
Secrets of Alchemy |
Book Category:
Science > General
|
Author:
Lawrence M. Principe
|
ISBN 13:
9780226103792
|
Price:
USD 15.00
|
Publication Year:
2013
|
Publisher Info
University of Chicago Press. InquiryIn The Secrets of Alchemy, Lawrence M. Principe, one of the worlda€s leading authorities on the subject, brings alchemy out of the shadows and restores it to its important place in human history and culture. By surveying what alchemy was and how it began, developed, and overlapped with a range of ideas and pursuits, Principe illuminates the practice. He vividly depicts the place of alchemy during its heyday in early modern Europe, and then explores how alchemy has fit into wider views of the cosmos and humanity, touching on its enduring place in literature, fine art, theater, and religion as well as its recent acceptance as a serious subject of study for historians of science. In addition, he introduces the reader to some of the most fascinating alchemists, such as Zosimos and Basil Valentine, whose lives dot alchemya€s long reign from the third century and to the present day. Through his exploration of alchemists and their times, Principe pieces together closely guarded clues from obscure and fragmented texts to reveal alchemya€s secrets, and—most exciting for budding alchemists—uses them to recreate many of the most famous recipes in his lab, including those for the u201cglass of antimonyu201d and u201cphilosophersa€ tree.u201d This unique approach brings the reader closer to the actual work of alchemy than any other book.
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