This masterwork of intellectual history has been widely acclaimed since its publication in 1963. Though its main focus is on the question of animal generation, it is broadly conceived and situates the life sciences within the larger context of French Enlightenment thought and the history of institutions.
Comments on the French Edition
"It fashions a standard of incredible breadth against which all subsequent histories of the biological sciences must be measured. In fact, it must become one of the seminal works in the interpretation of eighteenth-century science."
—Journal of the History of Biology
"Roger's classic work is foundational for all of us working in the field, and although it was first published in 1963, it still [1996] remains the authoritative work on the subject."
—Timothy Lenoir,
Stanford University
"Impressive by its excellence as well as by its size and scope. . . . The style with which the material is presented is spirited throughout."
—Isis
"Roger's perspective is broad enough to be of vital concern to anyone interested in the French Enlightenment. . . . It is one of the few modern classics that has not 'aged'. . . . It is a great shame that until now it has been available only to those who have a good mastery of French." —Paul L. Farber
Oregon State University
"A most interesting and valuable book. . . . One feels that Roger's conclusions are not the product of prejudices or preconceptions, but have been forced upon him by the historical materials themselves." —J. S. Wilkie
History of Science
"Even though I work more in the physical sciences than in the life sciences, I use Roger's book regularly because of its great scope. . . . When I have students write papers on eighteenth-century topics I usually send them to Roger, but since few undergraduates can read French, it is often inaccessible to them."
—Thomas L. Hankins
University of Washington