Issue 1.14
It is back-to-school season for many historians of science. To complement the renewed focus on teaching and learning that comes with this time of year, we thought we would dedicate this themed issue to textbooks—and works about textbooks—in the CB Explore. One advantage of this pathway through the literature is that it runs deep—textbooks have been a focal point of HSTM research for over 50 years (see figure below). Many important questions about education, disciplines, circulation, media, and politics have been explored through a primary focus on textbooks. They have been posed by historians, sociologists, and philosophers of science; and they have shed light on developments in a wide range of individual research traditions. Much of this literature focuses on mathematics and the physical sciences, but I was intrigued to find several citations on geography and sociology as well.
For those inclined to dig further into this topic (or any other surfaced through CB data, for that matter), I wanted to point out the utility of the “Outside Links” that appear with each authority.
Interested in a little bit of background? Try clicking on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy or Wikipedia to get your bearings. Looking for archival materials and other primary sources related to textbooks? LibGuides discoverable through Academic sites, Archive Grid, SNAC, and the Consortium’s federated search tool will have lots to offer. When I clicked on the Consortium link, for example, I found 16,679 items on textbooks across 25 member institutions faceted by format and subject. The ability to carry a CB search over into these outside resources is incredibly useful. It may be particularly important to communicate to students in research seminars at this busy time of year!
—Judy Kaplan, Editor
Featured Books
I have removed textbooks on the history of science, technology, and medicine from the list below, but didn’t want to overlook them entirely. These introductions to HSTM illustrate just how important the genre can be for tracking changes in disciplinary norms and priorities over time. Note (beyond the joint appeal to a nautilus shell) that the fourth edition of Ede & Cormack is not yet in the CB. This edition brings the narrative up to the present, with reflections on the Covid-19 pandemic.
This might also be a good opportunity to invite comments and discussion below. What textbooks have you used and why?
Featured Articles
Analyzing the citations on this topic made me want to learn more about women textbook authors. Jane Marcet, for example, was at the top of the list of authorities associated with the concept “textbooks.” Here are a handful of articles that might inform such a project.
Creese, Mary R. S. (Author)
Creese, Thomas M. (Author)
Bulletin for the History of Chemistry
Volume: 15/16
Pages: 31-36
Paola Magrone (Author)
Millán Gasca, Ana (Author)
Bollettino di Storia delle Scienze Matematiche
Volume: 43
Issue: 1
Pages: 105-135
Citations
Monographs and Edited Volumes
Textbooks about the history and philosophy of science, technology, and medicine were pulled out of the list below. The citations given here, in other words, are those that engage textbooks as primary sources.
Hundert Jahre Strasburgers Lehrbuch der Botanik für Hochschulen, 1894-1994. Fischer, 1994.
Chapters
Interestingly, these chapters are dominated by research on pre-modern history. Mathematics, physics, chemistry, and medicine are the major disciplines engaged. Note that the earliest citation here is from 1977, while the latest is 2021. This reflects enduring interest in textbooks among historians of science.
Journal Articles
This list highlights both retrospective and prospective approaches to textbooks (broadly conceived). Has the primary function of these works been to codify existing knowledge or to foster new knowledge? Have authors and audiences found these functions to be in tension, or not? How might perceptions vary cross-culturally and over time? Scanning the list with such questions in mind, I was particularly intrigued by several articles focused on experimentation, innovation, and the “useful” arts.
Damon, William. “The Handbook‘s back pages–and ours.” Human Development 40 (1997): 74-86.
Fleischer, Manfred P. “The first German agricultural manuals.” Agricultural History 55 (1981): 1-15.
Gingerich, Owen. “Early textbooks with moving parts.” Sky and Telescope 62 (1981): 4-6.
Lamandé, Pierre. “Les manuels de Bézout.” Rivista di Storia della Scienza 4 (1987): 339-375.
McConnell, James V. “Confessions of a textbook writer.” American Psychologist 33 (1978): 159-169.
Terdimou, Maria. “Geometry Versus Algebra. Ancient Greek and Western Mathematics:
Thomas, Duncan P. “Thomas Vicary and the Anatomie of Mans Body.” Medical History 50 (2006): 235–246. Verbeek, Theo. “Regius’s Fundamenta physices.” Journal of the History of Ideas 55 (1994): 533-551.
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