Abstract
This is one of a series of popular works on Science entitled “Die Naturkräfte,” that are being published at intervals by Herr Oldenbourg, of Munich. Prof. Zittel, in his preface to the present work, speaks of the vast influence which popular scientific literature is calculated to have upon the entire development of a people, and therefore insists on the great importance of diffusing, in an intelligible manner, among the people thoroughly correct notions of every science, instead of mincing down scientific truths until they lose all that is characteristic or informing. It is, perhaps, of far more importance that scientific books meant for the people should be as absolutely correct and as far advanced as it is possible to be, than those intended for scientific men themselves. The latter can discover and reject the false or imperfect; the former in their ignorance accept what is written as the truth, and the injury thus done is often serious in its consequences and may take a generation or longer to remedy. Popular scientific works, like school text-books of science, ought to be written only by those who are thoroughly masters of their subjects. The book before us seems to us to be in this respect satisfactory. In a series of chapters, each corresponding mainly with one of the great geological periods, the author endeavours to present a series of pictures of the gradual development of our earth, mainly with reference to the life which it supports. He seems to know his subject well in all its aspects, and presents in an interesting and intelligible way the latest results of geological research, with the conclusions derived there from by the most advanced thinkers. The illustrations are very good, and the work as a whole is a good specimen of a popular scientific treatise.
Aus der Urzeit.
Bilder aus der Schöpfungsgeschichte, von Prof. Dr. Karl A. Zittel., in München. Mit 78 Halzschnitten. (München: Rudolph Oldenbourg, 1871-2.)
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Our Book Shelf . Nature 8, 547 (1873). https://doi.org/10.1038/008547a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/008547a0