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Cover of Sleep Walkers by Arthur Koestler

Sleep Walkers

Arthur Koestler

  • 624 pages · about 10 hours
  • First published 1959
  • 26 editions
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1 About this book

The Sleepwalkers: A History of Man's Changing Vision of the Universe is a 1959 book by Arthur Koestler. It traces the history of Western cosmology from ancient Mesopotamia to Isaac Newton. He suggests that discoveries in science arise through a process akin to sleepwalking. Not that they arise by chance, but rather that scientists are neither fully aware of what guides their research, nor are they fully aware of the implications of what they discover.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Good for readers who want: astronomy, history, and a long read.

  • Astronomy
  • History
  • Religion and science
  • Philosophy, history
  • Astronomy, history
  • Cosmology

2 About Arthur Koestler

1905–1983

Arthur Koestler (5 September 1905 – 1 March 1983) was an Austro-Hungarian-born author and journalist. Koestler was born in Budapest, and was educated in Austria, apart from his early school years. In 1931, Koestler joined the Communist Party of Germany but resigned in 1938 after becoming disillusioned with Stalinism.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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