This book is as advertized; an historical introduction to the philosophy of science. I have heard it paraphrased that "History of Science without Philosophy of Science is Blind; Philosophy of Science without the History of Science is Empty." This is a very easy read to get you started on your way to understanding science as an evolving set of methods and views. I can see layman and students in undergraduate sciences with no prior knowledge of the history or philosophy and reap great rewards from this work. It fashioned as a collection short essays on topics through history. If you are looking for a hardcore introduction with all kinds of depth, this is not it. For advanced HPS students, look elsewhere. If you know a bit about the history and philosophy of science, you can pick and choose your way through the sections of this book. For this reason, I have found it immensely useful.