Scientific Culture, and Other Essays Second Edition; with Additions

"Scientific Culture, and Other Essays" by Josiah P. Cooke is a compilation of writings from the late 1800s, drawn from the author's time instructing physical science at Harvard College, promoting a new way of science education based on seeing and doing, not just learning from books. The book champions the idea that science should be a valued and necessary part of learning for everyone. It begins with a speech to chemistry and mineralogy teachers, stressing that really knowing science through experiments is key to understanding the world and pointing out that science should not be a less important subject in schools. Cooke criticizes how schools usually make students memorize facts and instead suggests a way of teaching where students get to explore and discover things for themselves, which will help them think more deeply and love nature even more. His initial thoughts pave the way for the rest of the essays, which explore different angles of science and learning.