Perspectives on the emergence of scientific disciplines

GERALD LEMAINE, ROY MACLEOD, MICHAEL MULKAY and PETER WEINGART (editors), Perspectives on the emergence of scientific disciplines, The Hague and Paris, Mouton, (West Berlin, W. de Gruyter), 1976, 8vo, pp. xi, 281, DM.50.00. The disciplines represented in the twelve essays which comprise this book include agricultural chemistry, thermodynamics, physical chemistry, biophysics, x-ray protein crystallography, radio-astronomy, radar meteor research, and radio-astronomy, in this order. There is also an editorial introduction which brings together and clarifies some of the important issues in the study of scientific disciplines. The overall aim is that historians and sociologists should appreciate each others' research for their mutual benefit. The essays indicate the woik in this area at present being carried out in Britain, and both the projects and intentions are most welcome. The integration of social and intellectual factors in the areas discussed can only be beneficial. This book therefore is an important contribution to past, and a stimulus to future, work in the social studies of science. It is a publication of the Paris-Sussex (PAREX) interdisciplinary group, which promotes scholarly collaboration in this area and deserves wide support and encouragement.