The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity

by Merton, Robert K.

• ISBN13: 9780691126302
• ISBN10: 0691126305
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-01-02
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr

Summary

From the names of cruise lines and bookstores to an Australian ranch and a nudist camp outside of Atlanta, the word serendipity--that happy blend of wisdom and luck by which something is discovered not quite by accident--is today ubiquitous. This book traces the word's history from its 1754 coinage into the 20th century.

Author Biography

Robert K. Merton, who died in 2003, was one of the leading sociologists of the twentieth century. His many books include "Social Theory and Social Structure" and "On the Shoulders of Giants". Elinor Barber was, at the time of her death, Research Associate at Columbia University. She is a coauthor of "Bridges to Knowledge" and "Increasing Faculty Diversity". James L. Shulman is Executive Director of ARTstor and a coauthor of "The Game of Life" (Princeton).

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Robert K. Merton
Publisher's Note	xi
Introduction	xiii
James L. Shulman
The Origins of Serendipity	1	(21)
Early Diffusion of Serendipity	22	(19)
Accidental Discovery in Science: Victorian Opinion	41	(20)
Stock Responses to Serendipity	61	(27)
The Qualities of Serendipity	88	(16)
Dictionaries and ``Serendipity''	104	(19)
The Social History of Serendipity	123	(26)
Moral Implications of Serendipity	149	(9)
The Diverse Significance of Serendipity in Science	158	(41)
Serendipity as Ideology and Politics of Science	199	(20)
A Note on Serendipity as a Political Metaphor	219	(4)
A Note on Serendipity in the Humanities	223	(7)
Afterword Autobiographical Reflections on The Travels and Adventures of Serendipity	230	(69)
Robert K. Merton
Select References	299	(4)
Name Index	303	(6)
General Index	309