This edition features two works by pioneering authors who helped shape the modern history of science—not through straightforward accounts of scientific ideas, but by carefully examining the historical circumstances that fostered the emergence of various scientific concepts. According to Peter Dear and Steven Shapin, the history of knowledge is always context-dependent. They argue that the belief in the absolute truth and universal significance of scientific claims is a product of socially driven processes aimed at standardizing what is considered acceptable knowledge. Both books focus on a detailed analysis of the event known in contemporary historiography as the "scientific revolution." Dear and Shapin offer their perspective on how, by the early 17th century, certain historical conditions coalesced to give rise to science as we understand it today. These works are essential references in the social history of science and can be used not only as vivid illustrations of the localist approach in historiography—often contrasted with globalization or universalism—but also as valuable textbooks for university courses on the history of science. Each book is accompanied by an extensive bibliographical overview.