The ascent of man
by Jacob Bronowski · first published 1973
76% recommend20% neutral4% critical
Why HN recommends it
Eloquent, wide-ranging history of human intellectual and technological progress, drawn from a BBC series. Suits readers who like Cosmos, Connections, or Civilisation and want science in its human context.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Traces the development of science and the discoveries that have made man unique among animal species.
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Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
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Looks like a random sampling. My personal favourites: The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell The Ascent of Man by Jacob Bronowski The Pleasure of Finding Things Out by Richard Feynman Little Dieter Needs to Fly by Werner Herzog
on “Down The Rabbit Hole We Go: Mind-Expanding Documentaries” ↗You have to like his writing style but bill Bryson’s short history of everything. James burke’s day the universe changed is thought provoking and bronowski’s ascent of man is also good. Timothy Ferris (not that one) and John gribbin have also trod this area.
on “Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?” ↗The greatest documentary to me is not a film but a series - The Ascent of Man by Jacob Bronowski. It charts the cultural and technological milestones that brought humanity to where it is today. Well, the 1970s rather than today, since it is quite old. However don't let that put…
on “Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?” ↗You could watch The Ascent of Man by Jacob Bronowski.
on “Actual Facebook Graph Searches” ↗One of my favorite texts back in my college days was The Ascent of Man by Jacob Bronowski. USA folks may not be familiar with this. It was actually more of a polished transcript of his TV series, which had aired in the UK and some other countries (including Malta, where…
on “Leó Szilárd: A Forgotten Father of the Atomic Bomb” ↗…Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli. Ultimate Questions by Bryan Magee (more philosophy of knowledge than science per se). The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan. The Ascent of Man by Jacob Bronowski are not essays, but it is one of the finest writings on science I've read. The Art of Doing Science and Engineering by Richard W. Hamming Letters to a Young Scientist by Edward O.…
on “Great Essays and Essayists” ↗I love Jacob Bronowski's take on this from The Ascent of Man: "Science is a very human form of knowledge. We are always at the brink of the known; we always feel forward for what is to be hoped. Every judgment in science stands on the edge of error and is personal.…
on “Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts” ↗Surprised to see Bronowski's "The Ascent of Man" missing from his list - it's usually the first book I recommend for an overview that puts the others into perspective.
on “PG's Rarely Asked Questions (never seen this one before)” ↗If you have a media center, you can also watch Cosmos from Netflix Instant. ooh, and I also recommend Jacob Bronowski's "The Ascent of Man", which is a little older, but it's a similar concept, with a similarly eloquent presenter, focusing on the history of mankind.
on “We are wanderers... - Carl Sagan” ↗I love The Ascent of Man. Bronowski's presentation style and the camera work (e.g. a wide shot of some landscape with Bronowski narrating then you notice actually he's a couple of hundred metres in the distance walking by) amuses…
on “Down The Rabbit Hole We Go: Mind-Expanding Documentaries” ↗* bronowski's "the ascent of man" * hofstadter's "metamagical themas" * the entire discworld series
on “What Would You Recommend to a Bright 14 Year Old?” ↗if you haven't read it yet, I think you'll enjoy bronowski's "the ascent of man". older book, but still well worth checking out.
on “Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari – How data will destroy human freedom” ↗…teachers introduced me to Harold Jacobs's "Geometry" Nietziche's "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" Freeman Dyson's "Disturbing The Universe" Nigel Calder's "The Key to the Universe" Jacob Bronowski's "The Ascent of Man" Douglas Hofstadter's "Gödel, Escher, Bach" I especially loved spending time in the library, reading OMNI magazine, Scientific American magazine (especially Martin Gardner's column) and the stories…
on “Ask HN: Non-tech books that have helped you grow professionally?” ↗…the Universe Changed are good introductions to histories of technology and philosophy. From these, continuing the PBS series mode, I'd recommend Kenneth Clark's Civilisation and Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man. These are truly excellent productions. * Daniel Yergin, The Prize, whacked me over the head with just how tremndously momentous the discovery of petroleum in Western Pennsylvia was, and the impacts…
on “Facebook deletes Norway PM's post as 'napalm girl' row escalates” ↗The Ascent of Man: A Personal View, by Jacob Bronowski should be on any list about Human Progress, especially technological progress. The book is about the progress, pitfalls and misgivings of technological progress.
on “Ask HN: What are some good (fiction/non-fiction) books about human progress?” ↗