Jewish Thought and Scientific Discovery in Early Modern Europe

David B. Ruderman is a professor of modern Jewish history and the director of the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. His most recent book is Jewish Enlightenment in an English Key: Anglo-Jewy's Construction of Modern Jewish Thought (Perinceton University Press, 2000).

Ruderman's book is a bold and fascinating sally into the scientific dimension of Jewish intellectual history in the early modern world, dealing with many key personalities and topics in a novel and masterly way. - Jewish Quarterly Review ""One of the chief virtues of this excellent book is Ruderman's rare ability to summarize complex issues in little set pieces of clarity. We get such thumbnail sketches of stoicism, iatrochemistry, and pantheism, in addition to fair and judicious reviews of the major issues in the Jewish historiography of the period. The gist of an entire discussion comes gradually into focus. In brief, this is the history of the Jews and early modern science for which we have been waiting."" - American Historical Review ""It is no exaggeration to say that Ruderman's book offers the first comprehensive treatment of the impact of the scientific revolution on Jewish culture in early modern Europe. The volume will be a great value not only to students of Jewish intellectual history in the early modern period, but also more generally to those interested in European cultural history or in the history of medicine.