"Curiosity, wonder, openness--these cohabit, comfortably, in that
marvelous coinage of Walpole, serendipity. And they mark as well
Merton and Barber's ebullient journey in search of all the meanings
of the word. A romp of minds at play!"--Roald Hoffmann, Department
of Chemistry, Cornell University, and Nobel Laureate in Chemistry
"One definition of serendipity is: 'The faculty of making happy
and unexpected discoveries by accident.' Notice that 'faculty' and
don't you wish you had it. Merton had it--oh boy, did he--and this
treat of a book exemplifies just that. Here is one of those cases
where the voyage is even more fun than the destination. There are
off-beat nuggets about discovery and scholarship, and about the
sociology of discovery and scholarship, and then there are ironical
comments about the whole enterprise as it occurs. You will
experience serendipity even while you are being educated about it,
and you will learn to combine fun and profit."--Robert M. Solow,
Institute Professor Emeritus, Department of Economics,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Nobel Laureate in
Economic Sciences
"What a splendid book! "The Adventures and Travels of
Serendipity" is not only a guide to the extraordinary history and
present-day usefulness of the blessings that can come from those
unplanned, accidental events which, sagaciously employed, can shape
one's life. But equally, the volume is an exemplification of superb
scholarship presented in graceful style. Indeed, while reading the
book one realizes that one perceives its unique subject matter from
the vantage of standing on the shoulders of giants."--Gerald
Holton, Harvard University
"Merton and Barber's work, "The Travels andAdventures of
Serendipity," is a highly original sociological essay and a great
work of literature at the same time. Decades ago, when I first
heard about this manuscript, I wanted to read it. To have it now,
as if as a gift from the late Robert K. Merton, is a pleasure long
awaited. Generations of scholars to come will enjoy it and learn
from it."--Wolf Lepenies, Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin
"This book exceeded my expectations, both for erudition and for
entertainment. Its broad-gauged inquiry offers fascinating material
for readers of many kinds. Like "On the Shoulders of Giants," this
book floods readers with information of every imaginable kind,
introduces fantastic characters, and describes bizarre and
wonderful books. It also offers something that "On the Shoulders of
Giants" could not: explicit reflections on the meaning of Merton's
work. The publication of this book is a fitting tribute to a great
scholar but also an intervention in current scholarly and
scientific debates."--Anthony Grafton, Princeton University
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