There is a school of thought which says that what we regard as scientific truth is merely a convention, a way of seeing the world which is determined, like all ways of seeing the world, by the power structures which underwrite its making. This school goes by the name of constructivism, amongst others (some impolite), and it enjoys considerable popularity in the humanities departments of numerous universities in Europe and North America. In a very short epilogue to his tremendous survey of Western science, John Gribbin dismisses constructivism briefly, efficiently and unapologetically, as one might put down a small injured animal. This utter confidence in science - its beauty, its utility, and its accuracy - suffuses his book from start to finish, and is what gives it both its remarkable energy and its single weakness.

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