Topic
Cutler, Alan. The Seashell on the Mountaintop: A Story of Science, Sainthood, and the Humble Genius who Discovered a New History of the Earth
Instructions
Immerse yourself in the historical legacy of any or one or all of these scientists–Charles Darwin, Nicolaus Steno, James Hutton, Neil Shubin, Jared Diamond. Obtain any or all of the books listed below, and summarize the essence of each chapter in the book by using a reading evaluation form.
Shubin, Neil. 2009. Your Inner Fish: A Journey Into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body. Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. 226 pp. ISBN: 978-0-307-27745-9.
Diamond, Jared. 1999. Guns, Germs, and Steel: the Fates of Human Societies. WWW. Norton and Co., New York. 494 pp. ISBN 0-393-31755-2
Darwin, Charles. 1909. The Voyage of the Beagle. Reprinted by Barnes and Noble Library of Essential Reading, 2004, with introduction by Catherine A. Heinze. New York. 478 pp. ISBN-10: 0-7607-5496-9.
Cutler, Alan. 2003. The Seashell on the Mountaintop: A Story of Science, Sainthood, and the Humble Genius who Discovered a New History of the Earth. Published by Dutton, a member of Penguin Group, NY, USA. 228 pp.
Repcheck, Jack. 2009. The Man Who Found Time: James Hutton and the Discovery of the Earth’s Antiquity. Published by Basic Books, a member of the Perseus Books Group, NY, USA. 247 pp.ISBN 978-0-465-01337-1.
Sagan, Carl. 1996. The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. Ballantine Books, NY, USA. 457 p. NY Times Bestseller. ISBN
0-345-40946-9
Answer preview
Chapter 15- The Bishop
Based on your reading, summarize below why you think the article was written; and list major ideas that it documents
In this chapter, the author documents how Steno spent his remaining days as the Bishop of Hannover. He had been sent there to evangelize northern European Catholics. He met fellow scholars like the mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Liebnitz, who decried Steno’s decision to leave science for religion. Steno’s efforts to find solace in religion, however, would not be fruitful.
How well are the assertions presented in the article supported by evidence/facts? List some facts/evidence that you found interesting.
The assertions of the author are supported by facts. Steno encountered corruption, opposition, and laxity among the laity where he had been posted. To salvage his belief in his faith, he increasingly became an ascetic as few people could live up to his standards of what a committed Catholic had to live like. Steno died a pauper in 1686.
Explain whether or not the author’s views presented in the article are logically and reasonably constructed.
The author does not provide his personal views in this chapter, but elaborates on the strange path that Steno’s life took from the moment he was assigned to be the Bishop of Hannover until his death.
Word count: 5272