RaveLos Angeles Review of BooksJames Poskett, a historian of science and technology, is no fool. His new book, Horizons, is superb ... Horizons is global not only in its geographical scope but also in its narrative technique. Poskett uses concrete examples to reveal connections and similarities between parts of the world that are usually studied separately ... But Horizons is not just a collection of global biographies. These are embedded in a grand narrative about the last 600 years of world history ... Poskett links these geopolitical developments to intellectual ones, and much of his book’s originality lies in these linkages ... Indigenous knowledge is a major part of the book, but Poskett is no relativist. He does not say that science is just one form of knowledge among many other forms of knowledge ... Poskett is not afraid to praise the canon. He writes in terms of discoveries, breakthroughs, ingenious instruments, and keen scientific minds. He does not shy away from comparative judgments ... This is a celebration of science as well as a critique of empire.
