Arun Bala, The Dialogue of Civilizations in the Birth of Modern Science

Arun Bala has produced a significant and timely book addressing the roots of contemporary civilisational misunderstanding between European-American exceptionalism and the emergent global cosmopolitan worldview. Bala is a reputable physicist who taught history and philosophy of science at the National University of Singapore, and presently heads a project at Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies studying the Chinese, Indian and Islamic scientific traditions with their role in the rise of modern science in Europe. His book brims with concise condensations of controversies in the history of science that convey the gist of complex issues in a fluid digestible style. It unveils vast historical perspectives linking continents and weaving through centuries, replete with comparative analyses of major intellectual, scientific and cosmological topics. It also sparkles with genuine insights proffered as hypotheses awaiting criticism and testing.