Award-winning author Bradley Steffens introduces Ibn al-Haytham in this first full biography ever written about him. Though not a household name as far as the history of science goes, with his major contributions going largely unnoticed and uncredited, Ibn al-Haytham, who lived a thousand years ago, is finally being recognised as the world's first true scientist. Centuries before better-known researchers such as Roger Bacon, Leonardo da Vinci, and Galileo Galilei were born, Ibn al-Haytham investigated eyesight and the propagation of light in a profound manner, the likes of which had never before been fully utilised, and documented his findings in his magnum opus Book of Optics. By systematically using experiments to test his hypotheses, Ibn al-Haytham changed the course of human history, giving humankind a new and effective way of establishing facts about the natural world -- an approach known today as the scientific method.
Bradley Steffens is a novelist, poet, and award-winning author of over sixty non-fiction books for young adults. He is a two-time recipient of the San Diego Book Award for Best Young Adult Nonfiction. His Giants won the 2005 award and his People in the News: J.K. Rowling garnered the 2007 prize. J.K. Rowling also received the Theodor S. Geisel Award for the best published book by a San Diego County author in 2007. Steffens' first novel, The Prisoner of Al-Hakim, based on the life of Ibn al-Haytham, was published by Blue Dome Press in 2017. Physicist, author, and BBC broadcaster Jim Al-Khalili calls The Prisoner of Al-Hakim a gripping story based on real-life events that is fizzing with adventure and rich in accurate historical and scientific nuggets.
"This new coffee table edition of Steffens's biography of Ibn al-Haytham is a thing of beauty, with stunning photographs and illustrations adding to the scholarly yet accessible biographical text. Ibn al-Haytham is rightly regarded as one of the greatest scientists in history and should be a household name everywhere in the world. The fact that he led such a colourful life is a delightful bonus. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know, and even those I don't."--Ertan Salik "The Fountain, May-June 2008" This volume by Bradley Steven deserves appreciation for highlighting the greatness of the revolutionary contribution made by Ibn al-Haytham and also adds to the evidence of Muslim contributions in the world of knowledge. It also dispels the myth that scientific thought originated in the West just as it proves that there is no conflict between faith and science. The book is essential for all those interested in Islamic science and its history.--Anis Ahmad "The Muslim World, 2022, 42:3" In this clearly written, carefully reasoned profile, Steffens not only traces the scantly documented life of one of early modern science's giants (better known in Europe as Alhazen), but also places him both within the broader contexts of early Muslim society, and of the whole history of science. A prolific writer who spent most of his life in Basra and Cairo, Ibn al-Haytham is chiefly remembered today for his work in optics, and as an exponent of enquiry through direct, repeatable experimentation rather than inductive reasoning alone. Along with easy-to-understand discussions of his achievements, readers will find a speculative but credible character study of a devout, brilliant polymath who was rather conveniently subject to mysterious bouts of mental illness that twice rescued him from onerous government jobs. Despite captions that are printed in red and therefore largely illegible, the many color pictures enhance this illuminating narrative with maps, diagrams, prints (including an old portrait of Muhammad) and images of illustrated manuscript pages.-- "Kirkus Reviews, 12/2006"
