Cultural diversity and the scientific endeavor --Science in Egypt: creating a civilization --Land between two rivers: science in ancient Mesopotamia --Indian science: a great blending of traditions --The Greeks and science: powers of discovery and inheritance --Science in China: the wages of order and invention --Science in Islam: absorption and transformation --New World civilizations: Olmecs, Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs --Inheriting and interpreting the world: the scientific culture of late Medieval and Renaissance Europe --Conclusion: themes in the world history of scientific cultures