Sal Restivo

News

Aug, 2010 - Bring Me The Brain of Nikola Tesla is available in e-book format for $6.00 here

"The Social Life of Mathematics" has been reprinted in Vol. 1, pp. 109-131 in A.J. Bishop (ed.), Mathematics Education, 4 Vols. (Routledge, 2010).

May, 2010 - "A Humanistic Perspective on Science and Society" (with Michael Zenzen) had been reprinted in Pioneers of Public Sociology: Thirty Years of Humanity and Society, co-edited by Corey Dolgon and Mary Chayko (Sloan Publishing, Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY, 2010) is published.

November 2009 - named to the advisory board of the Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, an online-only, open-access, peer-reviewed journal. The first issue is scheduled for publication in 2011. The archives of the precursor of this jouranl, The Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal are available here.

Forthcoming articles:

Invited commentary, “Robots, Theology, and the Sociological Cogito,” Erwägen Wissen Ethik, November, 2009.

“Science Studies,” Encyclopedia of Cultural Studies, M. Ryan (editor) (scheduled for 2010). With Jennifer Croissant.

Recent lectures: Invited Lecture, “Ask Einstein’s Brain; and Did Shakespeare Have One? Reflections on the Social Life of the Brain,” 27th November, James Martin Institute for Science and Civilization, Said Business School, Oxford University, Oxford UK, 2008.

Seminar on “Mathematics, Society, and Social Justice,” Dr. Monica Mesquita’s Adult Study Group, New University of Lisbon, 5th December, Lisbon, Portugal. Jointly with Dr. Maria de Carmo of the University of Sao Paulo, 2008.

Invited panelist, Session on “social constructionism in science and technology studies,” annual meeting of the Pacific Sociological Association, April 8-11, San Diego CA, 2009.

Nicholas C. Mullins Lecture, “The Social Life of the Brain,” Department of Science and Technology in Society, Virginia Technological University, April 24, 2009, Blacksburg, Virginia.

“Six Adult Mathematical Workers on Literacy, Numeracy, and Technoracy for Life,” paper presented at the Numeracy Works for Life (London South Bank University 7th National Numeracy Conference and Adults Learning Mathematics 16 Conference), July 6-9, London, 2009. With MonicaMesquita and Jorge, Trinidade, Margarida, Isaura, Conceição and Mª São José (representingD.A.R. à Costa – Tr@nsFormArte, Costa da Caparica, Portugal).

Sal Restivo

Department of Science and Technology Studies

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Mathematics in Society and History

This is the first book by a sociologist devoted exclusively to a general sociology of mathematics. Following the lead of classical social theorists (among them Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Oswald Spengler) and pioneers in the sociology of mathematics from Dirk Struik to David Bloor), Restivo surveys mathematical traditions across civilizations and outlines a sociology of pure mathematics. Some space is also devoted to the idea of a sociology of mind.

The Sociological Worldview

"The author's aim in this book is to introduce students to the field of sociology through the use of some challenging applications of the sociological perspective. Restivo's emphasis upon the pervasiveness of society, even in the realms of culture and the mind, and his concern for the direction of social evolution, make this a very refreshing introduction to sociology."
Randall Collins
"Restivo uses an elegant and robust prose to underline the need to maintain a proper dialogue between sociology as a discipline of the mind and ethics." Remi Clignet

Math Worlds

An international group of distinguished scholars brings a variety of resources to bear on the major issues in the study and teaching of mathematics, and on the problem of understanding mathematics as a cultural and social phenomenon. All are guided by the notion that our understanding of mathematical knowledge must be grounded in and reflect the realities of mathematical practice. Contributors include, besides the editors, Philip J. Davis, Helga Jungwirth, Nel Noddings, Yehuda Rav, Michael D. Resnik, Ole Skovsmose, and Thomas Tymoczko.

The Social Relations of Physics, Mysticism, and Mathematics

"Professor Restivo has, for the first time, brought together different modern theories on the structure and social relations of mathematics. His book gives us a useful critical survey, which will be helpful to all who like to understand the present situation in the sociology of mathematics..." Dirk J. Struik

"Sal Restivo's book is a major achievement in the sociology of science and mathematics. It is exciting to read and constitutes a creative, wideranging exploration of the connections between physics and mysticism, between the natural sciences and the humanities. Of particular interest is his attempt to show the emergence of abstraction and of formal disciplines in science by relating them to the structure of social interests in society. Wolf Heydebrand

Science, Society, and Values: Towards a Sociology of Objectivity

This book covers some of the major contributions Sal Restivo made to the sociology of science and science studies from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s. The book showcases the agenda that has directed his work from the 1960s to the present: to contribute to the sociological theory of science and scientific knowledge; to develop a non-relativistic sociological theory of objectivity; and to explore the relationships between science, objectivity, and values.

Read this book online.

Science, Technology, and Society: An Encyclopedia

This one volume encyclopedia emphasizes an interdisciplinary and international coverage of the functions and effects of science and technology in society and culture, and the social construction and production of science and technology. Each of the 136 signed articles by leading scholars and experts from academic and scientific institutions and institutes worldwide is presented in a clear A-Z format. Each article is accompanied by a select bibliography as a guide to further reading. Cross-references point readers toward other key information within the encyclopedia, and a comprehehsive index is also provided.

Battleground: Science and Technology

The modern world is filled with debate and controversy, and science and technology - the most characteristic features of the modern world - are not immune. Science and technology are implicated in many if not all of the issues, troubles, and problems students are likely to come across in their classes and in their everyday lives. Science and technology serve as a primary pathway to understanding front page headlines on everything from war to AIDS, and from oil exploration to global warming. Battleground: Science and Technology examines the most hot-button issues involving science and technology and provides a balanced assessment of the arguments on all sides of the often strident debates.

Science, Technology, and Society: A Sociological Approach

"In clear and understandable language, this introduction to STS brings home the point that science and technology are social constructions by human communities..." Randall Collins
"Amidst the science wars this book reads as a peace treaty; skillfully navigating between the sirens of absolutism and relativism, the authors lead the reader into the land of technoscience." Jean Paul Van Bendegem

Comparative Studies in Science and Society

This edited volume was published in 1974 with the science studies movement already in progress. It did not fully bridge the gap between the old and new sociologies of science but covered classical ideas about the autonomy of science as well as newer ideas about professionalization and research administration. The comparative perspective (illustrated by the inclusion of authors such as Needham, Vucinich, and Ben-David) is used to draw attention to the emergence of more sociologically realistic conceptions of science as a social activity and social process. The editors and authors, however, give few hints of the constructionist revolution soon to emerge among the ethnographers of science.

Bring me the Brain of Nikola Tesla

When Tony Conti’s former lover, Mary Lynn Kagan, comes back into his life after a long absence, he is soon immersed in the hunt for her husband’s killers. Tony’s friends, Roscoe and Linda, join Tony and Mary Lynn in their quest as they also search for their holy grail—the missing papers of Nikola Tesla, the world-renowned inventor, physicist, and engineer. The trail of the killers and the missing papers takes the friends from the United States to Europe, where they encounter a nationalist group identified only by the initials SCNF. The group kidnaps Roscoe and ransoms him for the Tesla papers, which contain a code for transforming a device designed for wireless electrical transmission into a laser based weapon. The SCNF then uses this information to radically and quickly reconfigure the geopolitics of the Balkans. Also included is a lengthy excerpt from Tony’s diaries, which fleshes out the portrait of this talented intellectual coming of age in the 1960s. Watch Tony develop strategies for sexual survival as he blossoms into the scholar who will eventually write The Thug Theory of History. Bring Me the Brain of Nikola Tesla explores the boundaries of sex, self, and consciousness as author Sal Restivo interweaves linear narrative with dreams, memories, and diary entries from different time periods to create a mesmerizing tale. iUniverse, 2007.

2009 © sal restivo

Mathematics in Society and History
	This is the first book by a sociologist devoted exclusively to a general sociology of mathematics. Following the lead of classical social theorists (among them Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Oswald Spengler) and pioneers in the sociology of mathematics from Dirk Struik to David Bloor), Restivo surveys mathematical traditions across civilizations and outlines a sociology of pure mathematics. Some space is also devoted to the idea of a sociology of mind.
The Sociological Worldview
	"The author's aim in this book is to introduce students to the field of sociology through the use of some challenging applications of the sociological perspective. Restivo's emphasis upon the pervasiveness of society, even in the realms of culture and the mind, and his concern for the direction of social evolution, make this a very refreshing introduction to sociology." Randall Collins "Restivo uses an elegant and robust prose to underline the need to maintain a proper dialogue between sociology as a discipline of the mind and ethics." Remi Clignet
Math Worlds
	An international group of distinguished scholars brings a variety of resources to bear on the major issues in the study and teaching of mathematics, and on the problem of understanding mathematics as a cultural and social phenomenon. All are guided by the notion that our understanding of mathematical knowledge must be grounded in and reflect the realities of mathematical practice. Contributors include, besides the editors, Philip J. Davis, Helga Jungwirth, Nel Noddings, Yehuda Rav, Michael D. Resnik, Ole Skovsmose, and Thomas Tymoczko.
The Social Relations of Physics, Mysticism, and Mathematics
	"Professor Restivo has, for the first time, brought together different modern theories on the structure and social relations of mathematics. His book gives us a useful critical survey, which will be helpful to all who like to understand the present situation in the sociology of mathematics..." Dirk J. Struik "Sal Restivo's book is a major achievement in the sociology of science and mathematics. It is exciting to read and constitutes a creative, wideranging exploration of the connections between physics and mysticism, between the natural sciences and the humanities. Of particular interest is his attempt to show the emergence of abstraction and of formal disciplines in science by relating them to the structure of social interests in society. Wolf Heydebrand
Science, Society, and Values: Towards a Sociology of Objectivity
	This book covers some of the major contributions Sal Restivo made to the sociology of science and science studies from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s. The book showcases the agenda that has directed his work from the 1960s to the present: to contribute to the sociological theory of science and scientific knowledge; to develop a non-relativistic sociological theory of objectivity; and to explore the relationships between science, objectivity, and values.
Read this book online.
Science, Technology, and Society: An Encyclopedia
	This one volume encyclopedia emphasizes an interdisciplinary and international coverage of the functions and effects of science and technology in society and culture, and the social construction and production of science and technology. Each of the 136 signed articles by leading scholars and experts from academic and scientific institutions and institutes worldwide is presented in a clear A-Z format. Each article is accompanied by a select bibliography as a guide to further reading. Cross-references point readers toward other key information within the encyclopedia, and a comprehehsive index is also provided.
Battleground: Science and Technology
	The modern world is filled with debate and controversy, and science and technology - the most characteristic features of the modern world - are not immune. Science and technology are implicated in many if not all of the issues, troubles, and problems students are likely to come across in their classes and in their everyday lives. Science and technology serve as a primary pathway to understanding front page headlines on everything from war to AIDS, and from oil exploration to global warming. Battleground: Science and Technology examines the most hot-button issues involving science and technology and provides a balanced assessment of the arguments on all sides of the often strident debates.
Science, Technology, and Society: A Sociological Approach
	"In clear and understandable language, this introduction to STS brings home the point that science and technology are social constructions by human communities..." Randall Collins "Amidst the science wars this book reads as a peace treaty; skillfully navigating between the sirens of absolutism and relativism, the authors lead the reader into the land of technoscience." Jean Paul Van Bendegem
Comparative Studies in Science and Society
	This edited volume was published in 1974 with the science studies movement already in progress. It did not fully bridge the gap between the old and new sociologies of science but covered classical ideas about the autonomy of science as well as newer ideas about professionalization and research administration. The comparative perspective (illustrated by the inclusion of authors such as Needham, Vucinich, and Ben-David) is used to draw attention to the emergence of more sociologically realistic conceptions of science as a social activity and social process. The editors and authors, however, give few hints of the constructionist revolution soon to emerge among the ethnographers of science.