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The quest to understand humanity's place in the cosmos is an old one, perhaps as old as the species itself. That quest is tinged with science, but also with magic, for, writes paleontologist Eiseley (1907-77), a human is both pragmatist & mystic. He's been so since the beginning. It may well be that the quality of his perceptive intellect will cause him to remain so till the end. In this lively set of essays, originally delivered in 1959 as lectures at the Univ. of Cincinnati, he traces the history of science, giving special attention to the 18 & 19th centuries, which witnessed the rise of a kind of scientific inquiry that crossed narrow disciplines. Building on the ideas of Newton & Laplace, f.i., the Scottish scientist James Hutton developed the foundations of historical geology; Hutton's doctoral work hadn't been in physics but physiology. His dissertation concerned blood circulation, from which he hit on the idea of considering the earth as a living organism. He moves on to discuss trends in evolutionary thought, putting in good words for such neglected figures as Jean Lamarck, a "much maligned thinker [who] glimpsed ecological change & adjustment before Darwin." His explorations end with an admonition that scientific understanding may well have outpaced our moral evolution, leading to the danger that "we have created an unbearable last idol for our worship"--namely, ourselves. His wise words remain compelling reading.--Gregory McNamee (edited)