By explaining how to sire multicolored horses, produce nuts without shells, and create an egg the size of a human head, Giambattista Della Porta's Natural Magic (1559) conveys a fascination with tricks and illusions that makes it a work difficult for historians of science to take seriously. Yet, according to William Eamon, it is in the "how-to" books written by medieval alchemists, magicians, and artisans that modern science has its roots. These compilations of recipes on everything from parlor tricks through medical remedies to wool-dyeing fascinated medieval intellectuals because they promised access to esoteric "secrets of nature." In closely examining this rich but little-known source of literature, Eamon reveals that printing technology and popular culture had as great, if not stronger, an impact on early modern science as did the traditional academic disciplines.
| Autorius: | William Eamon |
| Leidėjas: | Princeton University Press |
| Išleidimo metai: | 1996 |
| Knygos puslapių skaičius: | 510 |
| ISBN-10: | 0691026025 |
| ISBN-13: | 9780691026022 |
| Formatas: | Knyga minkštu viršeliu |
| Kalba: | Anglų |
| Žanras: | History of science |
Parašykite atsiliepimą apie „Science and the Secrets of Nature: Books of Secrets in Medieval and Early Modern Culture“
