Daniel W. Graham
I am an academic who puts a lot of research in on my topics. When I wrote Explaining the Cosmos, I tried to show how the early Greek philosophers became better students of nature by solving theoretical problems. When I wrote that, I accepted the standard view that these thinkers had the right idea about science but never succeeded in developing scientifically sound theories. But as I worked on that book, I began to realize that they actually did produce scientific breakthroughs, particularly in the area of astronomy. In Science Before Socrates, I tried to show how their inquiries produced real scientific knowledge, proving how the moon got its light from the sun (Parmenides' discovery) and how both solar and lunar eclipses came about (Anaxagoras). So by looking more closely at the contributions of the philosophers, I realized that scholars had underestimated them. You have to get to know your subject and the historical period well enough to see what is going on and how your subject is contributing.
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