The 'historical' sciences have been neglected by philosophers. Adrian Currie analyzes both the problems and the opportunities involved in reconstructing and understanding the unobservable deep past. His engaging discussion—ranging from the character of global ice ages through the habits of giant dinosaurs to the meaning of Mayan monuments—explores the surprising commonalities that underlie these superficially diverse sciences.
Martin Rudwick, University of Cambridge; author of Earth's Deep History and Bursting the Limits of Time
Rock, Bone, and Ruin is an extraordinarily ambitious, provocative, and generative treatment of the epistemic predicament of the historical sciences. Adrian Currie trains his philosophical eye on the research strategies of 'unlucky' historical scientists—those who contend with messy, incomplete, and opaque traces of the past—and explains how, against the epistemic odds, they establish a robust understanding of seemingly inaccessible geological events, evolutionary processes, and cultural dynamics. This is a nuanced and richly illustrated account of scientists operating under non-ideal circumstances that demonstrates what can be accomplished by taking seriously the turn to practice. It has implications that will be of interest to practitioners and it is an incisive argument for doing philosophy differently: attentive to the epistemic challenges scientists actually face, resolutely local and contextual, and unabashedly normative.
Alison Wylie, Professor, Department of Philosophy, University of British Columbia
Currie has, in this book, pointed us towards a promising way forward.
BRITISH JOURNAL FOR THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
The book is an intriguing read.
Geoscientist Online
This book is a wonderful example of how to move between the relevant scientific details and the broader conceptual issues that characterize a particular set of scientific practices.
Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
On the whole, Rock, Bone, and Ruin is a must-read for those interested in the historical sciences.
History & Philosophy of the Life Sciences
“Here readers will find a rich and insightful discussion of historical scientific research....As such, Rock, Bone, and Ruin is most valuable to those interested in the epistemic challenges that face historical scientists....Philosophers engaged in discussions of realism, idealization, or value pluralism in the sciences will also find significant portions of the book that they can sink their teeth into.”
Philosophy of Science
“[A]n innovative exploration of the empirical literature on human development and its implications for the extended mind debate....Becoming Human is an ambitious and exciting attempt to synthesize a formidable array of disciplines and insights.”
Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice
“[O]ne of the most thought-provoking books on emotion and its expression I have read....Greenwood's is an impressive book from which I learned quite a bit. I strongly encourage those interested in emotions and expression to read it.”
Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal
“Becoming Human...does raise a number of significant issues....[Greenwood's] highly suggestive hypothesis for treating emotional and language development jointly is one many readers will find well worth pursuing.”
Metapsychology
