Orreries and Putti. "The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science" by J. L Heilbron (ed) [review]

Abstract

What should you expect from a companion? Resolute reliability? Occasional inspiration? Whimsical, even capricious distraction? The editor in chief of the work is J.L. Heilbron, who divides his time between Berkeley, Oxford and Yale. The editorial committee is mainly from the US, with one or two members from Europe. They have overseen more than two hundred contributors, including three from Australian universities. The result is surprisingly even in style, and very readable. All the entries passed my tests of informed gossip and recent revelation.