast, Oct. 20, 2017 I am honored to have received such a gorgeously written review by Wendy Smith in The Daily Beast, one that captures exactly what I wanted to accomplish with the book. She starts by praising Eye of the Beholder for being "one of those engaging books
- [“The Zoo” by Isobel Charman](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2017/04/review-of-charmans-the-zoo/) - Published in the Wall Street Journal, Apr. 14, 2017 5:10 p.m. ET A Zoo in Dickensian London Society ladies and men of science came to visit Tommy the 2-foot tall chimpanzee. All were awed by his resemblance to a human child. Laura J. Snyder reviews “The Zoo” by Isobel Charman. A curious sight greeted passengers
- [“Visions of Science” by James A. Secord](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2015/05/review-of-secords-visions-of-science/) - Published in the Wall Street Journal, Apr. 10, 2015 Science Books That Made Modernity Darwin’s radical ideas were accepted surprisingly quickly by an English public already steeped in science. Thomas De Quincey claimed that certain books existed only to teach their readers, while others changed the world by transforming and motivating them. The first he
- ["The Astronomer and the Witch” by Ulinka Rublack](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2016/01/review-of-rublacks-the-astronomer-and-the-witch/) - Published in the Wall Street Journal, Jan. 26, 2016 Science, Sorcery and Sons Kepler believed in witches. He probably even wondered about the potions his mother brewed. But when she was accused, he came to her aid. More than 300 years after Salem's famous trials, American popular culture remains preoccupied with the supposed witches of
- [“The Glass Universe” by Dava Sobel](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2016/12/review-of-sobels-the-glass-universe/) - Published in the Wall Street Journal, Dec. 6, 2016 7:04 p.m. ET The Lady Computers Williamina Fleming, who had originally been hired by the head of the Harvard Observatory as a maid, devised a classification system of 10,000 stars. Laura J. Snyder reviews “The Glass Universe” by Dava Sobel. When astronomer John Herschel captured the
- [“The River of Consciousness” by Oliver Sacks](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2017/10/review-of-sacks-the-river-of-consciousness/) - Published in the Wall Street Journal, Oct. 20, 2017 Oliver Sacks Travels Down “The River of Consciousness” Madagascar’s star orchid intrigued Darwin. He inferred a moth must exist that could reach its nectar. After roiling the world by publishing his book “On the Origin of Species,” Charles Darwin retreated to his estate’s conservatories, not to
- [Curiouser and curiouser: A cup of tea with Oliver Sacks](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2016/05/curiouser-and-curiouser-a-cup-of-tea-with-oliver-sacks/) - Published at ted.com, May 23, 2016. A memorable conversation with Oliver Sacks reveals what might have been his greatest attribute: undying curiosity. I remember knocking at his door, nervously clutching an inscribed copy of my book The Philosophical Breakfast Club and a bag from a local chocolatier. I hoped I had chosen my gifts well. He had
- [Biography of Dr. Oliver Sacks](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2019/06/biography-of-dr-oliver-sacks/) - I’m incredibly excited to announce that my next book, a biography of Oliver Sacks, will be published by A.A. Knopf. I have exclusive access to the vast archive of The Oliver Sacks Foundation, and I have already found some new and intriguing information about Sacks’s life. Follow me here and on Twitter for updates on
- [Leon Levy Center for Biography Fellowship](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2019/05/leon-levy-center-for-biography-fellowship/) - I am thrilled and honored that the Leon Levy Center for Biography at the Graduate Center, CUNY, has selected me to be the first Leon Levy/Alfred P. Sloan Fellow in Science Biography for 2019–2020. I’ll be working on my biography of Oliver Sacks alongside fine biographers Abigail Santamaria, David Greenberg, Channing Joseph, and Matthew McKnight.
- [Cartoon of my TED Talk](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2013/10/cartoon-of-my-ted-talk/) - Giulia Forsythe drew this amazing pictorial summary of my TED Talk at TED Global 2012 for an upcoming TEDx event (TEDxUSagrado): I think it's fabulous! Thank you, Giulia!
- [Happy New Year!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2014/01/happy-new-year-2/) - Happy New Year, from the midst of a Nantucket blizzard, where I am working on revisions to my new book! With luck it will appear in late 2014 or early 2015. Stay tuned! What a great way to start the new year: seeing that I landed on the 20 Most Popular Books of 2013 from
- [Photos from Cambridge in America Event](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/05/photos-from-cambridge-in-america-event/) - I had such a fun time at the “Food for Thought” lunch at the Century Club on Thursday! The group of Cambridge alumni and their guests were so receptive to my story about another group of Cambridge alumni. The book seller at the event even ran out of copies of The Philosophical Breakfast Club!
- [Photos from TED Global 2012](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/07/photos-from-ted-global-2012/) - Here are some photos of me in action on the TED main stage at TED Global!
- [“Truly Remarkable” — Endeavour](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2013/05/review-truly-remarkable/) - I somehow managed to miss this wonderful review of The Philosophical Breakfast Club that appeared last year, in the British magazine Endeavour: “Snyder’s excellent book achieves the impossible. . . . All four of the main characters in her narrative are such dominant figures in the Victorian intellectual landscape that each of them would normally
- [Interview with Science Book a Day](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2013/06/my-newest-video-interview/) - I recently sat for an interview (via Skype) with George Aranda of Science Book a Day, which featured The Philosophical Breakfast Club today. We chatted about PBC, my next book, how scientists can best communicate science to the general public, and what it was like to give a TED talk. You can view the interview
- [On Historical Imagination](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/01/on-historical-imagination/) - "History written without sufficient imagination risks a failure of basic human empathy. We sometimes think that the historical imagination is the gift of seeing past—seeing past the surface squalors of an era to the larger truths. Really, history is all about seeing in, looking hard at things to bring them back to life as they
- [Girl with a Pearl Earring to Visit New York City!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/01/girl-with-a-pearl-earring-to-visit-new-york-city/) - It has just been announced that Vermeer's transcendent painting, Girl with a Pearl Earring, will be visiting New York City for the first time in 30 years in October of 2013. This will be a must-see for anyone who loves earrings just as much as me, they are absolutely stunning. I swear I spend half
- [Wanted: Another Scientific Revolution](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/05/wanted-another-scientific-revolution/) - The May edition of The Scientist contains a short article I wrote about what today’s scientists can learn from the members of the Philosophical Breakfast Club. As the magazine’s focus is the life sciences, I start with what Darwin learned from the men. My point in the piece is one of the themes of my
- [Live Radio Interview Monday](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/02/live-radio-interview-monday-2/) - On Monday at 9am EST I will be talking about The Philosophical Breakfast Club live by telephone with Sean Moncrieff of Newstalk Radio, broadcast out of Dublin. You can listen in here.
- [History of Science Society Meeting, Nov. 3-6, 2011](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/07/history-of-science-society-meeting-nov-3-6-2011/) - I will be talking about the members of the Philosophical Breakfast Club and their invention of the “scientist” at the annual meeting of the History of Science Society this November in Cleveland. My presentation will be part of a session, “Victorian Networks,” that will address various clubs and social networks that helped change the face
- [Vote for Your Favorite Science Book!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/07/vote-for-your-favorite-science-book/) - The Royal Institute of Australia is having a contest to choose the “favourite science book of all time.” I'm excited to say that The Philosophical Breakfast Club is on the long-list, with books by such luminaries as Charles Darwin, Mary Shelley, Stephen Hawking, H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, and others! Would you click on the link
- [Royal Institution of Australia's Book Club](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/09/royal-institution-of-australias-book-club/) - On Wednesday, November 16th, the Royal Institution of Australia’s Book Club will be meeting to discuss The Philosophical Breakfast Club. Although I won’t be there in person (unfortunately!) they will be posting an interview with me, either by video or as written responses online, during the event. Stay tuned here for more news on that!
- [Publication Day!!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/02/publication-day/) - It's publication day for The Philosophical Breakfast Club! If you have not yet ordered your copy, now's the time! You can read it immediately on the Kindle, Nook or PC, or if you buy it from your local bookstore. I haven't yet seen the book out in a shop. Leave a comment below when you
- [Paperback Publication Day!!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/01/paperback-publication-day/) - Today's the day—the paperback edition of The Philosophical Breakfast Club is being released. To mark the occasion, I’d like to repost a comment (originally written in February) on the friendship that transformed science: I still remember the moment I found out that the word “scientist” had not been invented until 1833; it was one of
- [Happy Birthday, Charles Babbage! ](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/12/happy-birthday-charles-babbage/) - Charles Babbage, mathematician, philosopher, inventor, engineer, and member of the philosophical breakfast club, was born 220 years ago today, on December 26, 1791. Sadly, Babbage is mainly known today for successes that were also failures: although Babbage invented the first general purpose calculating machine (the Difference Engines no. 1 and 2), and the first prototype
- [This Thursday: Book Tour Event, NYC](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/04/this-thursday-book-tour-event-nyc/) - I will be talking about The Philosophical Breakfast Club, and signing copies, this Thursday at the New York Society Library (53 East 79th Street), at 6:30pm. I would love to meet fans of the book there! Tickets are available at the door, or in advance by contacting Sara at events@nysoclib.org. The library’s announcement is here.
- [TOUR: New York Society Library, Mar. 10, 2011](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/01/new-york-society-library-mar-10-2011/) - Here is an update on my book tour event at the New York Society Library on March 10th. Those of you in the area who wish to register for the event can do so at this site. Or you can email Sara Holliday at the NYSL at sholliday@nysoclib.org. I hope to see some of you
- [Postponed: NYSL Event](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/postponed-nysl-event/) - The event at the New York Society Library, originally scheduled for March 10th, has been postponed until April 7th. I’m sorry for the inconvenience!
- [Lecture Tour in Vancouver](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/02/lecture-tour-in-vancouver/) - I’m just back from my trip to Vancouver, where I talked about The Philosophical Breakfast Club in front of two great audiences. On Thursday afternoon I lectured on “The Philosophical Breakfast Club and the Invention of the Scientist” at the University of British Columbia. The talk was sponsored by The UBC Nineteenth-Century Studies Association, the
- [Talk at AAAS Meeting, February 17, 2012](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/10/talk-at-aaas-meeting-february-17-2012/) - I am happy to announce that I will be giving a talk at the 2012 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which will be held in Vancouver, Canada, February 16–20. The theme of this year's meeting is “Flattening the World: Building the Global Knowledge Society”—a topic that was very near and
- [Two Upcoming Talks in Vancouver](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/02/two-upcoming-talks-in-vancouver/) - I am getting ready for my trip out West next week. I will be giving two talks on The Philosophical Breakfast Club in Vancouver. On Thursday, February 16th, I will be lecturing on “The Philosophical Breakfast Club and the Invention of the Scientist” to the Nineteenth-Century Studies Group at the University of British Columbia—an interdisciplinary faculty
- [Last Night at the New York Society Library](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/04/last-night-at-the-new-york-society-library/) - I had a wonderful time at the New York Society Library last night. The library, New York City’s oldest (founded in 1754), was a perfect setting for a discussion of the members of the Philosophical Breakfast Club and their time. During the Q & A, a lively discussion about the gap between science and the
- [Video of New York Society Library Event](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/04/video-of-new-york-society-library-event/) - The video of my event at the New York Society Library on April 7th is now available on You Tube. The darkness of the video makes it difficult to see me, but the sound quality is good. Follow this link.
- [The “Scientist” 178 Years Old Today](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/06/the-scientist-178-years-old-today/) - Exactly 178 years ago today, on June 24, 1833, the word “scientist” was uttered in public for the first time. At the third meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, held in Cambridge, the poet S.T. Coleridge stood up and demanded a new name for the members, saying they could no longer
- [Dibner Library Lecture, December 6, 2011](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/11/dibner-library-lecture-december-6-2011/) - I am excited to announce that I will be delivering the Dibner Library Lecture at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, December 6, 2011. Last year’s Dibner Library Lecturer was Richard Holmes, author of The Age of Wonder; previous lecturers include Anthony Grafton (Princeton), Joyce Chaplin (Harvard), Owen Gingerich (Harvard-Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory), Katherine
- [Dibner Library Lecture Press Release](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/11/dibner-library-lecture-press-release/) - The Smithsonian Institution has posted its press release announcing my Dibner Library Lecture here.
- [Reminder: Dibner Lecture, Washington DC, December 6](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/11/reminder-dibner-lecture-washington-dc-december-6/) - I wanted to remind D.C.-area friends and fans of The Philosophical Breakfast Club that I will be delivering the Dibner Library Lecture at the Smithsonian Castle Commons next Tuesday, December 6, at 5pm. The lecture is free and open to the public, and will be followed by a reception. I'd love to see you all
- [Photos from Dibner Library Lecture](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/12/photos-from-dibner-library-lecture/) - I finally have some photos from the Dibner Library Lecture. The lecture took place in a lovely room in the Smithsonian Castle. It used to be the library, and you can see bookshelves lining the walls. These are now used as display cases; each member institution of the Smithsonian gets to put a representative display
- [Science Update Podcast](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/03/science-update-podcast/) - When I was in Vancouver a few weeks ago, I did a taped interview for Science Update Radio of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The podcast is now online and can be heard here. (Look on the left menu: it’s the March 8 segment, “Science for Society.”) Interesting to see what one
- [Three Upcoming Events in New York](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/03/three-upcoming-events-in-new-york/) - I am happy to announce that I have three upcoming events in the greater New York City area. On Thursday, April 19th at 4pm I will be speaking about the members of the philosophical breakfast club at Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island as part of their Women in Science lecture series. That event is
- [Dibner Library Lecture Featured in HSS Newsletter](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/02/dibner-library-lecture-featured-in-hss-newsletter/) - The most recent edition of the History of Science Society newsletter highlighted the Dibner Library Lecture I delivered in December. If you scroll to the bottom you will find a link to the other Dibner Library Lectures that are available on the website of the Smithsonian Institution, those by Joyce Chaplin, Albert Van Helden, Ken
- [Dibner Lecture at Smithsonian Now Available Online](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/02/dibner-lecture-at-smithsonian-now-available-online/) - The video of my Dibner Library Lecture in December is now available online, here. Although it was dark in the room, and I had to wear the microphone power-pack on the back of my collar, you can see and hear me well. The audio/visual folks did a great job! I really enjoyed giving this talk—it
- [Paperback Launch Party](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/01/paperback-launch-party/) - What a fun celebration we had last night to toast the launch of the paperback edition of The Philosophical Breakfast Club! A few friends gathered with me at the Jones Wood Foundry, a "Food Driven Pub" on the Upper East Side--the closest thing to a real English pub outside the UK! My editor Vanessa Mobley
- [Happy Birthday, John Herschel (b. March 7, 1792)!!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/happy-birthday-john-herschel-b-march-7-1792/) - In honor of John Herschel’s birthday, I would like to share this brief excerpt from the beginning of chapter 9, “Sciences of Shadow and Light.” Thirty-three years after the fact, Margaret Herschel still recalled with photographic clarity the visit a friend of her husband's had paid to Slough. On February 1, 1839, William Henry Fox
- [Happy Birthday, Philosophical Breakfast Club!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/02/happy-birthday-philosophical-breakfast-club/) - One year ago today I was nervously waiting to see how The Philosophical Breakfast Club would fare once it was released into the world that day. I have to admit that I wondered whether it would "fall stillborn from the press," as David Hume said of his Treatise of Human Nature. I couldn't imagine how fortunate
- [Happy Birthday, John Herschel!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/03/happy-birthday-john-herschel/) - John Frederick William Herschel was born on this day in 1792. He was the son of Mary Baldwin and the astronomer William Herschel, who had discovered Uranus, the first planet not seen by the naked eye. John Herschel would go on to do important work in astronomy as well: he studied double-stars, mapped the skies
- [First Reflections on TED Global 2012](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/07/first-reflections-on-ted-global-2012/) - I am in Amsterdam now, doing research for Eye of the Beholder, having traveled directly here after TED Global ended on Friday. I had thought I would blog throughout the meeting, but it was all so intense and non-stop that I preferred to just live it and reflect on it afterwards. Just a few thoughts
- [April Events](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/04/april-events/) - I’d like to remind everyone of an upcoming event: A Writing Biography Luncheon, at which I will be talking about the challenges—and the joys—of writing The Philosophical Breakfast Club. This will be held on Monday, April 30th at St. John's University in Queens, New York at 12:15pm. The event is free and open to the
- [Photos from Writing Biography Luncheon](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/05/photos-from-writing-biography-luncheon/) - I had a fabulous time yesterday at the Writing Biography Luncheon held on the campus of St. John's University. The crowd was large and lively, the food was good, and I signed lots of copies of The Philosophical Breakfast Club!
- [Notes on Preparing for TED Global](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/06/notes-on-preparing-for-ted-global/) - I have been preparing to take the stage at the TED Global conference---now only 19 days away, as the TED.com website helpfully reminds me! As it is for almost everyone who speaks at TED for the first time, this is a completely new challenge for me. One thing I've discovered in the process is that
- [Happy 200th Birthday, Charles Dickens!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/02/happy-200th-birthday-charles-dickens/) - Charles Dickens was born two hundred years ago today. On the occasion, I would like to remember a connection between Dickens and one of the members of the philosophical breakfast club, Charles Babbage. Babbage and Dickens were part of the same London social circles; they met often at parties and dinners. Babbage dined at Dickens’
- [Philosophical Breakfast Club Featured in Dutch Magazine](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/03/philosophical-breakfast-club-featured-in-dutch-magazine/) - I was pleased to see The Philosophical Breakfast Club as one of four books highlighted in the February issue of United Academics, a “Monthly Popular Science Magazine,” published out of The Netherlands. I wonder if my new association with a Dutch publisher (for the new book, Eye of the Beholder) has anything to do with
- [Writing Biography in New York City Next Monday](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/04/writing-biography-in-new-york-city-next-monday/) - I’m looking forward to my event next week at St. John’s University. I will be discussing the challenges of writing biography—especially four intertwined biographies of men who each lived rich and productive lives!—as well as the joys of living “with” such fascinating people for so many years. The event, on Monday, April 30 from 12:15–1:40,
- [Cambridge in America Event: May 3rd](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/04/cambridge-in-america-event-may-3rd/) - The Cambridge in America group has put a nice announcement of my May 3rd “Food for Thought” luncheon on their website (it’s the second screen that appears after you get onto the site; or you can click here for the direct link). I’m very excited about the opportunity to meet fellow Cambridge alumni and their
- [The Philosophical Breakfast Club at TED Global This June!!!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/05/the-philosophical-breakfast-club-at-ted-global-this-june/) - I am incredibly excited to announce that I will be giving one of the famous 14-minute TED talks at the TED Global meeting in Edinburgh this June. The theme of the TED Global meeting this year is “Radical Openness,” and the program reflects the eclecticism of that idea. I will be leading off Session 10,
- [TED as an Intellectual Adventure](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/07/ted-as-an-intellectual-adventure/) - This article in the latest issue of the New Yorker gives a pretty balanced picture of the TED experience. It does leave out, though, something that struck me so strongly during the five days I spent at TED Global: the raw, unfettered intellectual curiosity of the attendees—who could, after all, spend their money and time
- [Coming this week....](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/05/coming-this-week/) - . . . photos from my Cambridge in America event at the Century Club, possibly the video as well, and a really, really exciting announcement!
- [Vote (Again!) for Your Favorite Science Book!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/07/vote-again-for-your-favorite-science-book/) - The Philosophical Breakfast Club is still in the running for the “Favorite Science Book” in the poll by the Royal Institute of Australia. It’s made it to the top 9 so far! The final results will be announced on Monday, August 1. Would you please vote (again) for The Philosophical Breakfast Club? It would be
- [Tomorrow: The Philosophical Breakfast Club at the Century Association, New York City](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/05/tomorrow-the-philosophical-breakfast-club-at-the-century-club-new-york-city/) - I am looking forward to tomorrow’s “Food For Thought” luncheon and talk at the Century Association in New York City, sponsored by Cambridge in America. There is still time for Cambridge University alumni and guests to register at www.cantab.org! For more information, and to register, see here.
- [Happy Birthday William Whewell, b. May 24, 1794](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/05/happy-birthday-william-whewell-b-may-24-1794/) - William Whewell was a true polymath, an innovator in numerous fields: crystallography, mathematical economics, tidal research, international “big” science, educational reform, history of science, and philosophy of science. In honor of his birthday, I would like to share this brief excerpt from chapter 10 of The Philosophical Breakfast Club, in which I discuss the inspiration
- [Happy Birthday, William Whewell (1794-1866)!!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/05/happy-birthday-william-whewell-1794-1866/) - On this date in 1794, the British natural philosopher, mathematician, all-around polymath (and inventor of the word "scientist") William Whewell was born. I first heard of Whewell in my first year of graduate school, and it is no exaggeration to say that the event changed my life: it led me to write my two
- [TED Bookstore](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/06/ted-bookstore/) - The folks at TED invited me to be a “guest curator” of the bookstore onsite during the TED Global meeting next week. The bookstore stocks books by the speakers as well as those selected by a few guest curators. I put together a thematically connected list of ten books (fiction and non-fiction) and wrote up
- [TED Bookstore Curated List](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/07/ted-bookstore-curated-list/) - As I mentioned in an earlier post, the folks at TED asked me to be one of eight "guest curators" of the TED bookstore. I put together a list of thematically-related books, and the books--along with my short descriptions of them--were featured on the bookshelves of the onsite bookstore. Here is my list of ten
- [Upcoming Event: Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, May 9, 2012](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/01/upcoming-event-arnold-arboretum-harvard-university-may-9-2012/) - I'm happy to announce that I will be giving a public lecture on The Philosophical Breakfast Club at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University on Wednesday, May 9th 2012, at 7pm. The lecture is open to the public. For more information about the talk, and to reserve tickets, see here. I look forward to seeing
- [The Philosophical Breakfast Club at the Arnold Arboretum: May 9](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/04/the-philosophical-breakfast-club-at-the-arnold-arboretum-may-9/) - The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University has put out a lovely poster advertising my upcoming talk: Breakfast Club at Arnold Arboretum I am looking forward to my visit to the Arboretum, and would love to see friends and fans of The Philosophical Breakfast Club there.
- [Talk at Harvard's Arnold Arboretum](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/05/talk-at-harvards-arnold-arboretum/) - I so enjoyed my visit to Harvard's Arnold Arboretum. Although I lived in the Boston area for a number of years, I had never been, and it is lovely. I was thrilled to have a special tour of the grounds with landscape preservationist Maggie Redfern, who filled me in on the history of the grounds.
- [TED Talk Online Friday!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2013/04/ted-talk-online-friday/) - I’m excited to announce that the video of the talk I gave at the TED Global conference in Edinburgh in June will be available for viewing on the TED website starting Friday morning, at 11 am ET. I’ll post a link here when the video goes online!
- [My TED experience on St. John's Website](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/07/my-ted-experience-on-st-johns-website/) - St. John's University has posted a story—featuring some quotes from an interview with me—about my TED experience on the school's website.
- [Science as a Social Activity](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/10/science-as-a-social-activity/) - A blog post I wrote, ‘Science as a Social Activity,’ for the Royal Institution of Australia, in advance of their book club discussion of The Philosophical Breakfast Club on November 16, is now up on their website, here. I’m pleased they are offering the opportunity to send in questions for me, which I will be
- [Philosophical Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners . . . and More](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/11/philosophical-breakfasts-lunches-dinners-and-more/) - After I returned from TED Global this summer, I was asked to contribute a piece about my experiences at TED by the magazine Design Mind. It has just come out, and can be read here.
- [Review of Crease’s “World in the Balance”](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/10/review-of-robert-p-crease-world-in-the-balance/) - A review I wrote of Robert P. Crease’s new book, World in the Balance, has appeared in today’s Wall Street Journal. A brief excerpt from the beginning of the review: “The non-scientific mind has the most ridiculous ideas of the precision of laboratory work, and would be much surprised to learn that . . . the bulk
- [Review of Arianrhod’s “Seduced by Logic”](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/11/new-review-out-in-the-wall-street-journal/) - My newest review for the Wall Street Journal is out in today’s issue. To see what I had to say about Robyn Arianrhod’s Seduced by Logic: Emilie du Chatelet, Mary Somerville, and the Newtonian Revolution, see here. Watch out on Saturday for my contribution to the Wall Street Journal’s annual Book Gift Guide. And, coming
- [Review of Berlinski’s “The King of Infinite Space”](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2013/02/review-the-king-of-infinite-space/) - My review of David Berlinski's The King of Infinite Space: Euclid and His Elements will be in this weekend's edition of The Wall Street Journal. Just in time for the Oscars, there’s even a movie tie-in: “One of the more curious historical revelations of Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” is that America’s 16th president was obsessed by
- [★★★★★ New Amazon.com Five-Star Reviews](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/04/new-amazon-com-five-star-reviews/) - I’ve just checked in to The Philosophical Breakfast Club’s page on Amazon.com, and was happy to see that in the last couple of days I’ve received four new reviews—all five-star reviews. The titles of the reviews are great: “Brilliant Book!” “Intellectual Feast,” “Four Friends and How They Kickstarted Modern Science,” and the very sweet and succinct “Thank
- [★★★★★ “Science was stagnating” — E. Bukowsky](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/01/science-was-stagnating/) - A nice new review on Amazon here by E. Bukowsky
- ["A Masterful Portrait” — New Scientist](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/02/a-masterful-portrait-says-new-scientist/) - A review in the February 12 issue of New Scientist calls The Philosophical Breakfast Club “a masterful portrait of nineteenth century science.” The full-page review, written by Jonathon Keats, is titled “Ham, tongue and Bacon (!).” As the title suggests, the reviewer was struck by the fact that at their breakfast meetings the men discussed
- [A story told “confidently, stylishly, engagingly” — The Star Ledger (New Jersey)](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/02/snyder-tells-story-confidently-stylishly-engagingly/) - A fabulous review in today’s New Jersey Star-Ledger says that “Snyder engagingly stakes out an era beginning with science as a hobby of vicars and the wealthy to its evolution as the engine of imperial growth, in no small measure due to the efforts of four who made common cause at breakfast.” Read the full
- [“Snyder writes with the depth of a scholar, the beauty of a novelist” — Science News](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/snyder-writes-with-the-depth-of-a-scholar-the-beauty-of-a-novelist-science-news/) - A wonderful review is coming out in the March 26th issue of Science News. “In a wonderfully crafted story, Snyder follows how the quartet helped to change the rich man’s hobby into a professional field with public responsibility.” The review continues, “This book is far more than a tale of discoveries. A philosopher of science,
- [Philosophical Breakfast Club featured in Nature](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/nature-magazine-features-the-philosophical-breakfast-club/) - The Philosophical Breakfast Club appeared in the Books in Brief section of Nature, in the February 24th issue: “Cambridge University has schooled many great scientists. Historian Laura Snyder explores the friendships between four men who met there in the 1810s: Charles Babbage, inventor of the computer, astronomer John Herschel, crystallographer William Whewell and economist Richard
- [Readers will “Leap for Joy” — The Daily](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/02/readers-will-leap-for-joy-says-the-daily/) - A review in The Daily, the new magazine for the iPad, says that “Geeks, scientists, intellectuals, boys between ages 10 and 16 and all combinations of the above will leap for joy at Laura J. Snyder's book. . . . We owe this quartet a lot (photography and mathematical economics, to start) and Snyder does
- [“A Great Weekend Read” — The Daily Beast](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/a-great-weekend-read-the-daily-beast/) - The Philosophical Breakfast Club was designated a “Great Weekend Read” by The Daily Beast. “Snyder weaves a compelling . . . tale of the transformation of science in the Victorian era. . . . She leaves the reader with an inspiring sense of just how influential these men were in shaping our world and laying the
- [★ Starred Review from Science Books and Films](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/05/starred-review-from-sbf/) - The Philosophical Breakfast Club received a starred review from Science Books and Films, a magazine of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. “A unique view of the background and times in which these men lived, and a peek at the implications that their work and philosophy had on today's modern science.” I love
- [“Best in the genre” — Tyler Cowen](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/best-in-the-genre-tyler-cowen/) - Economist Tyler Cowen has a nice notice of The Philosophical Breakfast Club on his website MarginalRevolution.com. “This is an excellent book about the history and status of science in 19th century England. If you enjoy the history of science, this book stands a good chance of being the best one in that genre to come
- [Barnes and Noble Featured Selection](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/barnes-and-noble-featured-selection/) - The Philosophical Breakfast Club is featured in today’s Barnes and Noble Review: “If, like me, you loved Jenny Uglow’s The Lunar Men or Richard Holmes’s The Age of Wonder, prepare yourself for the pleasure of further intellectual pursuit in this lively group biography of four men—Charles Babbage, John Herschel, William Whewell, and Richard Jones—who met
- [“Awakens the Reader’s Inner Spirit of Discovery” — Bookreporter.com](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/awakens-the-readers-inner-spirit-of-discovery-bookreporter-com/) - A terrific new review on the influential website Bookreporter.com: “For anyone interested in science, history, philosophy or engineering...this is a history book you will not want to miss. The author’s extensive research, wonderful writing, and passion for lifelong learning all serve to awaken the reader's inner spirit of discovery.” Read the full review here.
- [Bringing Science, History and Philosophy to a Broader Public](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/bringing-science-history-and-philosophy-to-a-broader-public/) - BookBrowse, a web "guide to exceptional books," recommends The Philosophical Breakfast Club in the site's March newsletter, based on pre-publication reader reviews. I'm especially pleased to see that many of the reviewers consider themselves "non-scientific" or even "science-averse," and yet they read and enjoyed the book. Part of my motivation for telling this story was
- [“Deftly recreates this age of marvels” — The Economist](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/rave-review-from-the-economist/) - The Philosophical Breakfast Club received a rave review from Tom Chatfield of The Economist and MoreIntelligentLife.com. “Laura J. Snyder deftly recreates this age of marvels through the lives of four remarkable men. In doing so, she tells a greater tale of the rise of science as a formal discipline, and the triumph of evidence-based methods
- [“An Intellectual Banquet” — The Objective Standard](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/an-intellectual-banquet-the-objective-standard/) - A terrific review in the Spring issue of The Objective Standard. “If wonder and humanity do return to science, wonderful biographical works such as Snyder’s Philosophical Breakfast Club will no doubt have played a part. The Philosophical Breakfast Club is an intellectual banquet, recounting myriad thought provoking scientific discoveries, and sufficiently detailed to convey the
- [“A gem” “Absorbing” — Paul Glister, Centauri Dreams](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/extraterrestrial-life-in-the-19th-century/) - On his very interesting website, Centauri Dreams, Paul Glister discusses the 19th century debate over extraterrestrial life, focusing on the chapter in which I discuss this in The Philosophical Breakfast Club. It’s well worth a read, especially given the recent news stories claiming, then refuting, the discovery of alien microbes. Glister also has some
- [“Utterly compelling . . . a living, breathing page-turner!” — Michael Croucher](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/07/utterly-compelling-a-living-breathing-page-turner/) - A wonderful review from Michael Croucher of Walking Randomly (and Manchester University): “I found Snyder’s combination of biography, history and science to be utterly compelling . . . so much so that during my time reading it, my beloved iPad stayed at home, lonely and forgotten, while I undertook my daily commute. This is no
- [“Educational” “Entertaining” “Remarkable” — Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/04/the-philosophical-breakfast-club-praised-by-the-frankfurter-allgemeine-zeitung/) - A terrific review in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: “Snyder skillfully combines biography with history of science. She has managed to produce an educational, entertaining, and never boring book that provides insights into some of the most remarkable episodes in the history of science. Especially remarkable is the ability of this author to paint an intuitive
- [“Multidimensional and Rich” — The Record (Waterloo)](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/04/multidimensional-and-rich-the-record/) - A very nice review appeared in The Record of Waterloo, Canada. It was reprinted in the The Times of India, in the “Cambridge News” section, as well as in the local Guelph paper. The reviewer calls the book “multidimensional and rich with the sentiment of the time,” and “a well-blended rendition of friendship and modernization,
- [“A Fascinating Story, Told with Considerable Charm” — Washington Times](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/a-fascinating-story-told-with-considerable-charm-the-washington-times/) - A terrific review in today’s The Washington Times: “A fascinating story, told with considerable charm. . . . In between careful explanations of their scientific explorations, Ms Snyder weaves in an account of life in the 19th century and the nonscientific lives of her four subjects; this is a story of friendship as well as
- [“One of the Best Books Out This Year!” — Bookin’ with Sunny](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/04/one-of-the-best-books-out-this-year/) - A blog review so amazing I can't resist posting it here! “Laura J. Snyder has written one of the best books out this year. The Philosophical Breakfast Club, a narrative history of the world of science in Victorian Great Britain, not only makes a subject many of us left behind in our high school chemistry
- [One Reader’s Answer to “What is Your Favorite Science Book?”](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/07/one-readers-answer-to-what-is-your-favorite-science-book/) - I’ve just seen a lovely blog post on the website of the Royal Institute of Australia, which is finishing up its poll of “Favorite Science Books.” The author, Rosalie Wodecki, explains why she voted for The Philosophical Breakfast Club. “The beauty of this book is in the way we are introduced to four amazing scientists.
- [“Snyder smoothly and meticulously tells this story of intellectual revolution and triumph” — Providence Journal](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/05/snyder-smoothly-and-meticulously-tells-this-story-of-intellectual-revolution-and-triumph-providence-journal/) - I am so happy to see such a great review coming out in this Sunday's Providence Journal. I especially like how the reviewer highlights one of the main messages of the book: “All four led the evolution of natural philosophy (then practiced as an avocation by gentlemen of means and sometimes genius) to modern science
- [New Review of “Il club dei filosofi che volevano cambiare il mondo”](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/12/new-review-of-il-club-dei-filosofi-che-volevano-cambiare-il-mondo/) - A review of the Italian edition of The Philosophical Breakfast Club has appeared in the November issue of RAS: Rassegna Dell'Autonomia Scholastica: “It is a novel-like book that one reads with pleasure . . . with the desire to prolong the pleasure of following the lives of the four scientists involved.” You can read the
- [“A Vivid Picture of a Revolution in Scientific Thought” — Fully Booked](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/07/a-vivid-picture-of-a-revolution-in-scientific-thought-fully-booked-zine/) - It was great to see this review in Fully Booked Zine, published in the Philippines: “Snyder paints a vivid picture of a revolution in scientific thought. . . . Its portrayal of a world and time much different from our own is remarkable, and Snyder spares no expense in immersing the reader into the world that
- [“Succeeds Famously in Evoking the Excitement, Variety and Wide-Open Sense of Possibility of the Scientific Life in 19th Century Britain” — American Scientist](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/10/snyder-succeeds-famously-in-evoking-the-excitement-variety-and-wide-open-sense-of-possibility-of-the-scientific-life-in-19th-century-britain-american-scientist/) - A wonderful review just out in American Scientist!! “In Snyder’s able hands, the intertwined lives of the four Cambridge friends become the stuff of a Trollope novel. . . . she deftly interweaves snippets from the letters with lucid explanations of the science involved and with scenes from 19th-century British life. . . . Focusing
- [“Great Book for Anyone Interested in the History of Science” — Citizen Science League](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/12/a-great-book-for-anyone-interested-in-the-history-of-science/) - It was great to see this new review on the website of the Citizen Scientists League. “A very accessible history of British science in the early nineteenth century. . . . Snyder brings us from the early days of natural philosophy, which looked nothing like what we would call science today, to the verge of
- [“Impressive, Engaging, Valuable” — Choice](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/01/impressive-engaging-valuable-choice/) - A wonderful review from Choice, the review magazine of the American Library Association: “An impressive biography of four Victorian polymaths. . . . The men's entangled lives and work make engaging and informative reading. A valuable book. . . . Highly recommended.” The complete review: Philosopher and science historian Snyder (St. John’s Univ.) has written
- [Washington Post “New in Paperback” Column](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/03/washington-post-new-in-paperback-column/) - I was happy to see that The Philosophical Breakfast Club made it onto the Washington Post “New in Paperback” column! You can read the story here.
- [“A Brilliant Book” — Story Circle Book Reviews](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/07/a-brilliant-book-story-circle-book-reviews/) - A wonderful new review by Judy King of Story Circle Book Reviews, a website devoted to reviews of books “by, for and about women.” “In The Philosophical Breakfast Club, Laura J. Snyder has written a brilliant book. Pure and simple. It is the story of the birth of ‘the scientist,’ both the term itself, and
- [“On the Bookshelf, Summer 2012” — Brandeis Magazine Summer Bookshelf](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/08/brandeis-magazine-summer-bookshelf/) - I was happy to see The Philosophical Breakfast Club featured in the summer edition of my undergraduate university's magazine on their summer reading bookshelf. It’s right under the book by a terrific historian on the faculty, David Hackett Fischer! There’s a nice little paragraph on the book, which you can see here.
- [“Summer Reading Selection 2012” — Cambridge University Alumni Bulletin](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/08/cambridge-university-summer-reading-list/) - I just received my Cambridge University alumni bulletin, and was happily surprised to find The Philosophical Breakfast Club on the list of “Cambridge Authors: Summer Reading Selection 2012,” joining books by Stephen Fry, Andrew Preston, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Ian Tattersall, Claire Tomalin, and other Cambridge faculty/alumni. Still time to get your last bit of summer
- [“It's So Interesting! And Surprisingly Funny!” — Not Raising Brats](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/10/new-blog-review-its-so-interesting-and-surprisingly-funny/) - I can’t resist posting this new review from the blog “Not Raising Brats,” because I love that a reviewer pointed out the humor in the book. I laughed a lot while writing it, and it's great to know that I wasn't the only one who found the exploits of the philosophical breakfast club members kind
- [“Beautifully Written and Elegantly Composed. . . . Outstanding” — ISIS](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/07/beautifully-written-and-elegantly-composed-outstanding-isis/) - A very nice review of The Philosophical Breakfast Club just appeared in ISIS, the journal of the History of Science Society: “The Philosophical Breakfast Club is a beautifully written and elegantly composed story. . . . [The book] presents a wonderful portrait of science and university life in the period—the trials and tribulations of trying to
- [“I Struggled to Put the Book Down” — Astrobites Review](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/07/i-struggled-to-put-the-book-down-astrobites-review/) - A nice new review from the website Astrobites. I love how it ends: “One might have thought Victorian men of science would be impossibly staid and boring—a misconception that The Philosophical Breakfast Club will surely dislodge in short order. I struggled to put the book down.”
- [“The lives and ideas of these men come across as fit for ‘Masterpiece Theater.’” — Wall Street Journal](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/02/the-wall-street-journal-reviews-the-philosophical-breakfast-club/) - Today’s Wall Street Journal says, “Ms. Snyder...shows a full command of the scientific, social and cultural dimensions of the age. In Ms. Snyder’s telling, the lives and ideas of these men come across as fit for 'Masterpiece Theater.’” Read the full review here. In the last lines of a very positive assessment of the book,
- [An “Extraordinary Book” — Metapsychology](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/09/an-extraordinary-book-metapsychology/) - A lovely new review of The Philosophical Breakfast Club in Metapsychology: An "extraordinary book....Snyder takes us from the early meetings through the careers and marriages of the four and to the end of their amazing lives. The narrative sparkles with personal details, political fights, love, brilliant discoveries, hard work, science and math, always focusing on
- [“Popular Intellectual History at its Near Best” — Washington Post](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/popular-intellectual-history-at-its-near-best-washington-post/) - A wonderful review by Michael Dirda of The Washington Post: "A fine book...as wide-ranging and anecdotal, as excited and exciting, as those long-ago Sunday morning conversations at Cambridge. To me her book is an example of popular intellectual history at its near best. What's more, The Philosophical Breakfast Club forms a natural successor to Jenny
- [Reading List: 12 books by recent TED speakers](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/08/reading-list-12-books-by-recent-ted-speakers/) - TED's list of "essential reading" for Fall---books by TED speakers: With summer dwindling to its last few days, it’s time to put away the beach reads and get the mind back in gear with heartier fare. Why not start with some of the amazing books writer by recent TED speakers? Here, some picks. Moonwalking with
- [Reforming Philosophy Now Available for Kindle](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/09/reforming-philosophy-now-available-for-kindle/) - I am very happy to announce that my first book, Reforming Philosophy, is now available in an inexpensive Kindle edition. Some readers of The Philosophical Breakfast Club might be interested in a more detailed discussion of William Whewell’s philosophy of science, and its relation to his view of moral philosophy, economics, and politics. In this
- [Happy Ada Lovelace Day!!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/10/happy-ada-lovelace-day/) - In honor of the day set aside to remember Ada Lovelace, friend and collaborator of Charles Babbage (and a major player in one chapter of The Philosophical Breakfast Club), I'm passing along two links: one serious, one a bit silly, but both apropos of Lovelace and her accomplishments. First, the serious. A recent study
- [Oliver Sacks “Inspired” by “Philosophical Breakfast Club”](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/10/oliver-sacks-inspired-by-philosophical-breakfast-club/) - I’m incredibly pleased and excited that Oliver Sacks included The Philosophical Breakfast Club on a list of five science biographies that have inspired him. Sacks is one of my favorite non-fiction writers, in part because he is able to connect wonderfully with a broad readership to interest them in, and educate them on, complex scientific
- [“Origin of Species” Published 153 Years Ago Today](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/11/origin-of-species-published-153-years-ago-today/) - In honor of the anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s Origin of Species on November 24, 1859: Footage of the moth that pollinates Angraecum sesquipedale, a Madagascar orchid, whose existence Darwin predicted 142 years ago. Because the nectar is so far down the neck of this orchid, Darwin knew that there had to be a
- [Review of Three Books on the Birth of Modern Science](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2013/01/review-birth-of-modern-science/) - Happy 2013, everyone! To start off the new year, here's my latest for the Wall Street Journal: a review of three books that locate the origins of modern scientific practice where we may least expect it—in monks’s cells, magicians’ workshops, and alchemists’ hidden laboratories. Read the review here and in tomorrow’s print edition. The books
- [“Most Popular Science Book in Australia” — Royal Institute of Australia](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/08/most-popular-science-book-in-australia/) - The Philosophical Breakfast Club came out on top in the Royal Institution of Australia's poll for “Most Popular Science Book!” Here's the final list of the top 9, out of the initial 100 books: 1. The Philosophical Breakfast Club: Four Remarkable Friends Who Transformed Science and Changed the World, Laura J Snyder 2. The Hitchhikers
- [Press Release: Australia's "Most Loved" Science Book](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/08/press-release-australias-most-loved-science-book/) - The Royal Institution of Australia has issued a press release announcing the winner of the "Favorite Science Book" poll. “Australia’s most popular science book has been revealed. The most-loved title is The Philosophical Breakfast Club: Four Remarkable Friends Who Transformed Science and Changed the World by Laura J. Snyder. “The Royal Institution of Australia (RiAus)
- [The Philosophical Breakfast Club and Australia’s Great Science Read](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/07/the-philosophical-breakfast-club-and-australias-great-science-read/) - Every year, the Royal Institution of Australia (whose wonderful motto is: “Bringing Science to People and People to Science”) sponsor Australia’s “Great Big Science Read,” where people are encouraged to read books—both fiction and non-fiction—having to do with science. Last year, the RiAus held a poll to choose the public’s “Favorite Science Book”—and The Philosophical
- [TED Talk from TED Global 2012](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2013/04/ted-talk-from-ted-global-2012/) - Here's the TED Talk on the Philosophical Breakfast Club I gave at TED Global 2012. Share!
- [Seven Groups of Friends who Changed the World](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2013/04/seven-groups-of-friends-who-changed-the-world/) - From yesterday’s TED blog, a fun piece on seven groups of writers/artists/philosophers who transformed their world—and ours.
- [Happy Ada Lovelace Day!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/10/610/) - Augusta Ada Byron (1815-1852) was the only legitimate child of the poet Lord Byron. In 1812, Byron—by then known as “mad, bad, and dangerous to know”—met Anne Isabella (“Annabella”) Millbanke. Annabella had been raised unconventionally for the time, being trained in mathematics by the former Cambridge tutor William Frend. Calling her his “Princess of Parallelograms,”
- [Happy Birthday Charles Darwin!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/02/831/) - Charles Darwin was born 203 years ago today. In honor of his birthday, the American Museum of Natural History has unveiled its Darwin Manuscripts Project, a collection of 15,000 digitized manuscript pages and thousands of other documents, including such treasures as notes from Darwin's time aboard the HMS Beagle, pocket diaries and early drafts of
- [One Week to Paperback Launch!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/01/one-week-to-paperback-launch/) - It's hard to believe, but in only one week from today the paperback edition of The Philosophical Breakfast Club will be released! As fewer and fewer serious non-fiction trade books appear in paperback, it is wonderful to know that the publisher believes this book will have a long life as a trade paperback. There's still
- [Happy New Year!!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2012/01/happy-new-year/) - I wish everyone a new year filled with peace, joy and love! 2011 was quite a year for me. It began with the preparations for publishing The Philosophical Breakfast Club, and ended with the arrival of the advance copies of the paperback edition. On the very last night of the year, a subway rider was
- [The Paperback Edition Has Arrived!!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/12/the-paperback-edition-has-arrived/) - An exciting surprise in the mail today: two big boxes filled with copies of the paperback edition of The Philosophical Breakfast Club (for sale in stores January 17th, available for pre-order online now). The paperback edition is every bit as lovely as the hardcover!! Here's the front cover, which was altered a bit from the
- [Happy Holidays!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/12/happy-holidays/) - Happy Holidays, everyone! For those who are still shopping, remember that books make wonderful gifts. As the great English literary critic and essayist William Hazlitt (1778-1830) said, "Books let us into their souls and lay open to us the secrets of our own." No scented candle can do that!
- [ORIGIN OF SPECIES Published November 24, 1859](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/11/origin-of-species-published-november-24-1859/) - One hundred fifty-two years ago today, Charles Darwin's Origin of Species was published. The first print run of 1250 sold out immediately. The second edition of 3000 copies, rushed into print on January 7, 1860, sold out quickly as well. Everyone, it seemed, was reading and discussing the book and its theory. George Eliot wrote
- [Dutch Rights of EYE OF THE BEHOLDER Sold](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/11/dutch-rights-of-eye-of-the-beholder-sold/) - I am excited to announce that my next book, Eye of the Beholder: Johannes Vermeer, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, and the Reinvention of Seeing has found a Dutch publisher. The book, due out in 2014, will be published in the Netherlands by De Bezige Bij, one of the great literary houses in that country. In addition
- [Why the Sciences and Liberal Arts Belong Together](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/11/why-the-sciences-and-liberal-arts-belong-together/) - Many of the reviewers of The Philosophical Breakfast Club have remarked upon one of the points I make in the book, that science and the rest of culture should be knitted back together, more as they were in the 19th century. In this week's Chronicle of Higher Education there is a very interesting article that
- [Philosophical Breakfasts as Business Strategy](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/11/philosophical-breakfasts-as-business-strategy/) - It was fun to see this blog post from Business Management Daily suggesting that business leaders could learn from the lessons of The Philosophical Breakfast Club! Maybe it’s time for a breakfast club by EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP on NOVEMBER 3, 2011 5:00PM in LEADERS & MANAGERS,LEADERSHIP SKILLS Four British men together led the scientific world in
- [Building Babbage's Analytical Engine](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/11/building-babbages-analytical-engine/) - I've written here before about the effort to build an Analytical Engine from the plans left by Charles Babbage; now the story's made The New York Times. I was pleased to see the important role of Ada Lovelace acknowledged in the piece. Read it here.
- [Next Book Signed by W.W. Norton & Co.](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/10/next-book-signed-by-w-w-norton-co/) - I am extremely pleased to announce that my next book, due out in 2014, has been signed by W.W. Norton and Co. I will be working with Norton's Editor in Chief, John Glusman, who has edited the books of many wonderful writers, including Erik Larsen, Orhan Pamuk, and Richard Powers. My book, Eye of the
- [Darwin's Voyage on the HMS Beagle Ends, October 2, 1836](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/10/darwins-voyage-on-the-hms-beagle-ends-october-2-1836/) - One hundred seventy-five years ago today, on October 2, 1836, the H.M.S. Beagle ended its nearly five-year voyage and returned to England. During the trip, Charles Darwin collected natural history specimens and studied geological formations, all the while writing down his observations, and some theoretical speculations, in a series of notebooks. These speculations, and the
- [More on Writing Popular History of Science](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/09/more-on-writing-popular-history-of-science/) - Readers of The Philosophical Breakfast Club and this blog know that I think it is crucial for historians of science, and scientists themselves, write works about science that are accessible to a general public. This is one important way that we can help to increase science literacy--especially in the US, where the educational system seems
- [An Influential Book](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/09/an-influential-book/) - This summer, the Librarian at St. John's University asked several faculty members to submit a paragraph about books that have been very influential in their lives. My thoughts have just been published on the St. John's Library blog. Here's what I had to say: One book I find myself returning to is George Eliot’s masterful
- [Women and Computers](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/09/women-and-computers/) - A nice piece in The Washington Post discusses the role of women in the early days of modern computer programming. Women programmers were especially prominent in the 1960s and early 1970s, prompting a discussion of these "Computer Girls" in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1967. ("It's just like planning dinner. You have to plan ahead and schedule
- [TV and the Sense of Wonder](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/08/tv-and-the-sense-of-wonder/) - In the closing pages of The Philosophical Breakfast Club, I noted that the divide between science and the rest of culture--which in some ways was inadvertantly brought about by the innovations of the Philosophical Breakfast Club--had one effect that the members of the club would have especially mourned: that scientists themselves are no longer transmitting
- [What Writers are Reading](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/08/what-writers-are-reading/) - The website Writers Read has been asking authors what books they have been reading lately. I was very pleased to learn that Kathleen Ann Goonan, the award-winning science fiction writer, is reading The Philosophical Breakfast Club. She has this to say about the way I begin the work, with the confrontation between Coleridge and Whewell:
- [Update: Science as a Self-Correcting Process](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/08/update-science-as-a-self-correcting-process/) - In a post at the end of June, I discussed one problem with the notion that science is a self-correcting process. I focused on the fact that scientists tend not to want to spend their time on "de-discovery," as Carl Zimmer has called it. That is, while scientists may decry an experimental result as incorrect,
- [More from Australia....](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/08/more-from-australia/) - The Philosophical Breakfast Club coming out on top in the Royal Institution of Australia's poll for most popular science book is being reported in the local Australia newspapers. Read the story in The Advertiser of Adelaide, here.
- [The Birth of AI](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/07/the-birth-of-ai/) - Lately, when I look out at the students in my college philosophy classes, I wonder whether they will end up using their minds to guide our future, or to build machines that will replace their minds and do that work for them. Certainly, they seem to use machines more and more to substitute for, or
- [PHILOSOPHICAL BREAKFAST CLUB in PROSPECT magazine](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/07/philosophical-breakfast-club-in-prospect-magazine/) - It was fun to see The Philosophical Breakfast Club included in Prospect magazine's monthly round-up of interesting tidbits from the media world. It's the only book mentioned! See the "In Fact" section of the June edition of the magazine here.
- ["Lively!"--Midwest Book Review](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/07/lively-midwest-book-review/) - A short but sweet review from the Midwest Book Review: "The Philosophical Breakfast Club: Four Remarkable Friends Who Transformed Science and Changed the World blends history, biography and science in a lively survey of Victorian history and shows how a small group of men working in the early 19th century made discoveries that brought about
- [Science as a Self-Correcting Process](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/06/science-as-a-self-correcting-process/) - For centuries, many of those who have thought and written about science have claimed that science is self-correcting, that one of the hallmarks of the scientific method is that its results are not taken to be absolutely certain, but always subject to revision and even rejection if the evidence warrants. Isaac Newton, for example, wrote
- [PHILOSOPHICAL BREAKFAST CLUB available to visually-impaired listeners on MPR](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/06/philosophical-breakfast-club-available-to-visually-impaired-listeners-on-mpr/) - I am honored that The Philosophical Breakfast Club has been recorded by the Minnesota Radio Talking Book Network. The Radio Talking Book Network "provides access to current local and statewide newspapers, magazine articles and best-selling books, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, reaching nearly 8,000 visually-impaired listeners" and is broadcast over Minnesota Public
- ["Engrossing"--BOOK NEWS](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/06/engrossing-book-news/) - A wonderful review from Book News magazine: "Engrossing....Packed with good stories and anectdotes, as well as good science and history." The full review: "An expert on Victorian science and culture, Snyder (Philosophy, St. John's University) presents the surprisingly engrossing story of four men--Charles Babbage, John Herschel, William Whewell, and Richard Jones--who met as students at
- [Italian Edition Featured in NEWTON OGGI](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/06/italian-edition-featured-in-newton-oggi/) - Il Club Dei Filosofi che Volevano Cambiare il Mondo, the Italian edition of The Philosophical Breakfast Club, is featured in this month's issue of Newton Oggi (Newton Today), an Italian popular science magazine. An extended excerpt from the beginning of Chapter 8 appears in the June issue of the magazine. To see the start of
- [A TED Book Club Selection](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/06/a-ted-book-club-selection/) - The Philosophical Breakfast Club is one of four books just sent by TED to its Book Club members. TED is the nonprofit devoted to "Ideas Worth Spreading," and its annual conference in Long Beach, CA is famous for bringing together explorers, scientific pioneers, visionaries and provocateurs from all over the world. Five times a year,
- [THE PHILOSOPHICAL BREAKFAST CLUB named a "Critics' Pick"!](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/06/the-philosophical-breakfast-club-named-a-critics-pick/) - I'm so pleased and proud that The Philosophical Breakfast Club has been named a "Critics' Pick" by Critics and Writers, a website of professional book critics. They note that my reviews have been "100% positive" with an "average score" of 10/10! Can't get much better than that! I have been so fortunate to receive reviews
- [Learning from History](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/05/learning-from-history/) - Pete Warden of the O'Reilly Report discusses The Philosophical Breakfast Club today in a post on "Lesons of the Victorian Data Revolution." One point Warden stresses is that "What's really useful about historical analogies is that you can see how they played out in the long run." I agree--and that's what I love about reading
- [On the Term "Data Science"](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/05/on-the-term-data-science/) - I just love it when The Philosophical Breakfast Club is invoked in discussions of current issues in science, as one reason I wrote the book was to shed light on science today by looking at its history. On today's "O'Reilly Radar," Pete Warden discusses the legitimacy of the term "data science." He brings in the
- [Woman of Science: Anna Children Atkins](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/05/woman-of-science-anna-children-atkins/) - For Mothers' Day, a note on a woman of science, Anna Children Atkins (March 16, 1799-June 9, 1871), who is a little-known but fascinating figure on the border between art and science. She was the daughter of John George Children, a botanist and chemist (who in 1813 hosted a dinner and demonstration of his huge
- [Talk on Babbage at NYU/Poly](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/04/talk-on-babbage-at-nyupoly/) - I'm back from my talk on Babbage and his quest to build the first computer in the 19th century at NYU/Poly in Brooklyn. A great turnout--over 50--made up of computer scientists as well as members of the humanities and social science department (and, I think, a couple of Ada Lovelace fans from the local community).
- ["Babbage and his Gem of all Machinery"](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/04/babbage-and-his-gem-of-all-machinery/) - On Friday, April 29, I will be speaking to the computer scientists (and humanists) at NYU/Poly in Brooklyn about Babbage and his engines. Although not specifcally a talk about the book, it will address the revolution planned by Babbage, Herschel, Jones and Whewell at their philosophical breakfasts at Cambridge, because several key elements of this
- [Confessions of an Archive Rat](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/04/confessions-of-an-archive-rat/) - I admit it: I am an archive rat. I just love to get into a hoard of letters, diaries and notebooks from the past, especially when I know that not too many other hands have touched the material before me! I love that there are now sites like Genealogy Bank that allow you to search
- [Interview with LA STAMPA](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/interview-with-la-stampa/) - Today's Tuttoscienze section of the Italian newspaper La Stampa has an interview with me about the members of the philosophical breakfast club. In it I discuss the changes they brought to science as a profession, and consider how the four men would feel about science today. They would have been pleased by the fact that
- [A Friendship that Revolutionized Science](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/03/a-friendship-that-revolutionized-science/) - I was recently asked what surprised me the most while writing The Philosophical Breakfast Club. I think it was my realization that what had started out as a book about the power of ideas to change the world had become a story about a friendship that revolutionized science. Read the full story here.
- [Coming Soon.....](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/02/coming-soon/) - Photos from the book launch party at the Lotos Club Tuesday evening, and a very, very big review coming out on Saturday!
- [Inventing the Scientist](https://www.laurajsnyder.com/2011/01/inventing-the-scientist/) - It was June 24, 1833, at the meeting of the recently-founded British Association for the Advancement of Science. William Whewell (pronounced “who-ell”), a fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, and former professor of Mineralogy, had just finished a speech opening the conference. When the applause died down, the members were shocked to see a frail, grizzled

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