Real Science: What It Is and What It Means (review)

Real Science: What It Is and What It Means. By John M. Ziman. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2000. Pp. 399. $39.95.

This is an interesting book by a respected scientist. Real Science contains 10 chapters, covering such diverse subjects as science under attack, research as an inquiry, academic science as a culture, originality, science policy, funding, bureaucratization, trust, objectivity, and many others. These are issues that the science community has always been keenly interested in.

There is no question that the author is well qualified to write about such a plethora of complex subjects. Ziman is retired from the University of Bristol, where he was Professor of Theoretical Physics. He was elected to the Royal Society in 1967. Presently he is concentrating on the social relations of science and technology, a broad undertaking where too he has made his mark.

Ziman has taken on an enormously wide subject, and he should be complimented for his courage. Science varies widely from one discipline to another and is constantly undergoing metamorphoses. Ziman's treatments of academic science and interdisciplinarity are very well done and interesting, with many perceptive insights. His discussion of Thomas Kuhn is also helpful, as the debate about paradigm shifts rages on. However, having made some pertinent observations and identified some important problems, the author does not offer solutions. Considering his impressive experience and accomplishments, his suggestions would have been appreciated.

Real Science focuses on science in the United Kingdom. In view of the rapidly evolving globalization, it would have been helpful if the book included some international comparisons, particularly with the situation in the United States. Think of it what you will, globalization is a reality that must be faced, and readers would have welcomed Ziman's guidance. Additionally, in connection with the author's discussion about patronage and the funding of science, it would have been well to learn his views about the role of the multinational corporations. How will they seek scientific excellence? How will science be funded as the virtual state gains a larger footprint?

Finally, one criticism has more to do with text design than with content. While I applaud the author for his meticulous care in offering citations, the text unfortunately provides only reference numbers, so one does not know instantly to whom an assertion is due. Instead, the conscientious reader is forced to look up the pertinent references in a distracting, two-step process.

ALI B. CAMBEL
George Washington University

Permission to reprint a book review printed in this section may be obtained only from the reviewer.

...