Book Description
Science and Technology Studies is a flourishing interdisciplinary field that examines the creation, development, and consequences of science and technology in their cultural, historical, and social contexts. The Handbook of Science and Technology Studies provides a comprehensive and authoritative overview of the field, reviewing current research and major theoretical and methodological approaches and analyzing emergent issues in a form that is accessible to new and established scholars from a range of disciplines. Handbook chapters review the dominant theoretical perspectives of S&TS, present the current state of research on a spectrum of topics in the field, analyze changes brought about by the commercialization of science, study interactions between science and other institutions, examine the role of experts and the public in scientific and technological decision making, and consider the cultural and social dimensions of new technologies.

The Handbook of Science and Technology Studies is the third in a series of volumes sponsored by the Society for Social Studies of Science that have defined the field of Science and Technology Studies. It will be an essential resource for scholars in S&TS as well as for those in such neighboring disciplines as anthropology, history, philosophy, sociology, law, political science, feminist and critical theory, and literary studies.

Contributors: Vincanne Adams, Warwick Anderson, Brian Balmer, Daniel Barben, Pablo Boczkowski, Steve Breyman, Massimiano Bucchi, Regula Burri, Nancy Campbell, Adele E. Clarke, H.M. Collins, Susan E. Cozzens, Jennifer L. Croissant, Park Doing, Joseph Dumit, Steven Epstein, Henry Etzkowitz, Robert Evans, Erik Fisher, Stefan Fuchs, Sonia Gatchair, Ronald N. Giere, Thomas F. Gieryn, Namrata Gupta, David H. Guston, Adam Hedgecoe, Christopher R. Henke, David Hess, Linda Hogle, Alan Irwin, Sheila Jasanoff, Deborah G. Johnson, David Kaiser, William Keith, Carol Kemelgor, Kyung-Sup Kim, Andrew Lakoff, Bruno Latour, Leah A. Lievrouw, Margaret Lock, Brian Martin, Paul Martin, Philip Mirowski, Cyrus Mody, Federico Neresini, Gonzalo Ordóñez, Nelly Oudshoorn, Trevor Pinch, Alex Preda, Brian Rappert, William Rehg, Marina Ranga, Cynthia Selin, Esther-Mirjam Sent, Steven Shapin, Sergio Sismondo, Laurel Smith-Doerr, Miriam Solomon, Susan Leigh Star, John Stone, Lucy Suchman, Anupit Supnithadnaporn, Charles Thorpe, Stephen Turner, The Virtual Knowledge Studio, Jameson M. Wetmore, Sally Wyatt, and Steven Yearley

Published in cooperation with the Society for Social Studies of Science. ... Read more

Book Description
Science and Technology Studies (STS) is a broad, interdisciplinary, and rapidly growing field that explores the relationship between science, technology and the ways they shape society and our understanding of the world. But as the field has become more established, it has increasingly hidden its philosophical roots. While the trend is typical of disciplines striving for maturity, Steve Fuller, a leading figure in the field, argues that STS has much to lose if it abandons philosophy. He argues that the discipline is rooted in a variety of philosophical assumptions that, until now, have remained unarticulated, undefended and misunderstood. In his characteristically provocative style, he offers the first sustained treatment of the philosophical foundations of STS and suggests fruitful avenues for further research. With stimulating discussions of the Science Wars, the Intelligent Design Theory controversy, and theorists such as Donna Haraway and Bruno Latour, Philosophy of Science and Technology Studies is destined to become required reading for students and scholars in STS and the philosophy of science. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Call to Arms
Steve Fuller doesn't pull any punches in this book, which is mainly addressed to philosophers who have simply dismissed science and technology studies as mere "relativism." Fuller does a very good job showing the philosophical depth of the field, in both positivism and more recent postmodern thought. He clearly doesn't like Latour who is dissected on theoretical and methodological grounds here. He also doesn't seem to like "research ethics," and folds that discussion into the ongoing Science Wars, especially the Sokal Hoax. A point he repeatedly stresses is the difference between the incompetent and the controversial, and that most allegations of incompetence on the part of science and technology studies people are really attempts to prevent controversy from erupting on genuinely open terrain. His most controversial example of this point appears in the last chapter, on intelligent design. In the end, one has to say that Fuller is the most thoroughgoing "democrat" in his conception of science one is likely to run across, even in this field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Invaluable guide to the underpinnings, methods of science.
I am a colleague of the author and have used both this and its companion volume in my own work. The following is an excerpt from the review on the back cover:

"How are scientific theories chosen? How are they used?For many years Mario Bunge's cogent and lucid work has provided me withinsights into fascinating questions like these" (Owen Gingerich,Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) ... Read more

Book Description
New Frontiers in Science and Technology Studies charts the areas of debate likely to be of relevance in the coming years. These questions are explored by examining an array of historical, philosophical and contemporary sources. ... Read more

Book Description
In this second edition of Steve Fuller's original work Philosophy, Rhetoric, and the End of Knowledge: A New Beginning for Science and Technology Studies, James Collier joins Fuller in developing an updated and accessible version of Fuller's classic volume. The new edition shifts focus slightly to balance the discussions of theory and practice, and the writing style is oriented to advanced students. It addresses the contemporary problems of knowledge to develop the basis for a more publicly accountable science. The resources of social epistemology are deployed to provide a positive agenda of research, teaching, and political action designed to bring out the best in both the ancient discipline of rhetoric and the emerging field of science and technology studies (STS). The authors reclaim and integrate STS and rhetoric to explore the problems of knowledge as a social process--problems of increasing public interest that extend beyond traditional disciplinary resources. In so doing, the differences among disciplines must be questioned (the exercise of STS) and the disciplinary boundaries must be renegotiated (the exercise of rhetoric).


This book innovatively integrates a sophisticated theoretical approach to the social processes of creating knowledge with a developing pedagogical apparatus. The thought questions at the end of each chapter, the postscript, and the appendix allow the reader to actively engage the text in order to discuss and apply its theoretical insights. Creating new standards for interdisciplinary scholarship and communication, the authors bring numerous disciplines into conversation in formulating a new kind of rhetoric geared toward greater democratic participation in the knowledge-making process.


This volume is intended for students and scholars in rhetoric of science, science studies, philosophy, and communication, and will be of interest in English, sociology, and knowledge management arenas as well.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

New edition on the way....
Sorry about the five stars, but I write as the author of this book. A second edition of Philosophy, Rhetoric and the End of Knowledge is currently in preparation. It will be shorter than the original (which was over 400 pages) and expressly designed for classroom use. I am working with James H. Collier, a specialist in technical writing and the rhetoric of science at Virginia Tech. The new publisher is Praeger/Greenwood, and hopefully the book will be ready by the end of 2002. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Fascinating ideas, poor editing is a distraction
I was enthused to discover this book when I did because it appeared to present complexity at precisely the level I was hoping for: as a philosophical and practical concept not necessarily dependent upon difficult mathematics or theory.I dove in, and it was fairly challenging reading.The tragedy of this book is that the topics and many of ideas offered-up appeal a great deal to my intellect, but the astonishingly poor editing is a significant distraction.There are cases of material repeated verbatim, painfully obvious typographic errors, and an insufficient degree of conciseness overall.It seems as if the book was under-funded, over-rushed or simply assigned the wrong editor.It is indeed a shame, since discussions such as why the growth of science may not have an inherent limit, but may be limited by resources are interesting.I also enjoyed the taxonomy of complexity.It has allowed me to consider, with greater subtlety, the complexity in the systems with which I work, and alternatives to manage it. I would give the ideas in this work 4 or 5 stars, but the lack of effective editing make this a difficult read.

Sorry, but I don't want to review Prof. Rescher's book.
Instead, I just want to give you information about a "misprint" in his book: Unfortunately, on page 164, note 6 a paper of mine is citedincorrectly.

The corrected source is:

Theodor Leiber "Chaos,Berechnungskomplexität und Physik: Neue Grenzen wissenschaftlicherErkenntnis?" Philosophia Naturalis, vol. 33 (1996), pp. 23-54

Withbest regards

Theodor Leiber ... Read more

Book Description

"This volume represents the social constructivist turn of the field. It is evident that social constructivism made a major impact on the field during the 1970s and 1980s. The diverse papers included here highlight the role of ethnography in STS. In addition, we are exposed to new perspectives of the multicultural and gendered nature of knowledge production."

Science, Technology, and Society

For the most current, comprehensive resource in this rapidly evolving field, look no further than the Revised Edition of the Handbook of Science and Technology Studies. This masterful volume is the first resource in more than 15 years to define, summarize, and synthesize this complex multidisciplinary, international field. Tightly edited with contributions by an internationally recognized team of leading scholars, this volume addresses the crucial contemporary issuesboth traditional and nonconventionalsocial studies, political studies, and humanistic studies in this changing field. Containing theoretical essays, extensive literature reviews, and detailed case studies, this remarkable volume clearly sets the standard for the field. It does nothing less than establish itself as the benchmark, one that will carry the field well into the next century.

Book Description
Historical studies of the role of military agencies andconsiderations of military power in the promotion of science andtechnology have burgeoned since the early 1980s. Initially, suchstudies focused chiefly on the enormous expansion of physical researchin the United States in the two decades following the Second WorldWar. More recently it has become clear - and this collection ofessays contributes importantly to that recognition - that adecisive influence of military factors upon the development of scienceand technology is by no means limited to the United States or to thatone period. The great strength of this collection - apart fromthe quality and originality of the contributions - is the rangeof the national military and scientific cultures considered:Argentina, Britain, France, USA, and, especially, Germany and Spain. ... Read more

Book Description
Medicine is Art Medicine is supported by Science Medicine is enabled by Technology One will learn how leading-edge technology will affect the future of medical and surgical practice by improving access, quality, and continuity of care, while reducing cost. Contributors to the book are the world's leading researchers and developers in the field. Readers: Physicians, Surgeons, Information Scientists, Biomedical Professionals, Corporate Futurists, Biomechanical Engineers, Educators, Roboticists, Medical Technologists, Rehabilitation Specialists, Systems Integrators/Engineers, Psychotherapists/Behaviourists. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Education, published by Project Innovation (Alabama) on March 22, 1993. The length of the article is 6367 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The warp and woof of science and technology studies in the United States. (Technology and Higher Education)
Author: Stephen H. Cutcliffe
Publication: Education (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1993
Publisher: Project Innovation (Alabama)
Volume: v113Issue: n3Page: p381(11)

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Book Description
In the 1990's the ownership and control of information generated by British science base has been transformed by a combination of regulatory changes designed to promote "the creation of wealth." This topical book provides a unique set of perspectives on a different regulatory mechanisms set out to achieve this. The contributors draw on new data and analysis to give a critique of political, economic, ethical, technological, and geographical issues related to the allocation of resources to science and technology, the control and use of the information generated in the context, and the operation of regulatory agencies. ... Read more

Book Description
Hardbound. Volume 13 of Knowledge and Society documents the various ways in which knowledge and technology transfer happen in practice. In reporting on the travel of thoughts and things, the authors in the volume undermine commonly held ideas about technology transfer. Their story shows how the process of transfer transforms and reshapes the object that travels. More importantly, they show how the travel of knowledge and technology results in new socio-technical arrangements, as well as in new socio-technical objects.

These stories also relate how the authors themselves take part in achieving such processes of transfer and transformation. As anthropologists, consultants, and science studies researchers we do not stand outside the transfers that we describe. The volume is, therefore, a commentary not only on the practice of knowledge and technology transfer, but also on the practice of observation and intervention. ... Read more

Book Description
This anthology of selections from the works of noted philosophers affords the student an immediate contact with the unique historical background of the philosophy of science. The selections, many of which have not been readily accessible, follow the development of the philosophy of science from 1786 to 1927. Each selection is preceded by a brief introduction by the editor designed to familiarize the reader with a particular philosopher and provide insights into his work.

Joseph J. Kockelmans divides the selections into several sections. Part 1, from 1786-1850, includes chapters by Immanuel Kant, on the metaphysical foundations of natural science, John Frederick William Herschel, on experience and the analysis of phenomena, William Whewell, on the nature and conditions of inductive science, and John Stuart Mill, on induction and the law of universal causation; part 2, from 1870-1899, includes chapters by Hermann Von Helmholtz, on the origin and significance of geometrical axioms, William Stanley Jevons, on the philosophy of inductive inference, John Bernard Stallo, on the kinetic theory of gasses and the conditions of the validity of scientific hypotheses, Ernst Mach, on the economical nature of physical inquiry, Karl Pearson, on perceptual and conceptual space, Emile Boutroux, on mechanical laws, Heinrich Hertz, on the appropriateness, correctness, and permissibility of scientific theories, and Ludwig Boltzmann, on the fundamental principles and basic equations of mechanics.

The third part, covering the first decade of the twentieth century, includes chapters by Henri Jules Poincare, on science and reality, Charles Peirce, on Induction, Pierre Marie Duhem, on the laws of physics, William Ostwald, on energetism and mechanics, Emile Meyerson, on identity of thought and nature as the final goal of science, Ernst Cassirer, on functional concepts of natural science; part 4, from 1910-1927, includes chapters by Charles Dunbar Broad, on phenomenalism, Alfred North Whitehead, on time, space, and material, Bertrand Russell, on the world of physics and the world of sense, Norman Robert Cambbell, on the meaning of science, Moritz Schlick, on basic issues of the philosophy of natural science, and Percy Williams Bridgman, on the concepts of space, time, and causality.

Philosophy of Science provides a concise single volume text to the discipline and enables students to understand and evaluate the various trends in our contemporary philosophy of science. ... Read more

Book Description

Defence-related industries are central to the economies of most of the advanced nations with defence and civil industrial bases often inextricably linked. This book discusses the key questions surrounding the relationship between defence and civil industry.
This collection of studies highlights the complex nature of this relationship and the equally complex determinants of corporate government policy in this area.
The contributors present us with analysis based on historical and contemporary examples juxtaposed with informed debate on the future relationship between defence and civil technological policy.
The late 1980s and early 1990s have witnessed a profound change in the international security environment. The Gulf War, the demise of the former Soviet Union and the restructuring of Eastern Europe have forced a re-examination of defence policies, weapons procurement strategies, and research and development agendas throughout the Western world.