A History of Science in World Cultures explores the developments in premodern science from a global perspective, demonstrating that scientific thought and influence cannot be confined to any one time period or culture. Covering Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, China, Greece, early Islam, and Mesoamerica, this volume discusses the scope of scientific and technological achievement in each civilization and how the knowledge it developed came to impact the European Renaissance. Clearly presented and containing a variety of instructive illustrations, this book is the perfect text for all students of the history of science.

Scott Montgomery is an affiliate faculty member in the Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington (Seattle). His publications include Does Science Need a Global Language? English and the Future of Research (2013), Science and Translation: Movements of Knowledge in Culture and Time (2001), and The Scientific Voice (1996).

Alok Kumar is professor of physics at the State University of New York, Oswego. His publications include Science in the Medieval World (1991 and 1996) and Sciences of the Ancient Hindus: Unlocking Nature in the Pursuit of Salvation (2014).

List of figures. Preface. 1. Cultural Diversity and The Scientific Endeavor 2. Science in Egypt: Creating a Civilization 3. Land Between Two Rivers: Science in Ancient Mesopotamia 4. Indian Science: A Great Blending of Traditions 5The Greeks and Science: Powers of Discovery and Inheritance 6. Science in China: The Wages of Order and Invention 7. Science in Islam: Absorption and Transformation 8. New World Civilizations: Olmecs, Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs 9. Interpreting the World: Europe Builds a New Mind 10. Conclusion: Themes in the World History of Scientific Cultures. Index.