A History of Regeneration Research: Milestones in the Evolution of a Science

Description

In the eighteenth century the phenomenon of animal regeneration captured the attention and imagination of the era's leading naturalists and intellectuals. Importantly, their research of the phenomenon spurred on the transition from descriptive natural history to modern experimental zoology. A History of Regeneration Research chronicles this crucial evolutionary stretch in the history of developmental biology, offering a penetrating analysis of the milestones in regeneration research. The book not only presents the leading researchers and their seminal discoveries in the field, but also brings together critical commentaries on the social context and philosophical commitments that shaded their interpretations. This strategic weaving of content with context raises the discussion above the field of regeneration research; exploring the societal influences on the perception of nature, the book sheds light on the nature of the scientific enterprise itself, and the way scientific discoveries are interpreted.

"...chronicles this crucial evolutionary stretch in the history of developmental biology and offers an insightful analysis of the milestones of regeneration research. The book not only discusses the leading researchers and their seminal discoveries in the field but also brings together critical commentaries on the social content and philosophical commitments that shaded their interpretation. Opening new ground, A History of Regeneration Research will be of great interest to scientists, as well as to historians of science." Biology Digest "...a very illuminating book for all developmental biologists." Malcolm Maden, Cell "Each chapter is highly readable but I would advise in reading only one chapter at a time. To rush through would destroy much of the book's enjoyment since it is very much about historical ideas that need time for contemplation." David Tannahill, British Society for Developmental Biology Newsletter "...a valuable contribution on an area of biology that until relatively recently was absolutely central. The book not only serves to remind us of the effects of changing historical perspectives on how we define curent scientific problems, but also of the challenges, which we are in danger of forgetting, that the phenomena of regeneration still pose to modern-day biology." Tim Horder, Times Higher Education Supplement "...remains the best among histories of regeneration research." Choice "...should be part of the body of literature that is read by anyone interested in regeneration and the history of biology." David L. Stocum, BioScience "This collection of eleven essays, primarily by biologists active in regeneration research, offers tantalizing glimpses into a realm hitherto poorly charted by historians of biology. Covering ideas and experiments on animal regeneration from the eighteenth century to the present, with a nod to earlier times, this book provides a good overview of the current state of the history of ideas about biological research." Lynn Nyhart, The J.H.B. Bookshelf "...This is a neat little book. There is a lot more here than just a historical review of research on animal regeneration." The Quarterly Review of Biology