With seminal texts from antiquity to the end of the 19th century accessible in one volume for the first time, this reader covers major classical, medieval and modern texts and figures from the natural sciences, such as including Aristotle, Copernicus, Galileo, Descartes, Newton, Darwin and Faraday. Readings are grouped by topic to clarify the development of methods and the unification of theories. Each section includes an introduction, further reading suggestions and discussion questions, allowing students to develop the skills needed to read, interpret, and critically engage with central problems and ideas from the history and philosophy of science.