The Structure of Scientific Revolutions

If I could only give one anecdote to explain what I think is wrong with the current state of the engineering educational system it's that I only ever encountered this book in my history classes, I doubt anyone in my science classes was even aware of its existence.

Este libro cambio mi forma de pensar acerca de la ciencia. Muchas veces se cree que es un camino con una meta definida en donde cada descubrimiento es un escalón en una escalera que nos acerca, sin embargo, se trata de una labor que siempre debe de ser analizada dentro de un contexto histórico, pues, como todas las cosas humanas, depende del cristal con que se mira, existen tiempos estériles, etapas obscuras, procesos que deben de llevarse a cabo antes de que sea posible dar el siguiente paso. Creo que Thomas Kuhn hizo una labor excelente al escribir este libro pues el análisis del proceso es necesario para entender el estado actual de las cosas e intentar definir un estado futuro favorable.

I went into this book aware of the enormous hype around it, so naturally I was prepared to be - if not disappointed - somewhat underwhelmed, but boy was I whelmed! Kuhn's book (essay?) is the perfect illustration of how seemingly banal theories can become illuminating when fleshed out in repetitive detail. It's also an exemplar of skillful writing (apart from the odd sentence with one too many parts), exact choice of scope, careful thought, and brilliant insight.

In conclusion, the hype is, without a doubt, justified!