"Dolnick's book is lively and the characters are vivid." -- New York Times Book Review

"A character-rich, historical narrative." -- Wall Street Journal

"Edward Dolnick's smoothly written history of the scientific revolution tells the stories of the key players and events that transformed society." -- Charlotte Observer

"An engrossing read." -- Library Journal

"Dolnick . . . writes clearly and unpretentiously about science, and writes equally well about the tumultuous historical context . . . [He] also offers penetrating portraits of the geniuses of the day, many of them idiosyncratic in the extreme, who offer fertile ground for entertaining writing. [Dolnick] has an eye for vivid details in aid of historical recreation, and an affection for his subjects . . . [An] informative read." -- Publishers Weekly

"A lively account of early science. . . . Colorful, entertainingly written and nicely paced." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Dolnick furnishes a fine survey introduction to a fertile field of scientific biography and history." -- Booklist

"[Dolnick] offers penetrating portraits of the geniuses of the day . . . who offer fertile ground for entertaining writing. [He] has an eye for vivid details in aid of historical recreation, and an affection for his subjects . . . [An] informative read." -- Publishers Weekly