Robert Hooke had one of the most
creative minds in the history of science. His original Micrographia, a
1665 masterpiece of scientific observation, weighed 3 pounds, yet it can
now be held in the hand and savored as one's own private copy in the form
of a glistening compact disk weighing less than 2 g. This book and similar
treasures exist in only a few libraries and are often inaccessible to
readers. The CD-ROM of Micrographia is one of a newly published series,
selected and electronically converted by its publisher, Octavo, and
available without the hassles of distant travel.
Octavo uses the digital photo-compression techniques of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration in its careful planning of CD-ROMs
and has skillfully treated this edition with the sensitive care of a
cautious curator, uncompromised by the difficulty presented in
photographing such old manuscripts and the need for high resolution. The
contents of this edition can now be "thumbnailed," magnified, and
classified by neophyte collectors, scholars, and book browsers alike. The
luxury of turning the pages, as passages are selected during study at home
or at a library carrel, is enhanced by its satisfaction of the need for
instant gratification -- so characteristic of the current year-2000
approach to computerization. Thus, the treasured original 17th-century
book in the Warnock Library becomes a conduit for communication with
Hooke's inquisitive mind. Combining the centuries-old book with new
microchip applications is a remarkable feat, since nothing is lost in the
exceptional process -- except our fingerprints.
The technology further enhances the reader's interest by permitting
vicarious explorations through Hooke's insights during his microscopical
demonstrations. A mouse click transports the reader to the Royal Society
of London to see, in elaborate and exquisite detail, magnified views
selected according to our onscreen preferences: leeches in vinegar, a flea
in finely drawn detail, the minutiae of a mosquito or a spider with six
eyes, gnats, pores in petrified wood, and diamonds in flint, as well as
the early-recognized cork "cell." The reader can join the arguments, just
as Hooke's weekly demonstrations probably provoked and amazed the
skeptics.
Hooke's seminal discovery of the feasibility of microscopy, soon to
become a great engine of research, is matched by his intuitive
correlations with other phenomena. These became forerunners of
crystallography, planetary exploration, fossil archeology, and even
methods for the production of artificial silk. Laws of optics, combustion,
and the behavior of liquids in capillary tubes were formulated and
outlined in the book and were seldom challenged subsequently. The 117
meticulous drawings and the accurate observations of this energetic
28-year-old fledgling scientist were recognized by many of the original
purchasers of the book, who proudly joined Samuel Pepys in sensing its
unique qualities.
The Adobe Acrobat format of the CD-ROM easily accomplishes rapid
searches of text, selection, and cross-references. Although retrieving the
enormous amount of digital information takes time, newer fast computers
can readily replicate the color printing of the archival edition's plates.
The ease of retrieval of passages 334 years old becomes an entrancing
experience and will no doubt compel many to acquire more works in this
series.
A reviewer is invariably expected to find at least a few flaws,
especially in a CD-ROM, given the vagaries of today's software. Try as I
might, none could be extracted during repeated installations and reuse of
this disk. The files can be viewed as open pages on most major computing
platforms and then printed to many desktop printers. Octavo's digital
guide makes its manual informative and uncomplicated and offers many
helpful tips. Other dividends are Brian J. Ford's fascinating biographical
essay and the detailed description of ancient bookmaking -- the binding,
gathering, printers' catchwords, signatures, and collation.
Seldom is a publisher's mission fulfilled as well as Octavo's own
premise for its digital editions, that of "dedication to making the unique
beauty and craftsmanship of original outstanding works easily and
affordably available to readers worldwide." I anticipate that exposure of
students and book lovers to similar exemplary works will nurture and
stimulate future scientists and bibliophiles, leading to inspired
discoveries based on formative observations of the past, which are still
so applicable to the present and the foreseeable future. Bravo Octavo!
Reviewed by Martin E. Gordon, M.D.
Copyright © 1999
Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved. The New England
Journal of Medicine is a registered trademark of the MMS.
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