The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution

The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution

by David Wootton

4.3 (383)

4.3 stars from 383 reviews

769 pages~12.8 hr readPublished by Allen Lane an imprint of Penguin BooksPublished 2015-01-01

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Last checked: Jun 12, 2026

Price history: $1.99 $18.04

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Fans of these authors will like this...

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Perfect for you if...

  • You're curious about how we got from alchemy to empiricism and want the full, intricate story rather than simplified soundbites.
  • You enjoy history that weaves together technology, politics, and ideas across multiple continents and centuries.
  • You appreciate revisionist histories that challenge the standard narrative and show how messy, tangled progress actually is.

Maybe not for you if...

  • You want a quick overview or simplified timeline. This is 769 pages of deep, scholarly detail.
  • You're looking for a hero's journey or dramatic biographical narrative. This is analytical history, not storytelling.
  • You prefer biographies of individual scientists. This is about systems and forces, not personal anecdotes.

About this book

In The Invention of Science, historian David Wootton examines the Scientific Revolution and the factors that led to this transformation across continents and centuries. Wootton argues that the Scientific Revolution consisted of five separate yet concurrent events that merged to create a new worldview. The book chronicles figures including Galileo, Copernicus, Brahe, and Newton, whose studies of the natural world challenged religious orthodoxy and established superstition. Wootton traces how developments such as gunpowder technology, the discovery of the new world, movable type printing, perspective painting, and the telescope, combined with the practice of conducting experiments, the laws of nature, and the concept of the fact, became codified into a social construct and system of knowledge. Wootton demonstrates the connection between scientific discovery and the rise of industrialization, showing how the Scientific Revolution led to the modern world.

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Free$9.02$18.04Mar '20Jul '23Nov '24Jun '26
$1.99$18.04

Currently on sale at $3.99 — 78% off peak. Price has dropped 24 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 93 days. Typically stays discounted for 15 days.

Sales Rank

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#6,304#328,987#651,670Aug '18Oct '23Aug '24Jun '26

Currently around #199K in the Kindle store — a niche title.

Rating & Reviews

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3.5★4.3★5.0★Jun '23Jul '24Jan '25Feb '26RatingReviews

Currently 4.3★ from 383 reviews

Gaining approximately 2 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.3 over the tracking period.

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Free$9.02$18.04Mar '20Jul '23Nov '24Jun '26PredictedJun '26

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This book is currently discounted at $3.99. It typically returns to around $18.04.

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