The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity

The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity PDF Author: Robert K. Merton
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400841526
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 342

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Book Description
From the names of cruise lines and bookstores to an Australian ranch and a nudist camp outside of Atlanta, the word serendipity--that happy blend of wisdom and luck by which something is discovered not quite by accident--is today ubiquitous. This book traces the word's eventful history from its 1754 coinage into the twentieth century--chronicling along the way much of what we now call the natural and social sciences. The book charts where the term went, with whom it resided, and how it fared. We cross oceans and academic specialties and meet those people, both famous and now obscure, who have used and abused serendipity. We encounter a linguistic sage, walk down the illustrious halls of the Harvard Medical School, attend the (serendipitous) birth of penicillin, and meet someone who "manages serendipity" for the U.S. Navy. The story of serendipity is fascinating; that of The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity, equally so. Written in the 1950s by already-eminent sociologist Robert Merton and Elinor Barber, the book--though occasionally and most tantalizingly cited--was intentionally never published. This is all the more curious because it so remarkably anticipated subsequent battles over research and funding--many of which centered on the role of serendipity in science. Finally, shortly after his ninety-first birthday, following Barber's death and preceding his own by but a little, Merton agreed to expand and publish this major work. Beautifully written, the book is permeated by the prodigious intellectual curiosity and generosity that characterized Merton's influential On the Shoulders of Giants. Absolutely entertaining as the history of a word, the book is also tremendously important to all who value the miracle of intellectual discovery. It represents Merton's lifelong protest against that rhetoric of science that defines discovery as anything other than a messy blend of inspiration, perspiration, error, and happy chance--anything other than serendipity.

The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity

The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity PDF Author: Robert K. Merton
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400841526
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 342

Get Book Here

Book Description
From the names of cruise lines and bookstores to an Australian ranch and a nudist camp outside of Atlanta, the word serendipity--that happy blend of wisdom and luck by which something is discovered not quite by accident--is today ubiquitous. This book traces the word's eventful history from its 1754 coinage into the twentieth century--chronicling along the way much of what we now call the natural and social sciences. The book charts where the term went, with whom it resided, and how it fared. We cross oceans and academic specialties and meet those people, both famous and now obscure, who have used and abused serendipity. We encounter a linguistic sage, walk down the illustrious halls of the Harvard Medical School, attend the (serendipitous) birth of penicillin, and meet someone who "manages serendipity" for the U.S. Navy. The story of serendipity is fascinating; that of The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity, equally so. Written in the 1950s by already-eminent sociologist Robert Merton and Elinor Barber, the book--though occasionally and most tantalizingly cited--was intentionally never published. This is all the more curious because it so remarkably anticipated subsequent battles over research and funding--many of which centered on the role of serendipity in science. Finally, shortly after his ninety-first birthday, following Barber's death and preceding his own by but a little, Merton agreed to expand and publish this major work. Beautifully written, the book is permeated by the prodigious intellectual curiosity and generosity that characterized Merton's influential On the Shoulders of Giants. Absolutely entertaining as the history of a word, the book is also tremendously important to all who value the miracle of intellectual discovery. It represents Merton's lifelong protest against that rhetoric of science that defines discovery as anything other than a messy blend of inspiration, perspiration, error, and happy chance--anything other than serendipity.

The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity

The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity PDF Author: Robert King Merton
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 9780691117546
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 350

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Book Description
"The book charts where the term went, with whom it resided, and how it fared. We cross oceans and academic specialties and meet those people, both famous and now obscure, who have used and abused serendipity. We encounter a linguistic sage, walk down the illustrious halls of the Harvard Medical School, attend the (serendipitous) birth of penicillin, and meet someone who "manages serendipity" for the U.S. Navy."--Jacket.

Robert K. Merton

Robert K. Merton PDF Author: Craig Calhoun
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0231521847
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 491

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Book Description
Robert K. Merton (1910-2003) was one of the most influential sociologists of the twentieth century, producing clear theories and innovative research that continue to shape multiple disciplines. Merton's reach can be felt in the study of social structure, social psychology, deviance, professions, organizations, culture, and science. Yet for all his fame, Merton is only partially understood. He is treated by scholars as a functional analyst, when in truth his contributions transcend paradigm. Gathering together twelve major sociologists, Craig Calhoun launches a thorough reconsideration of Merton's achievements and inspires a renewed engagement with sociological theory. Merton's work addressed the challenges of integrating research and theory. It connected different fields of empirical research and spoke to the importance of overcoming divisions between allegedly pure and applied sociology. Merton also sought to integrate sociology with the institutional analysis of science, each informing the other. By bringing together different aspects of his work in one volume, Calhoun illuminates the interdisciplinary and unifying dimensions of Merton's approach, while also advancing the intellectual agenda of an increasingly vital area of study. Contributors: Aaron L. Panofsky, University of California; Alan Sica, Pennsylvania State University; Alejandro Portes, Princeton University; Charles Camic, Northwestern University; Charles Tilly, Columbia University; Craig Calhoun, Social Science Research Council and New York University; Cynthia Fuchs Epstein, City University of New York; Harriet Zuckerman, Mellon Foundation; Peter Simonson, University of Colorado; Ragnvald Kalleberg, University of Oslo; Robert J. Sampson, Harvard University; Thomas F. Gieryn, Indiana University; Viviana A. Zelizer, Princeton University

The Three Princes of Serendip

The Three Princes of Serendip PDF Author: Elizabeth Jamison Hodges
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Fairy tales
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
Retelling of the a story of three princes from Serendip and their journeys.

Finding Serendipity

Finding Serendipity PDF Author: Angelica Banks
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
ISBN: 1627794409
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
A magical journey into the land where stories come from “[A] sweet-toned, summer-fun story.” —The New York Times Book Review When Tuesday McGillycuddy and her beloved dog, Baxterr, discover that Tuesday's mother—the famous author Serendipity Smith—has gone missing, they set out on a magical adventure. In their quest to find Serendipity, they discover the mysterious and unpredictable place that stories come from. Here, Tuesday befriends the fearless Vivienne Small, learns to sail an enchanted boat, tangles with an evil pirate, and discovers the truth about her remarkable dog. Along the way, she learns what it means to be a writer and how difficult it can sometimes be to get all the way to The End. This title has Common Core connections. Finding Serendipity by Angelica Banks, with illustrations by Stevie Lewis, is the first in a series. that continues with book two, A Week Without Tuesday. “This enchanting story . . . celebrates the imagination and the connection writers feel with their stories. Spunky characters; spot-on pacing, providing perfectly timed plot revelations; and fully imagined worlds make this a charming winner.” —Booklist, starred review “With cinematic imagery and keen wit, the authors construct an inventive novel.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “Young writers will find inspiration in the tale—especially those who have a story within them but might be too shy to tell it.” —The New York Times Book Review

Reflection on America's Great Loop

Reflection on America's Great Loop PDF Author: George Hospodar
Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Company
ISBN: 1601389019
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 338

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Book Description
The Hospodars took a year-long "journey of a lifetime" circumnavigating the waterways of the eastern United States and Canada. Their journey takes them from Florida to New Jersey; through some of the Great Lakes; and from Chicago to Mobile along riverways.

My Midsummer Morning: Rediscovering a Life of Adventure

My Midsummer Morning: Rediscovering a Life of Adventure PDF Author: Alastair Humphreys
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 0008331839
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 245

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Book Description
A Financial Times Summer Book of 2019 Seasoned adventurer Alastair Humphreys pushes himself to his very limits – busking his way across Spain with a violin he can barely play.

No Ordinary Thing

No Ordinary Thing PDF Author: G. Z. Schmidt
Publisher: Holiday House
ISBN: 0823444228
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 243

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Book Description
An imaginative time travel mystery about a boy whose life is upeneded with the arrival of a stranger and a magical promise. Twelve-year-old Adam doesn't mind living at his uncle's bakery, the Biscuit Basket, on the Lower East Side in New York City. The warm, delicious smells of freshly baked breads and chocolate croissants make every day feel cozy, even if Adam doesn't have many friends and he misses his long dead parents very much. When a mysterious but cheerful customer tells Adam that adventures await him, it's too strange to be true. But days later, an unbelievable, incredible thing happens. Adam travels back in time, first to Times Square in 1935, then a candle factory fire in 1967. But how are these moments related? What do they have to do with his parents' death? And why is a tall man with long eyebrows and a thin mustache following Adam's every move? In her debut novel G. Z. Schmidt has crafted a world filled with serendipity, mystery, and adventure for readers of Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket.

Rediscovering Travel: A Guide for the Globally Curious

Rediscovering Travel: A Guide for the Globally Curious PDF Author: Seth Kugel
Publisher: Liveright Publishing
ISBN: 0871408511
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 251

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Book Description
A revolutionary philosophy for rookie and veteran travelers alike, Rediscovering Travel “gets to the heart of why we travel” (Matt Kepnes, “Nomadic Matt”). Having captivated millions during his tenure as the New York Times’s “Frugal Traveler,” Seth Kugel is one of our most internationally beloved travel writers. With the initial publication of Rediscovering Travel, he took the corporate modern travel industry to task, determined to reignite an age- old sense of adventure that has virtually been vanquished by the spontaneity- obliterating likes of Google Maps, TripAdvisor, and Starwood points. Now in travel- friendly paperback, this “funny, inspiring and well- crafted” companion (Associated Press) reveals how to make the most of new apps and other digital technologies without being shackled to them. Writing for the tight- belted tourists and the fi rst- class fl yer, the eager student and the comfort- seeking retiree, Kugel shows all readers “not only where to look, but how” (Samantha Brown), and promises that we too can rediscover the joy of discovery. “Travel is not about the destination but the experience. . . . That’s what makes [it] so appealing, so addictive, and that’s what makes Rediscovering Travel so necessary.” — Peter Greenberg

Cleopatra's Wedding Present

Cleopatra's Wedding Present PDF Author: Robert Tewdwr Moss
Publisher: Univ of Wisconsin Press
ISBN: 9780299192907
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 268

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Book Description
Nick Lantz explores the transformative power of tragic and miraculous experiences, through these poems that illuminate near misses of tragedy and transcendence. His gaze is both roving and microscopic the Challenger explosion, Bigfoot, a love letter written from inside a missile silo, a mother naming and re-naming a family s short-lived pets, and a plea for post-9/11 redemption. Lantz never lets his subjects or his readers off the hook, plunging head first into worlds that are both eccentric and familiar, alarming and hopeful. Finalist, Foreword Magazine s Poetry Book of the Year"